diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index 59e80df03..9320c7361 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -1166,6 +1166,11 @@ clutter_actor_realize (ClutterActor *self)
         return;
     }
 
+  CLUTTER_NOTE (ACTOR, "Realizing actor '%s' [%p]",
+                self->priv->name ? self->priv->name
+                                 : G_OBJECT_TYPE_NAME (self),
+                self);
+
   CLUTTER_ACTOR_SET_FLAGS (self, CLUTTER_ACTOR_REALIZED);
   g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), "realized");
 
diff --git a/clutter/glx/clutter-stage-glx.c b/clutter/glx/clutter-stage-glx.c
index 9616f9371..f8d2d4987 100644
--- a/clutter/glx/clutter-stage-glx.c
+++ b/clutter/glx/clutter-stage-glx.c
@@ -113,7 +113,9 @@ clutter_stage_glx_realize (ClutterActor *actor)
   ClutterBackendX11 *backend_x11;
   gboolean           is_offscreen;
 
-  CLUTTER_NOTE (MISC, "Realizing main stage");
+  CLUTTER_NOTE (ACTOR, "Realizing stage '%s' [%p]",
+                G_OBJECT_TYPE_NAME (actor),
+                actor);
 
   g_object_get (stage_x11->wrapper, "offscreen", &is_offscreen, NULL);
 
diff --git a/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c b/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c
index 9aff476a6..af2f87620 100644
--- a/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c
+++ b/clutter/x11/clutter-stage-x11.c
@@ -757,11 +757,12 @@ clutter_x11_set_stage_foreign (ClutterStage *stage,
 void
 clutter_stage_x11_map (ClutterStageX11 *stage_x11)
 {
-  /* set the mapped state on the wrapper */
-  clutter_actor_map (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper));
+  CLUTTER_NOTE (BACKEND, "Mapping stage '%s' [%p]",
+                G_OBJECT_TYPE_NAME (stage_x11),
+                stage_x11);
 
-  /* and on the implementation second */
   clutter_actor_map (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11));
+  clutter_actor_map (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper));
 
   if (stage_x11->fullscreen_on_map)
     clutter_stage_fullscreen (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage_x11->wrapper));
@@ -774,9 +775,10 @@ clutter_stage_x11_map (ClutterStageX11 *stage_x11)
 void
 clutter_stage_x11_unmap (ClutterStageX11 *stage_x11)
 {
-  /* like above, unset the MAPPED stage on both the implementation and
-   * the wrapper, but unmap in reverse order from map
-   */
+  CLUTTER_NOTE (BACKEND, "Unmapping stage '%s' [%p]",
+                G_OBJECT_TYPE_NAME (stage_x11),
+                stage_x11);
+
   clutter_actor_unmap (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11));
   clutter_actor_unmap (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage_x11->wrapper));
 }