diff --git a/avroregistry/message.go b/avroregistry/message.go
index 30eca8f..d58e40e 100644
--- a/avroregistry/message.go
+++ b/avroregistry/message.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/heetch/avro"
 )
@@ -74,7 +76,8 @@ func (r decodingRegistry) DecodeSchemaID(msg []byte) (int64, []byte) {
 //
 // See https://docs.confluent.io/current/schema-registry/develop/api.html#get--schemas-ids-int-%20id
 func (r decodingRegistry) SchemaForID(ctx context.Context, id int64) (*avro.Type, error) {
-	req := r.r.newRequest(ctx, "GET", fmt.Sprintf("/schemas/ids/%d", id), nil)
+	req := r.r.newRequest(ctx, http.MethodGet, fmt.Sprintf("/schemas/ids/%d", id), nil)
+	log.Printf("=======> %d getting schema with ID: %s", id, req.URL.String())
 	var resp struct {
 		Schema string `json:"schema"`
 	}
diff --git a/avroregistry/registry.go b/avroregistry/registry.go
index 6ef714c..a2b113d 100644
--- a/avroregistry/registry.go
+++ b/avroregistry/registry.go
@@ -6,11 +6,15 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"os"
 	"strconv"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/heetch/avro"
@@ -102,7 +106,7 @@ func (r *Registry) Register(ctx context.Context, subject string, schema *avro.Ty
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
-	req := r.newRequest(ctx, "POST", fmt.Sprintf("/subjects/%s/versions", subject), bytes.NewReader(data))
+	req := r.newRequest(ctx, http.MethodPost, fmt.Sprintf("/subjects/%s/versions", subject), bytes.NewReader(data))
 	var resp struct {
 		ID int64 `json:"id"`
 	}
@@ -122,14 +126,14 @@ func (r *Registry) SetCompatibility(ctx context.Context, subject string, mode av
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return r.doRequest(r.newRequest(ctx, "PUT", "/config/"+subject, bytes.NewReader(data)), nil)
+	return r.doRequest(r.newRequest(ctx, http.MethodPut, "/config/"+subject, bytes.NewReader(data)), nil)
 }
 
 // DeleteSubject deletes the  given subject from the registry.
 //
 // See https://docs.confluent.io/current/schema-registry/develop/api.html#delete--subjects-(string-%20subject)
 func (r *Registry) DeleteSubject(ctx context.Context, subject string) error {
-	return r.doRequest(r.newRequest(ctx, "DELETE", "/subjects/"+subject, nil), nil)
+	return r.doRequest(r.newRequest(ctx, http.MethodDelete, "/subjects/"+subject, nil), nil)
 }
 
 // Schema gets a specific version of the schema registered under this subject
@@ -166,7 +170,17 @@ func validateVersion(version string) error {
 }
 
 func (r *Registry) newRequest(ctx context.Context, method string, urlStr string, body io.Reader) *http.Request {
-	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, r.params.ServerURL+urlStr, body)
+	var url string
+	if method == http.MethodGet {
+		if u, ok := os.LookupEnv("OVERRIDE_REGISTRY"); ok {
+			url = u
+		} else {
+			url = r.params.ServerURL
+		}
+	} else {
+		url = r.params.ServerURL
+	}
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, method, url+urlStr, body)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Should never happen, as we've checked the URL for validity when
 		// creating the registry instance.
@@ -184,11 +198,20 @@ func (r *Registry) doRequest(req *http.Request, result interface{}) error {
 	if r.params.Username != "" {
 		req.SetBasicAuth(r.params.Username, r.params.Password)
 	}
+	log.Printf("===> foo request: %s: %s", req.Method, req.URL)
 	ctx := req.Context()
 	attempt := retry.StartWithCancel(r.params.RetryStrategy, nil, ctx.Done())
 	for attempt.Next() {
 		resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
 		if err != nil {
+			var urlError *url.Error
+			if errors.As(err, &urlError) {
+				log.Printf("=====> net error: %v: temporary: %t, timeout: %t: detected: %t", urlError, urlError.Temporary(), urlError.Timeout(), isTemporaryError(err))
+			}
+			if errors.Is(err, syscall.ECONNREFUSED) {
+				log.Printf("===> connection refused detected")
+				err = fmt.Errorf("should be a retryable error this one: %w", err)
+			}
 			if !attempt.More() || !isTemporaryError(err) {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -201,7 +224,7 @@ func (r *Registry) doRequest(req *http.Request, result interface{}) error {
 		if !attempt.More() {
 			return err
 		}
-		if err, ok := err.(*apiError); ok && err.StatusCode/100 != 5 {
+		if err, ok := err.(*apiError); ok && err.StatusCode != http.StatusInternalServerError {
 			// It's not a 5xx error. We want to retry on 5xx
 			// errors, because the Confluent Avro registry
 			// can occasionally return them as a matter of