diff -ur audit-2.7.7.orig/src/auditd.c audit-2.7.7/src/auditd.c
--- audit-2.7.7.orig/src/auditd.c	2017-06-16 15:01:41.000000000 -0400
+++ audit-2.7.7/src/auditd.c	2017-07-14 10:54:46.390612992 -0400
@@ -692,6 +692,7 @@
 		return 1;
 	}
 
+       	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Starting dispatcher");
 	if (init_dispatcher(&config)) {
 		if (pidfile)
 			unlink(pidfile);
@@ -701,6 +702,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Get machine name ready for use */
+       	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Resolving node");
 	if (resolve_node(&config)) {
 		if (pidfile)
 			unlink(pidfile);
@@ -710,6 +712,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Setup the reconfig notification pipe */
+       	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Creating reconfig socket");
 	if (socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, pipefds)) {
         	audit_msg(LOG_ERR, "Cannot open reconfig socket");
 		if (pidfile)
@@ -718,19 +721,23 @@
 		free_config(&config);
 		return 1;
 	}
+       	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Setting CLOEXEC");
 	fcntl(pipefds[0], F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC);
 	fcntl(pipefds[1], F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC);
 
 	/* This had to wait until now so the child exec has happened */
+       	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Making dispatcher fd private");
 	make_dispatcher_fd_private();
 
 	/* Write message to log that we are alive */
+       	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Creating DAEMON_START event");
 	{
 		struct utsname ubuf;
 		char start[DEFAULT_BUF_SZ];
 		const char *fmt = audit_lookup_format((int)config.log_format);
 		if (fmt == NULL)
 			fmt = "UNKNOWN";
+       		audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Calling uname");
 		if (uname(&ubuf) != 0) {
 			if (pidfile)
 				unlink(pidfile);
@@ -739,6 +746,7 @@
 			free_config(&config);
 			return 1;
 		}
+       		audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Getting subject");
 		if (getsubj(subj))
 			snprintf(start, sizeof(start),
 				"op=start ver=%s format=%s "
@@ -755,6 +763,7 @@
 				VERSION, fmt, ubuf.release,
 				audit_getloginuid(), getpid(),
 				getuid(), session);
+       		audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Sending event");
 		if (send_audit_event(AUDIT_DAEMON_START, start)) {
         		audit_msg(LOG_ERR, "Cannot send start message");
 			if (pidfile)
@@ -765,14 +774,18 @@
 			free_config(&config);
 			return 1;
 		}
+       		audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Event sent");
 	}
 
 	/* Tell kernel not to kill us */
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Avoiding oom");
 	avoid_oom_killer();
 
 	/* let config manager init */
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Initting config manager");
 	init_config_manager();
 
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Setting enabled");
 	if (opt_startup != startup_nochange && !opt_aggregate_only &&
 			(audit_is_enabled(fd) < 2) &&
 			audit_set_enabled(fd, (int)opt_startup) < 0) {
@@ -805,6 +818,7 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Tell the kernel we are alive */
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Setting pid");
 	if (!opt_aggregate_only && audit_set_pid(fd, getpid(), WAIT_YES) < 0) {
 		char emsg[DEFAULT_BUF_SZ];
 		if (*subj)
@@ -833,13 +847,16 @@
 	}
 
 	/* Depending on value of opt_startup (-s) set initial audit state */
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Creating event loop");
 	loop = ev_default_loop (EVFLAG_NOENV);
 
 	if (!opt_aggregate_only) {
+		audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Setting netlink handler");
 		ev_io_init (&netlink_watcher, netlink_handler, fd, EV_READ);
 		ev_io_start (loop, &netlink_watcher);
 	}
 
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Setting signal handlers");
 	ev_signal_init (&sigterm_watcher, term_handler, SIGTERM);
 	ev_signal_start (loop, &sigterm_watcher);
 
@@ -855,11 +872,14 @@
 	ev_signal_init (&sigchld_watcher, child_handler, SIGCHLD);
 	ev_signal_start (loop, &sigchld_watcher);
 
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Setting pipe handler");
 	ev_io_init (&pipe_watcher, pipe_handler, pipefds[0], EV_READ);
 	ev_io_start (loop, &pipe_watcher);
 
+	audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Starting tcp handler");
 	if (auditd_tcp_listen_init(loop, &config)) {
 		char emsg[DEFAULT_BUF_SZ];
+		audit_msg(LOG_WARNING, "Start failed");
 		if (*subj)
 			snprintf(emsg, sizeof(emsg),
 				"op=network-init auid=%u pid=%d uid=%u "