diff --git a/bin/strata-client/src/rpc_server.rs b/bin/strata-client/src/rpc_server.rs
index 691511107..f8846ce05 100644
--- a/bin/strata-client/src/rpc_server.rs
+++ b/bin/strata-client/src/rpc_server.rs
@@ -371,7 +371,10 @@ impl<D: Database + Send + Sync + 'static> StrataApiServer for StrataRpcImpl<D> {
 
     async fn sync_status(&self) -> RpcResult<RpcSyncStatus> {
         let sync_state = self.status_channel.get_sync_state();
-        let cur_epoch = self.status_channel.get_cur_l2_epoch().unwrap_or(0);
+        let cur_epoch = self.status_channel.get_cur_l2_epoch().unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            warn!("cur_epoch unset, using default 0");
+            0
+        });
         Ok(sync_state
             .map(|sync| RpcSyncStatus {
                 tip_height: sync.tip_height(),
diff --git a/crates/chaintsn/src/epoch.rs b/crates/chaintsn/src/epoch.rs
index 11ab34e54..4235ae1f1 100644
--- a/crates/chaintsn/src/epoch.rs
+++ b/crates/chaintsn/src/epoch.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use strata_state::{
     tx::ProtocolOperation,
 };
 
-use crate::{errors::TsnError, slot_rng::SlotRng};
+use crate::{errors::TsnError, macros::*, slot_rng::SlotRng};
 
 /// Rollup epoch-level input.
 pub struct EpochData<'b> {
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ pub fn process_epoch(
 
     // Increment the epoch counter.
     let cur_epoch = state.state().cur_epoch();
-    state.set_cur_epoch(cur_epoch + 1);
+    let new_epoch = cur_epoch + 1;
+    state.set_cur_epoch(new_epoch);
+    info!(%new_epoch, "internally advanced epoch");
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/crates/state/src/state_op.rs b/crates/state/src/state_op.rs
index 20379ee71..5986d0c14 100644
--- a/crates/state/src/state_op.rs
+++ b/crates/state/src/state_op.rs
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ pub struct StateCache {
     original_epoch_state: EpochState,
     new_ch_state: Chainstate,
     new_epoch_state: Option<EpochState>,
+
+    // Unused right now, will likely use later.
     write_ops: Vec<StateOp>,
 }