diff --git a/tools/binman/elf.py b/tools/binman/elf.py
index 8147b34..af40024 100644
--- a/tools/binman/elf.py
+++ b/tools/binman/elf.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import tempfile
 
 import tools
+import tout
 
 ELF_TOOLS = True
 try:
@@ -25,9 +26,6 @@
 except:  # pragma: no cover
     ELF_TOOLS = False
 
-# This is enabled from control.py
-debug = False
-
 Symbol = namedtuple('Symbol', ['section', 'address', 'size', 'weak'])
 
 # Information about an ELF file:
@@ -143,9 +141,8 @@
                 value = -1
                 pack_string = pack_string.lower()
             value_bytes = struct.pack(pack_string, value)
-            if debug:
-                print('%s:\n   insert %s, offset %x, value %x, length %d' %
-                      (msg, name, offset, value, len(value_bytes)))
+            tout.Debug('%s:\n   insert %s, offset %x, value %x, length %d' %
+                       (msg, name, offset, value, len(value_bytes)))
             entry.data = (entry.data[:offset] + value_bytes +
                         entry.data[offset + sym.size:])
 
diff --git a/tools/binman/elf_test.py b/tools/binman/elf_test.py
index e250637..416e43b 100644
--- a/tools/binman/elf_test.py
+++ b/tools/binman/elf_test.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import elf
 import test_util
 import tools
+import tout
 
 binman_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(sys.argv[0]))
 
@@ -130,14 +131,16 @@
 
     def testDebug(self):
         """Check that enabling debug in the elf module produced debug output"""
-        elf.debug = True
-        entry = FakeEntry(20)
-        section = FakeSection()
-        elf_fname = os.path.join(binman_dir, 'test', 'u_boot_binman_syms')
-        with test_util.capture_sys_output() as (stdout, stderr):
-            syms = elf.LookupAndWriteSymbols(elf_fname, entry, section)
-        elf.debug = False
-        self.assertTrue(len(stdout.getvalue()) > 0)
+        try:
+            tout.Init(tout.DEBUG)
+            entry = FakeEntry(20)
+            section = FakeSection()
+            elf_fname = os.path.join(binman_dir, 'test', 'u_boot_binman_syms')
+            with test_util.capture_sys_output() as (stdout, stderr):
+                syms = elf.LookupAndWriteSymbols(elf_fname, entry, section)
+            self.assertTrue(len(stdout.getvalue()) > 0)
+        finally:
+            tout.Init(tout.WARNING)
 
     def testMakeElf(self):
         """Test for the MakeElf function"""
diff --git a/tools/binman/entry.py b/tools/binman/entry.py
index dd2daad..e3c6434 100644
--- a/tools/binman/entry.py
+++ b/tools/binman/entry.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import fdt_util
 import state
 import tools
+from tools import ToHex, ToHexSize
 import tout
 
 modules = {}
@@ -272,8 +273,9 @@
         new_size = len(data)
         if state.AllowEntryExpansion():
             if new_size > self.contents_size:
-                tout.Debug("Entry '%s' size change from %#x to %#x" % (
-                    self._node.path, self.contents_size, new_size))
+                tout.Debug("Entry '%s' size change from %s to %s" % (
+                    self._node.path, ToHex(self.contents_size),
+                    ToHex(new_size)))
                 # self.data will indicate the new size needed
                 size_ok = False
         elif new_size != self.contents_size:
@@ -294,6 +296,9 @@
 
     def ResetForPack(self):
         """Reset offset/size fields so that packing can be done again"""
+        self.Detail('ResetForPack: offset %s->%s, size %s->%s' %
+                    (ToHex(self.offset), ToHex(self.orig_offset),
+                     ToHex(self.size), ToHex(self.orig_size)))
         self.offset = self.orig_offset
         self.size = self.orig_size
 
@@ -315,6 +320,9 @@
         Returns:
             New section offset pointer (after this entry)
         """
+        self.Detail('Packing: offset=%s, size=%s, content_size=%x' %
+                    (ToHex(self.offset), ToHex(self.size),
+                     self.contents_size))
         if self.offset is None:
             if self.offset_unset:
                 self.Raise('No offset set with offset-unset: should another '
@@ -346,6 +354,8 @@
         if self.offset != tools.Align(self.offset, self.align):
             self.Raise("Offset %#x (%d) does not match align %#x (%d)" %
                   (self.offset, self.offset, self.align, self.align))
+        self.Detail('   - packed: offset=%#x, size=%#x, content_size=%#x, next_offset=%x' %
+                    (self.offset, self.size, self.contents_size, new_offset))
 
         return new_offset
 
@@ -353,6 +363,11 @@
         """Convenience function to raise an error referencing a node"""
         raise ValueError("Node '%s': %s" % (self._node.path, msg))
 
+    def Detail(self, msg):
+        """Convenience function to log detail referencing a node"""
+        tag = "Node '%s'" % self._node.path
+        tout.Detail('%30s: %s' % (tag, msg))
+
     def GetEntryArgsOrProps(self, props, required=False):
         """Return the values of a set of properties
 
@@ -389,6 +404,7 @@
         return self._node.path
 
     def GetData(self):
+        self.Detail('GetData: size %s' % ToHexSize(self.data))
         return self.data
 
     def GetOffsets(self):
diff --git a/tools/binman/etype/fdtmap.py b/tools/binman/etype/fdtmap.py
index ddb9738..229b4a1 100644
--- a/tools/binman/etype/fdtmap.py
+++ b/tools/binman/etype/fdtmap.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from fdt import Fdt
 import state
 import tools
+import tout
 
 FDTMAP_MAGIC   = b'_FDTMAP_'
 FDTMAP_HDR_LEN = 16
@@ -98,6 +99,8 @@
 
         # Find the node for the image containing the Fdt-map entry
         path = self.section.GetPath()
+        self.Detail("Fdtmap: Using section '%s' (path '%s')" %
+                    (self.section.name, path))
         node = infdt.GetNode(path)
         if not node:
             self.Raise("Internal error: Cannot locate node for path '%s'" %
diff --git a/tools/binman/etype/section.py b/tools/binman/etype/section.py
index cdd8618..f29784c 100644
--- a/tools/binman/etype/section.py
+++ b/tools/binman/etype/section.py
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@
             base = self.pad_before + entry.offset - self._skip_at_start
             section_data = (section_data[:base] + data +
                             section_data[base + len(data):])
+        self.Detail('GetData: %d entries, total size %#x' %
+                    (len(self._entries), len(section_data)))
         return section_data
 
     def GetOffsets(self):
diff --git a/tools/patman/tools.py b/tools/patman/tools.py
index e945b54..f492dc8 100644
--- a/tools/patman/tools.py
+++ b/tools/patman/tools.py
@@ -473,3 +473,19 @@
     if entry_name:
         args += ['-d', '-e', entry_name]
     Run(*args)
+
+def ToHex(val):
+    """Convert an integer value (or None) to a string
+
+    Returns:
+        hex value, or 'None' if the value is None
+    """
+    return 'None' if val is None else '%#x' % val
+
+def ToHexSize(val):
+    """Return the size of an object in hex
+
+    Returns:
+        hex value of size, or 'None' if the value is None
+    """
+    return 'None' if val is None else '%#x' % len(val)