diff --git a/changes/prettier-signature-log b/changes/prettier-signature-log
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c008514fb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/prettier-signature-log
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+  o Minor features
+    - Make the formerly ugly "2 unknown, 7 missing key, 0 good, 0 bad,
+      2 no signature, 4 required" messages easier to read, and make sure
+      they get logged at the same severity as the messages explaining
+      which keys are which.  Fixes bug 1290.
+    - Don't warn when we have a consensus that we can't verify because
+      of missing certificates, unless those certificates are ones
+      that we have been trying and failing to download.  Fixes bug 1145.
+
diff --git a/src/or/directory.c b/src/or/directory.c
index 97ee0c9fbc..ffa312bc41 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.c
+++ b/src/or/directory.c
@@ -3533,6 +3533,14 @@ download_status_reset(download_status_t *dls)
   dls->next_attempt_at = time(NULL) + schedule[0];
 }
 
+/** Return the number of failures on <b>dls</b> since the last success (if
+ * any). */
+int
+download_status_get_n_failures(const download_status_t *dls)
+{
+  return dls->n_download_failures;
+}
+
 /** Called when one or more routerdesc (or extrainfo, if <b>was_extrainfo</b>)
  * fetches have failed (with uppercase fingerprints listed in <b>failed</b>,
  * either as descriptor digests or as identity digests based on
diff --git a/src/or/directory.h b/src/or/directory.h
index 36b4cf2b18..6fd2c0beff 100644
--- a/src/or/directory.h
+++ b/src/or/directory.h
@@ -104,5 +104,7 @@ download_status_mark_impossible(download_status_t *dl)
   dl->n_download_failures = IMPOSSIBLE_TO_DOWNLOAD;
 }
 
+int download_status_get_n_failures(const download_status_t *dls);
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/or/networkstatus.c b/src/or/networkstatus.c
index e985679c4e..3ac7b805a0 100644
--- a/src/or/networkstatus.c
+++ b/src/or/networkstatus.c
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ networkstatus_check_consensus_signature(networkstatus_t *consensus,
                                         int warn)
 {
   int n_good = 0;
-  int n_missing_key = 0;
+  int n_missing_key = 0, n_dl_failed_key = 0;
   int n_bad = 0;
   int n_unknown = 0;
   int n_no_signature = 0;
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ networkstatus_check_consensus_signature(networkstatus_t *consensus,
                           voter) {
     int good_here = 0;
     int bad_here = 0;
-    int missing_key_here = 0;
+    int missing_key_here = 0, dl_failed_key_here = 0;
     SMARTLIST_FOREACH_BEGIN(voter->sigs, document_signature_t *, sig) {
       if (!sig->good_signature && !sig->bad_signature &&
           sig->signature) {
@@ -502,11 +502,15 @@ networkstatus_check_consensus_signature(networkstatus_t *consensus,
         } else if (!cert || cert->expires < now) {
           smartlist_add(need_certs_from, voter);
           ++missing_key_here;
+          if (authority_cert_dl_looks_uncertain(sig->identity_digest))
+            ++dl_failed_key_here;
           continue;
         }
         if (networkstatus_check_document_signature(consensus, sig, cert) < 0) {
           smartlist_add(need_certs_from, voter);
           ++missing_key_here;
+          if (authority_cert_dl_looks_uncertain(sig->identity_digest))
+            ++dl_failed_key_here;
           continue;
         }
       }
@@ -519,9 +523,11 @@ networkstatus_check_consensus_signature(networkstatus_t *consensus,
       ++n_good;
     else if (bad_here)
       ++n_bad;
-    else if (missing_key_here)
+    else if (missing_key_here) {
       ++n_missing_key;
-    else
+      if (dl_failed_key_here)
+        ++n_dl_failed_key;
+    } else
       ++n_no_signature;
   } SMARTLIST_FOREACH_END(voter);
 
@@ -534,39 +540,71 @@ networkstatus_check_consensus_signature(networkstatus_t *consensus,
         smartlist_add(missing_authorities, ds);
     });
 
-  if (warn > 1 || (warn >= 0 && n_good < n_required))
+  if (warn > 1 || (warn >= 0 &&
+                   (n_good + n_missing_key - n_dl_failed_key < n_required))) {
     severity = LOG_WARN;
-  else
+  } else {
     severity = LOG_INFO;
+  }
 
