diff --git a/src/surface.c b/src/surface.c
index b8ec932..a141762 100644
--- a/src/surface.c
+++ b/src/surface.c
@@ -67,17 +67,23 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateSurfaces2(VADriverContextP context, unsigned int format,
 	VASurfaceID id;
 	int rc;
 
-	if (format != VA_RT_FORMAT_YUV420)
-		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_RT_FORMAT;
+	request_log("CreateSurfaces2: format=0x%x %dx%d count=%d\n",
+		    format, width, height, surfaces_count);
 
+	if (format != VA_RT_FORMAT_YUV420) {
+		request_log("CreateSurfaces2: rejecting RT_FORMAT 0x%x\n", format);
+		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_RT_FORMAT;
+	}
 
 	if (!driver_data->video_format) {
 		/* Could happen if RequestInit's eager probe came back NULL —
 		 * try one more time here in case the device only became
 		 * format-enumerable after streaming setup. */
 		driver_data->video_format = video_format_probe(driver_data->video_fd);
-		if (driver_data->video_format == NULL)
+		if (driver_data->video_format == NULL) {
+			request_log("CreateSurfaces2: video_format probe still NULL\n");
 			return VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
+		}
 	}
 
 	video_format = driver_data->video_format;
@@ -87,21 +93,32 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateSurfaces2(VADriverContextP context, unsigned int format,
 	 * pinned to the picture dimensions the caller passed in. */
 	rc = v4l2_set_format(driver_data->video_fd, capture_type,
 			     video_format->v4l2_format, width, height);
-	if (rc < 0)
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		request_log("CreateSurfaces2: S_FMT(CAPTURE) failed for fmt=0x%x %dx%d\n",
+			    video_format->v4l2_format, width, height);
 		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
+	}
 
 	rc = v4l2_get_format(driver_data->video_fd, capture_type, &format_width,
 			     &format_height, destination_bytesperlines,
 			     destination_sizes, NULL);
-	if (rc < 0)
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		request_log("CreateSurfaces2: G_FMT(CAPTURE) failed\n");
 		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
+	}
+	request_log("CreateSurfaces2: G_FMT got %dx%d bpl[0]=%d size[0]=%d\n",
+		    format_width, format_height,
+		    destination_bytesperlines[0], destination_sizes[0]);
 
 	destination_planes_count = video_format->planes_count;
 
 	rc = v4l2_create_buffers(driver_data->video_fd, capture_type,
 				 surfaces_count, &index_base);
-	if (rc < 0)
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		request_log("CreateSurfaces2: CREATE_BUFS(CAPTURE) failed\n");
 		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+	}
+	request_log("CreateSurfaces2: CREATE_BUFS ok index_base=%u\n", index_base);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < surfaces_count; i++) {
 		index = index_base + i;
@@ -116,8 +133,10 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateSurfaces2(VADriverContextP context, unsigned int format,
 				       surface_object->destination_map_lengths,
 				       surface_object->destination_map_offsets,
 				       video_format->v4l2_buffers_count);
-		if (rc < 0)
+		if (rc < 0) {
+			request_log("CreateSurfaces2: QUERYBUF idx=%u failed\n", index);
 			return VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+		}
 
 		for (j = 0; j < video_format->v4l2_buffers_count; j++) {
 			surface_object->destination_map[j] =
@@ -127,8 +146,13 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateSurfaces2(VADriverContextP context, unsigned int format,
 				     driver_data->video_fd,
 				     surface_object->destination_map_offsets[j]);
 
-			if (surface_object->destination_map[j] == MAP_FAILED)
+			if (surface_object->destination_map[j] == MAP_FAILED) {
+				request_log("CreateSurfaces2: mmap idx=%u plane=%u len=%u offset=%u failed\n",
+					    index, j,
+					    surface_object->destination_map_lengths[j],
+					    surface_object->destination_map_offsets[j]);
 				return VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
+			}
 		}
 
 		/*
@@ -166,6 +190,9 @@ VAStatus RequestCreateSurfaces2(VADriverContextP context, unsigned int format,
 					destination_bytesperlines[j];
 			}
 		} else {
+			request_log("CreateSurfaces2: buffers_count=%u planes_count=%u mismatch\n",
+				    video_format->v4l2_buffers_count,
+				    destination_planes_count);
 			return VA_STATUS_ERROR_ALLOCATION_FAILED;
 		}
 
@@ -458,16 +485,26 @@ VAStatus RequestExportSurfaceHandle(VADriverContextP context,
 	VAStatus status;
 	int rc;
 
-	video_format = driver_data->video_format;
-	if (video_format == NULL)
-		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
+	request_log("ExportSurfaceHandle: surface_id=%u mem_type=0x%x flags=0x%x\n",
+		    surface_id, mem_type, flags);
 
-	if (mem_type != VA_SURFACE_ATTRIB_MEM_TYPE_DRM_PRIME_2)
+	video_format = driver_data->video_format;
+	if (video_format == NULL) {
+		request_log("ExportSurfaceHandle: video_format NULL\n");
+		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
+	}
+
+	if (mem_type != VA_SURFACE_ATTRIB_MEM_TYPE_DRM_PRIME_2) {
+		request_log("ExportSurfaceHandle: rejecting mem_type 0x%x (only DRM_PRIME_2)\n",
+			    mem_type);
 		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_MEMORY_TYPE;
+	}
 
 	surface_object = SURFACE(driver_data, surface_id);
-	if (surface_object == NULL)
+	if (surface_object == NULL) {
+		request_log("ExportSurfaceHandle: invalid surface_id\n");
 		return VA_STATUS_ERROR_INVALID_SURFACE;
+	}
 
 	export_fds_count = surface_object->destination_buffers_count;
 	export_fds = malloc(export_fds_count * sizeof(*export_fds));
@@ -478,6 +515,8 @@ VAStatus RequestExportSurfaceHandle(VADriverContextP context,
 				surface_object->destination_index, O_RDONLY,
 				export_fds, export_fds_count);
 	if (rc < 0) {
+		request_log("ExportSurfaceHandle: EXPBUF idx=%u count=%u failed\n",
+			    surface_object->destination_index, export_fds_count);
 		status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
 		goto error;
 	}