diff --git a/soroban-env-host/src/host.rs b/soroban-env-host/src/host.rs
index bab2363b5..5f16ccf4a 100644
--- a/soroban-env-host/src/host.rs
+++ b/soroban-env-host/src/host.rs
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ impl Host {
                                 .msg("error '{}': calling unknown contract function '{}'")
                                 .arg::<RawVal>(func.into()),
                         )),
-                        Err(_panic_payload) => {
+                        Err(panic_payload) => {
                             // Return an error indicating the contract function
                             // panicked. If if was a panic generated by a
                             // CheckedEnv-upgraded HostError, it had its status
@@ -875,21 +875,21 @@ impl Host {
                             // propagate it.
                             let func: RawVal = func.into();
                             let mut status: Status = ScUnknownErrorCode::General.into();
-                            let mut event = DebugEvent::new().msg("Caught panic from contract function '{}'").arg(func);
+                            let mut event = DebugEvent::new().msg("caught panic from contract function '{}'").arg(func);
 
                             if let Some(st) = *panic.borrow() {
                                 status = st;
-                                event = DebugEvent::new().msg("Caught panic from contract function '{}', propagating escalated error '{}'").arg(func);
+                                event = DebugEvent::new().msg("caught panic from contract function '{}', propagating escalated error '{}'").arg(func).arg(st.to_raw());
                             }
                             // If we're allowed to record dynamic strings (which happens in
                             // native test configurations), also log the panic payload into
                             // the .
                             else if cfg!(feature = "hostfn_log_fmt_values") {
-                                if let Some(str) = _panic_payload.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
-                                    let msg: String = format!("Caught panic '{}' from contract function '{:?}'", str, func);
+                                if let Some(str) = panic_payload.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+                                    let msg: String = format!("caught panic '{}' from contract function '{:?}'", str, func);
                                     event = DebugEvent::new().msg(msg);
-                                } else if let Some(str) = _panic_payload.downcast_ref::<String>() {
-                                    let msg: String = format!("Caught panic '{}' from contract function '{:?}'", str, func);
+                                } else if let Some(str) = panic_payload.downcast_ref::<String>() {
+                                    let msg: String = format!("caught panic '{}' from contract function '{:?}'", str, func);
                                     event = DebugEvent::new().msg(msg);
                                 }
                             }