diff --git a/collects/planet/private/planet-shared.ss b/collects/planet/private/planet-shared.ss
index d63d50e495..6fdd881c8e 100644
--- a/collects/planet/private/planet-shared.ss
+++ b/collects/planet/private/planet-shared.ss
@@ -497,6 +497,8 @@ Various common pieces of code that both the client and server need to access
             (apply fprintf (current-output-port) str fmt)
             (newline (current-output-port)))))))
   
+  ;; note that this function assumes that 'f' prints line-by-line
+  ;; output, so that it can be easily logged.
   (define (with-logging logfile f)
     (let-values ([(in out) (make-pipe)])
       (thread
@@ -515,9 +517,10 @@ Various common pieces of code that both the client and server need to access
                   (when outport (display l outport))
                   (planet-log l)
                   (loop)]))))))
-      (parameterize ([current-output-port out])
-        (f))))
-  
+      (begin0
+        (parameterize ([current-output-port out])
+          (f))
+        (close-output-port out))))
   
   ;; pkg->info : PKG -> (symbol (-> TST) -> TST)
   ;; get an info.ss thunk for the given package
diff --git a/collects/planet/util.ss b/collects/planet/util.ss
index e53dc52ec6..d94e7970ee 100644
--- a/collects/planet/util.ss
+++ b/collects/planet/util.ss
@@ -118,8 +118,11 @@
        (lambda () 
          (printf "\n============= Removing ~a =============\n" (list owner name maj min))
          (clean-planet-package path (list owner name '() maj min))))
+      (planet-log "Erasing metadata")
       (erase-metadata p)
+      (planet-log "Deleting files in ~a" (path->string path))
       (delete-directory/files path)
+      (planet-log "Trimming empty directories")
       (trim-directory (CACHE-DIR) path)
       (void))))
 
@@ -219,8 +222,8 @@
 (define (directory-empty? dir)
   (null? (directory-list dir)))
 
-;; trim-directory path path -> void
-;; deletes nonempty directories starting with stem and working down to root
+;; trim-directory: path path -> void
+;; deletes empty directories starting with stem and working down to root
 (define (trim-directory root stem)
   (let* ([rootl (explode-path root)]
          [steml (explode-path stem)]