diff --git a/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairPosFormat2.hh b/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairPosFormat2.hh
index 523e0e936..85b0eac8e 100644
--- a/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairPosFormat2.hh
+++ b/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairPosFormat2.hh
@@ -220,17 +220,25 @@ struct PairPosFormat2_4
     if (HB_BUFFER_MESSAGE_MORE && c->buffer->messaging ())
     {
       c->buffer->message (c->font,
-			  "kerning glyphs at %d,%d",
+			  "try kerning glyphs at %d,%d",
 			  c->buffer->idx, skippy_iter.idx);
     }
 
     applied_first = valueFormat1.apply_value (c, this, v, buffer->cur_pos());
     applied_second = valueFormat2.apply_value (c, this, v + len1, buffer->pos[skippy_iter.idx]);
 
+    if (applied_first || applied_second)
+      if (HB_BUFFER_MESSAGE_MORE && c->buffer->messaging ())
+      {
+	c->buffer->message (c->font,
+			    "kerned glyphs at %d,%d",
+			    c->buffer->idx, skippy_iter.idx);
+      }
+
     if (HB_BUFFER_MESSAGE_MORE && c->buffer->messaging ())
     {
       c->buffer->message (c->font,
-			  "kerned glyphs at %d,%d",
+			  "tried kerning glyphs at %d,%d",
 			  c->buffer->idx, skippy_iter.idx);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairSet.hh b/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairSet.hh
index 2ad1f004c..a318f3991 100644
--- a/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairSet.hh
+++ b/src/OT/Layout/GPOS/PairSet.hh
@@ -112,17 +112,25 @@ struct PairSet
       if (HB_BUFFER_MESSAGE_MORE && c->buffer->messaging ())
       {
 	c->buffer->message (c->font,
-			    "kerning glyphs at %d,%d",
+			    "try kerning glyphs at %d,%d",
 			    c->buffer->idx, pos);
       }
 
       bool applied_first = valueFormats[0].apply_value (c, this, &record->values[0], buffer->cur_pos());
       bool applied_second = valueFormats[1].apply_value (c, this, &record->values[len1], buffer->pos[pos]);
 
+      if (applied_first || applied_second)
+	if (HB_BUFFER_MESSAGE_MORE && c->buffer->messaging ())
+	{
+	  c->buffer->message (c->font,
+			      "kerned glyphs at %d,%d",
+			      c->buffer->idx, pos);
+	}
+
       if (HB_BUFFER_MESSAGE_MORE && c->buffer->messaging ())
       {
 	c->buffer->message (c->font,
-			    "kerned glyphs at %d,%d",
+			    "tried kerning glyphs at %d,%d",
 			    c->buffer->idx, pos);
       }