diff --git a/src/or/main.c b/src/or/main.c
index 1dd791f7de..9fc6035076 100644
--- a/src/or/main.c
+++ b/src/or/main.c
@@ -1455,7 +1455,7 @@ run_scheduled_events(time_t now)
     dirvote_act(options, now);
   }
 
-    /* 3a. Every second, we examine pending circuits and prune the
+  /* 3a. Every second, we examine pending circuits and prune the
    *    ones which have been pending for more than a few seconds.
    *    We do this before step 4, so it can try building more if
    *    it's not comfortable with the number of available circuits.
@@ -1545,7 +1545,7 @@ rotate_onion_key_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
       router_upload_dir_desc_to_dirservers(0);
     return MIN_ONION_KEY_LIFETIME;
   }
-  return -1;
+  return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1562,21 +1562,21 @@ check_ed_keys_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
     }
     return 30;
   }
-  return -1;
+  return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 }
 
 static int
 launch_descriptor_fetches_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
 {
   if (should_delay_dir_fetches(options, NULL))
-    return -1;
+      return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 
   update_all_descriptor_downloads(now);
   update_extrainfo_downloads(now);
   if (router_have_minimum_dir_info())
     return LAZY_DESCRIPTOR_RETRY_INTERVAL;
   else
-    return  GREEDY_DESCRIPTOR_RETRY_INTERVAL;
+    return GREEDY_DESCRIPTOR_RETRY_INTERVAL;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1609,7 +1609,7 @@ rotate_x509_certificate_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
 
   /* We also make sure to rotate the TLS connections themselves if they've
    * been up for too long -- but that's done via is_bad_for_new_circs in
-   * connection_run_housekeeping() above. */
+   * run_connection_housekeeping() above. */
 
   return MAX_SSL_KEY_LIFETIME_INTERNAL;
 }
@@ -1763,7 +1763,7 @@ record_bridge_stats_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
      * next time bridge mode is turned on. */
     should_init_bridge_stats = 1;
   }
-  return -1;
+  return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1877,7 +1877,7 @@ fetch_networkstatus_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
 #define networkstatus_dl_check_interval(o) ((o)->TestingTorNetwork ? 1 : 60)
 
   if (should_delay_dir_fetches(options, NULL))
-    return -1;
+    return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 
   update_networkstatus_downloads(now);
   return networkstatus_dl_check_interval(options);
@@ -1893,7 +1893,7 @@ retry_listeners_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
     retry_all_listeners(NULL, NULL, 0);
     return 60;
   }
-  return -1;
+  return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1914,7 +1914,7 @@ check_dns_honesty_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
   if (net_is_disabled() ||
       ! public_server_mode(options) ||
       router_my_exit_policy_is_reject_star())
-    return -1;
+    return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 
   static int first_time = 1;
   if (first_time) {
@@ -1936,7 +1936,7 @@ write_bridge_ns_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
 #define BRIDGE_STATUSFILE_INTERVAL (30*60)
      return BRIDGE_STATUSFILE_INTERVAL;
   }
-  return -1;
+  return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1945,7 +1945,7 @@ check_fw_helper_app_callback(time_t now, const or_options_t *options)
   if (net_is_disabled() ||
       ! server_mode(options) ||
       ! options->PortForwarding) {
-    return -1;
+    return PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE;
   }
   /* 11. check the port forwarding app */
 
diff --git a/src/or/periodic.c b/src/or/periodic.c
index 708c0099fb..e21b1af37c 100644
--- a/src/or/periodic.c
+++ b/src/or/periodic.c
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
 #include <event.h>
 #endif
 
-/** We disable any interval greate than this number of seconds, on the ground
- * that it is probably an absolute time mistakenly passed in as a relative time.
+/** We disable any interval greater than this number of seconds, on the
+ * grounds that it is probably an absolute time mistakenly passed in as a
+ * relative time.
  */
 static const int MAX_INTERVAL = 10 * 365 * 86400;
 
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ periodic_event_dispatch(evutil_socket_t fd, short what, void *data)
 
   time_t now = time(NULL);
   const or_options_t *options = get_options();
+  log_debug(LD_GENERAL, "Dispatching %s", event->name);
   int r = event->fn(now, options);
   int next_interval = 0;
 
@@ -63,10 +65,10 @@ periodic_event_dispatch(evutil_socket_t fd, short what, void *data)
     next_interval = 1;
   }
 
+  log_debug(LD_GENERAL, "Scheduling %s for %d seconds", event->name,
+           next_interval);
   struct timeval tv = { next_interval , 0 };
   event_add(event->ev, &tv);
-
-  log_info(LD_GENERAL, "Dispatching %s", event->name);
 }
 
 /** Schedules <b>event</b> to run as soon as possible from now. */
diff --git a/src/or/periodic.h b/src/or/periodic.h
index e57666c0c8..a77f411690 100644
--- a/src/or/periodic.h
+++ b/src/or/periodic.h
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@
 #ifndef TOR_PERIODIC_H
 #define TOR_PERIODIC_H
 
-/** Callback function for a periodic event to take action.
-* The return value influences the next time the function will get called.
-* Return -1 to not update <b>last_action_time</b> and be polled again in
-* the next second. If a positive value is returned it will update the
-* interval time. If the returned value is larger than <b>now</b> then it
-* is assumed to be a future time to poll again. */
+#define PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE (-1)
+
+/** Callback function for a periodic event to take action.  The return value
+* influences the next time the function will get called.  Return
+* PERIODIC_EVENT_NO_UPDATE to not update <b>last_action_time</b> and be polled
+* again in the next second. If a positive value is returned it will update the
+* interval time. */
 typedef int (*periodic_event_helper_t)(time_t now,
                                       const or_options_t *options);