diff --git a/cert/cert.go b/cert/cert.go
index 4246571..38a2528 100644
--- a/cert/cert.go
+++ b/cert/cert.go
@@ -113,10 +113,10 @@ func (cc *CachedCertificate) String() string {
 	return cc.Certificate.String()
 }
 
-// RecombineAndValidate will attempt to unmarshal a certificate received in a handshake.
+// Recombine will attempt to unmarshal a certificate received in a handshake.
 // Handshakes save space by placing the peers public key in a different part of the packet, we have to
 // reassemble the actual certificate structure with that in mind.
-func RecombineAndValidate(v Version, rawCertBytes, publicKey []byte, curve Curve, caPool *CAPool) (*CachedCertificate, error) {
+func Recombine(v Version, rawCertBytes, publicKey []byte, curve Curve) (Certificate, error) {
 	if publicKey == nil {
 		return nil, ErrNoPeerStaticKey
 	}
@@ -125,29 +125,15 @@ func RecombineAndValidate(v Version, rawCertBytes, publicKey []byte, curve Curve
 		return nil, ErrNoPayload
 	}
 
-	c, err := unmarshalCertificateFromHandshake(v, rawCertBytes, publicKey, curve)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error unmarshaling cert: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	cc, err := caPool.VerifyCertificate(time.Now(), c)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("certificate validation failed: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return cc, nil
-}
-
-func unmarshalCertificateFromHandshake(v Version, b []byte, publicKey []byte, curve Curve) (Certificate, error) {
 	var c Certificate
 	var err error
 
 	switch v {
 	// Implementations must ensure the result is a valid cert!
 	case VersionPre1, Version1:
-		c, err = unmarshalCertificateV1(b, publicKey)
+		c, err = unmarshalCertificateV1(rawCertBytes, publicKey)
 	case Version2:
-		c, err = unmarshalCertificateV2(b, publicKey, curve)
+		c, err = unmarshalCertificateV2(rawCertBytes, publicKey, curve)
 	default:
 		//TODO: CERT-V2 make a static var
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown certificate version %d", v)
diff --git a/handshake_ix.go b/handshake_ix.go
index 9b8b3e9..daea526 100644
--- a/handshake_ix.go
+++ b/handshake_ix.go
@@ -132,13 +132,28 @@ func ixHandshakeStage1(f *Interface, addr netip.AddrPort, via *ViaSender, packet
 		return
 	}
 
-	remoteCert, err := cert.RecombineAndValidate(cert.Version(hs.Details.CertVersion), hs.Details.Cert, ci.H.PeerStatic(), ci.Curve(), f.pki.GetCAPool())
+	rc, err := cert.Recombine(cert.Version(hs.Details.CertVersion), hs.Details.Cert, ci.H.PeerStatic(), ci.Curve())
 	if err != nil {
-		e := f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
-			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"})
+		f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
+			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
+			Info("Handshake did not contain a certificate")
+		return
+	}
 
-		if f.l.Level > logrus.DebugLevel {
-			e = e.WithField("cert", remoteCert)
+	remoteCert, err := f.pki.GetCAPool().VerifyCertificate(time.Now(), rc)
+	if err != nil {
+		fp, err := rc.Fingerprint()
+		if err != nil {
+			fp = "<error generating certificate fingerprint>"
+		}
+
+		e := f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
+			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
+			WithField("certVpnNetworks", rc.Networks()).
+			WithField("certFingerprint", fp)
+
+		if f.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
+			e = e.WithField("cert", rc)
 		}
 
 		e.Info("Invalid certificate from host")
@@ -160,14 +175,10 @@ func ixHandshakeStage1(f *Interface, addr netip.AddrPort, via *ViaSender, packet
 	}
 
 	if len(remoteCert.Certificate.Networks()) == 0 {
-		e := f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
-			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"})
-
-		if f.l.Level > logrus.DebugLevel {
-			e = e.WithField("cert", remoteCert)
-		}
-
-		e.Info("Invalid vpn ip from host")
+		f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
+			WithField("cert", remoteCert).
+			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
+			Info("No networks in certificate")
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -487,30 +498,42 @@ func ixHandshakeStage2(f *Interface, addr netip.AddrPort, via *ViaSender, hh *Ha
 		return true
 	}
 
-	remoteCert, err := cert.RecombineAndValidate(cert.Version(hs.Details.CertVersion), hs.Details.Cert, ci.H.PeerStatic(), ci.Curve(), f.pki.GetCAPool())
+	rc, err := cert.Recombine(cert.Version(hs.Details.CertVersion), hs.Details.Cert, ci.H.PeerStatic(), ci.Curve())
 	if err != nil {
-		e := f.l.WithError(err).WithField("vpnAddrs", hostinfo.vpnAddrs).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
-			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 2, "style": "ix_psk0"})
+		f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
+			WithField("vpnAddrs", hostinfo.vpnAddrs).
+			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 2, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
+			Info("Handshake did not contain a certificate")
+		return true
+	}
 
-		if f.l.Level > logrus.DebugLevel {
-			e = e.WithField("cert", remoteCert)
+	remoteCert, err := f.pki.GetCAPool().VerifyCertificate(time.Now(), rc)
+	if err != nil {
+		fp, err := rc.Fingerprint()
+		if err != nil {
+			fp = "<error generating certificate fingerprint>"
 		}
 
-		e.Error("Invalid certificate from host")
+		e := f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
+			WithField("vpnAddrs", hostinfo.vpnAddrs).
+			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 2, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
+			WithField("certFingerprint", fp).
+			WithField("certVpnNetworks", rc.Networks())
 
-		// The handshake state machine is complete, if things break now there is no chance to recover. Tear down and start again
+		if f.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
+			e = e.WithField("cert", rc)
+		}
+
+		e.Info("Invalid certificate from host")
 		return true
 	}
 
 	if len(remoteCert.Certificate.Networks()) == 0 {
-		e := f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
-			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 2, "style": "ix_psk0"})
-
-		if f.l.Level > logrus.DebugLevel {
-			e = e.WithField("cert", remoteCert)
-		}
-
-		e.Info("Empty networks from host")
+		f.l.WithError(err).WithField("udpAddr", addr).
+			WithField("vpnAddrs", hostinfo.vpnAddrs).
+			WithField("cert", remoteCert).
+			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 2, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
+			Info("No networks in certificate")
 		return true
 	}
 
diff --git a/handshake_manager.go b/handshake_manager.go
index 6d3ed12..6f95402 100644
--- a/handshake_manager.go
+++ b/handshake_manager.go
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ func (hm *HandshakeManager) handleOutbound(vpnIp netip.Addr, lighthouseTriggered
 			WithField("initiatorIndex", hostinfo.localIndexId).
 			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"}).
 			Info("Handshake message sent")
-	} else if hm.l.IsLevelEnabled(logrus.DebugLevel) {
+	} else if hm.l.Level >= logrus.DebugLevel {
 		hostinfo.logger(hm.l).WithField("udpAddrs", sentTo).
 			WithField("initiatorIndex", hostinfo.localIndexId).
 			WithField("handshake", m{"stage": 1, "style": "ix_psk0"}).