diff --git a/launch/launch-node.py b/launch/launch-node.py
index 61b9d5315a..f49c3c498a 100755
--- a/launch/launch-node.py
+++ b/launch/launch-node.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def bootstrap_server(server, key, name, volume_device, keep,
     ip = server.public_v4
     ssh_kwargs = dict(pkey=key)
 
-    print 'Public IP', ip
+    print("--- Running initial configuration on host %s ---" % ip)
     for username in ['root', 'ubuntu', 'centos', 'admin']:
         ssh_client = utils.ssh_connect(ip, username, ssh_kwargs, timeout=600)
         if ssh_client:
diff --git a/launch/sshclient.py b/launch/sshclient.py
index 49d6bf6359..1c23aafda4 100644
--- a/launch/sshclient.py
+++ b/launch/sshclient.py
@@ -40,19 +40,23 @@ class SSHClient(object):
 
     def ssh(self, command, error_ok=False):
         stdin, stdout, stderr = self.client.exec_command(command)
-        print command
+        print('--- ssh: "%s" ---' % command)
+        print(' -- stdout --')
         output = ''
         for x in stdout:
             output += x
-            sys.stdout.write(x)
+            sys.stdout.write(" | " + x)
         ret = stdout.channel.recv_exit_status()
-        print stderr.read()
+        print(" -- stderr --")
+        for x in stderr:
+            sys.stdout.write(" | " + x)
         if (not error_ok) and ret:
             raise SSHException("Unable to %s" % command, ret)
+        print("--- done ---\n")
         return ret, output
 
     def scp(self, source, dest):
-        print 'copy', source, dest
+        print('--- scp copy:  %s -> %s' % (source, dest))
         ftp = self.client.open_sftp()
         ftp.put(source, dest)
         ftp.close()