   if (warn >= 0) {
     SMARTLIST_FOREACH(unrecognized, networkstatus_voter_info_t *, voter,
       {
-        log_info(LD_DIR, "Consensus includes unrecognized authority '%s' "
-                 "at %s:%d (contact %s; identity %s)",
+        log(severity, LD_DIR, "Consensus includes unrecognized authority "
+                 "'%s' at %s:%d (contact %s; identity %s)",
                  voter->nickname, voter->address, (int)voter->dir_port,
                  voter->contact?voter->contact:"n/a",
                  hex_str(voter->identity_digest, DIGEST_LEN));
       });
     SMARTLIST_FOREACH(need_certs_from, networkstatus_voter_info_t *, voter,
       {
-        log_info(LD_DIR, "Looks like we need to download a new certificate "
-                 "from authority '%s' at %s:%d (contact %s; identity %s)",
+        log(severity, LD_DIR, "Looks like we need to download a new "
+                 "certificate from authority '%s' at %s:%d (contact %s; "
+                 "identity %s)",
                  voter->nickname, voter->address, (int)voter->dir_port,
                  voter->contact?voter->contact:"n/a",
                  hex_str(voter->identity_digest, DIGEST_LEN));
       });
     SMARTLIST_FOREACH(missing_authorities, trusted_dir_server_t *, ds,
       {
-        log_info(LD_DIR, "Consensus does not include configured "
+        log(severity, LD_DIR, "Consensus does not include configured "
                  "authority '%s' at %s:%d (identity %s)",
                  ds->nickname, ds->address, (int)ds->dir_port,
                  hex_str(ds->v3_identity_digest, DIGEST_LEN));
       });
-    log(severity, LD_DIR,
-        "%d unknown, %d missing key, %d good, %d bad, %d no signature, "
-        "%d required", n_unknown, n_missing_key, n_good, n_bad,
-        n_no_signature, n_required);
+    {
+      smartlist_t *sl = smartlist_create();
+      char *cp;
+      tor_asprintf(&cp, "A consensus needs %d good signatures from recognized "
+                   "authorities for us to accept it. This one has %d.",
+                   n_required, n_good);
+      smartlist_add(sl,cp);
+      if (n_no_signature) {
+        tor_asprintf(&cp, "%d of the authorities we know didn't sign it.",
+                     n_no_signature);
+        smartlist_add(sl,cp);
+      }
+      if (n_unknown) {
+        tor_asprintf(&cp, "It has %d signatures from authorities we don't "
+                      "recognize.", n_unknown);
+        smartlist_add(sl,cp);
+      }
+      if (n_bad) {
+        tor_asprintf(&cp, "%d of the signatures on it didn't verify "
+                      "correctly.", n_bad);
+        smartlist_add(sl,cp);
+      }
+      if (n_missing_key) {
+        tor_asprintf(&cp, "We were unable to check %d of the signatures, "
+                      "because we were missing the keys.", n_missing_key);
+        smartlist_add(sl,cp);
+      }
+      cp = smartlist_join_strings(sl, " ", 0, NULL);
+      log(severity, LD_DIR, "%s", cp);
+      tor_free(cp);
+      SMARTLIST_FOREACH(sl, char *, c, tor_free(c));
+      smartlist_free(sl);
+    }
   }
 
   smartlist_free(unrecognized);
diff --git a/src/or/routerlist.c b/src/or/routerlist.c
index 8808f56db9..5bdc973b2c 100644
--- a/src/or/routerlist.c
+++ b/src/or/routerlist.c
@@ -440,6 +440,23 @@ authority_cert_dl_failed(const char *id_digest, int status)
   download_status_failed(&cl->dl_status, status);
 }
 
+/** Return true iff when we've been getting enough failures when trying to
+ * download the certificate with ID digest <b>id_digest</b> that we're willing
+ * to start bugging the user about it. */
+int
+authority_cert_dl_looks_uncertain(const char *id_digest)
+{
+#define N_AUTH_CERT_DL_FAILURES_TO_BUG_USER 2
+  cert_list_t *cl;
+  int n_failures;
+  if (!trusted_dir_certs ||
+      !(cl = digestmap_get(trusted_dir_certs, id_digest)))
+    return 0;
+
+  n_failures = download_status_get_n_failures(&cl->dl_status);
+  return n_failures >= N_AUTH_CERT_DL_FAILURES_TO_BUG_USER;
+}
+
 /** How many times will we try to fetch a certificate before giving up? */
 #define MAX_CERT_DL_FAILURES 8
 
diff --git a/src/or/routerlist.h b/src/or/routerlist.h
index e31b07aef5..e3e9ddd778 100644
--- a/src/or/routerlist.h
+++ b/src/or/routerlist.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ void authority_cert_get_all(smartlist_t *certs_out);
 void authority_cert_dl_failed(const char *id_digest, int status);
 void authority_certs_fetch_missing(networkstatus_t *status, time_t now);
 int router_reload_router_list(void);
+int authority_cert_dl_looks_uncertain(const char *id_digest);
 smartlist_t *router_get_trusted_dir_servers(void);
 
 routerstatus_t *router_pick_directory_server(authority_type_t type, int flags);