diff --git a/kola/tests/misc/nfs.go b/kola/tests/misc/nfs.go
index 054035c72..c136f6f92 100644
--- a/kola/tests/misc/nfs.go
+++ b/kola/tests/misc/nfs.go
@@ -79,8 +79,6 @@ func testNFS(c cluster.TestCluster, nfsversion int, remotePath string) {
 		c.Fatalf("Cluster.NewMachine: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	defer m1.Destroy()
-
 	c.Log("NFS server booted.")
 
 	/* poke a file in /tmp */
@@ -126,8 +124,6 @@ systemd:
 		c.Fatalf("Cluster.NewMachine: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	defer m2.Destroy()
-
 	c.Log("NFS client booted.")
 
 	checkmount := func() error {
diff --git a/kola/tests/misc/ntp.go b/kola/tests/misc/ntp.go
index d9990e95e..df5eabc7d 100644
--- a/kola/tests/misc/ntp.go
+++ b/kola/tests/misc/ntp.go
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ func NTP(c cluster.TestCluster) {
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Fatalf("Cluster.NewMachine: %s", err)
 	}
-	defer m.Destroy()
 
 	out := c.MustSSH(m, "networkctl status eth0")
 	if !bytes.Contains(out, []byte("NTP: 10.0.0.1")) {
diff --git a/kola/tests/systemd/journald.go b/kola/tests/systemd/journald.go
index b5f2b3918..765b9f381 100644
--- a/kola/tests/systemd/journald.go
+++ b/kola/tests/systemd/journald.go
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ func journalRemote(c cluster.TestCluster) {
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Fatalf("Cluster.NewMachine: %s", err)
 	}
-	defer gateway.Destroy()
 
 	// log a unique message on gatewayd machine
 	msg := "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
@@ -86,7 +85,6 @@ func journalRemote(c cluster.TestCluster) {
 	if err != nil {
 		c.Fatalf("Cluster.NewMachine: %s", err)
 	}
-	defer collector.Destroy()
 
 	// collect logs from gatewayd machine
 	cmd := fmt.Sprintf("sudo systemd-run --unit systemd-journal-remote-client /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-journal-remote --url http://%s:19531", gateway.PrivateIP())
diff --git a/platform/local/dnsmasq.go b/platform/local/dnsmasq.go
index 64f4d7bfb..e30fbc518 100644
--- a/platform/local/dnsmasq.go
+++ b/platform/local/dnsmasq.go
@@ -187,6 +187,8 @@ func NewDnsmasq() (*Dnsmasq, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	plog.Debugf("dnsmasq PID (manual cleanup needed if --remove=false): %v", dm.dnsmasq.Pid())
+
 	var configTemplate *template.Template
 
 	if plog.LevelAt(capnslog.DEBUG) {
diff --git a/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go b/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
index 5a906aa2c..aa7f60111 100644
--- a/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
+++ b/platform/machine/qemu/cluster.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options platfo
 	fdnum += 1
 	extraFiles = append(extraFiles, tap.File)
 
-	plog.Debugf("NewMachine: %q", qmCmd)
+	plog.Debugf("NewMachine: %q, %q, %q", qmCmd, qm.IP(), qm.PrivateIP())
 
 	qm.qemu = qm.qc.NewCommand(qmCmd[0], qmCmd[1:]...)
 
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options platfo
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	plog.Debugf("qemu PID (manual cleanup needed if --remove=false): %v", qm.qemu.Pid())
+
 	if err := platform.StartMachine(qm, qm.journal); err != nil {
 		qm.Destroy()
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go b/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go
index a87382c73..baff9c048 100644
--- a/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go
+++ b/platform/machine/unprivqemu/cluster.go
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options platfo
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	plog.Debugf("qemu PID (manual cleanup needed if --remove=false): %v", qm.qemu.Pid())
+
 	pid := strconv.Itoa(qm.qemu.Pid())
 	err = util.Retry(6, 5*time.Second, func() error {
 		var err error
@@ -131,6 +133,8 @@ func (qc *Cluster) NewMachineWithOptions(userdata *conf.UserData, options platfo
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	plog.Debugf("Localhost port for SSH connections: %q", qm.ip)
+
 	if err := platform.StartMachine(qm, qm.journal); err != nil {
 		qm.Destroy()
 		return nil, err