diff --git a/test/mock-request.js b/test/mock-request.js
index e4a929a6..0ebabb03 100644
--- a/test/mock-request.js
+++ b/test/mock-request.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function HttpBackend() {
     // the request function dependency that the SDK needs.
     this.requestFn = function(opts, callback) {
         const req = new Request(opts, callback);
-        console.log("HTTP backend received request: %s", req);
+        console.log("HTTP backend received request: " + req);
         self.requests.push(req);
 
         const abort = function() {
@@ -51,20 +51,23 @@ HttpBackend.prototype = {
             waitTime = 5;
         }
         console.log(
-            "HTTP backend flushing... (path=%s numToFlush=%s waitTime=%s)",
-            path, numToFlush, waitTime,
+            "HTTP backend flushing... (path=" + path
+            + " numToFlush=" + numToFlush
+            + " waitTime=" + waitTime
+            + ")",
         );
         const tryFlush = function() {
             // if there's more real requests and more expected requests, flush 'em.
             console.log(
-                "  trying to flush queue => reqs=[%s] expected=[%s]",
-                self.requests, self.expectedRequests.map((er) => er.path),
+                "  trying to flush queue => reqs=[" + self.requests
+                + "] expected=[" + self.expectedRequests
+                + "]",
             );
             if (self._takeFromQueue(path)) {
                 // try again on the next tick.
                 flushed += 1;
                 if (numToFlush && flushed === numToFlush) {
-                    console.log("  Flushed assigned amount: %s", numToFlush);
+                    console.log("  Flushed assigned amount:", numToFlush);
                     defer.resolve(flushed);
                 } else {
                     console.log("  flushed. Trying for more.");
@@ -73,10 +76,20 @@ HttpBackend.prototype = {
             } else if (flushed === 0 && !triedWaiting) {
                 // we may not have made the request yet, wait a generous amount of
                 // time before giving up.
+                console.log(
+                    "  nothing to flush yet; waiting " + waitTime +
+                    "ms for requests.")
                 setTimeout(tryFlush, waitTime);
                 triedWaiting = true;
             } else {
-                console.log("  no more flushes.");
+                if (flushed === 0) {
+                    console.log("  nothing to flush; giving up");
+                } else {
+                    console.log(
+                        "  no more flushes after flushing", flushed,
+                        "requests",
+                    );
+                }
                 defer.resolve(flushed);
             }
         };
@@ -197,6 +210,10 @@ function ExpectedRequest(method, path, data) {
 }
 
 ExpectedRequest.prototype = {
+    toString: function() {
+        return this.method + " " + this.path
+    },
+
     /**
      * Execute a check when this request has been satisfied.
      * @param {Function} fn The function to execute.