diff --git a/src/libmain/shared.cc b/src/libmain/shared.cc
index f7c11ed05..9076e9994 100644
--- a/src/libmain/shared.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/shared.cc
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ void printMissing(StoreAPI & store, const PathSet & paths)
     }
 
     if (!willSubstitute.empty()) {
-        printMsg(lvlInfo, format("these paths will be downloaded/copied (%.2f MiB download, %.2f MiB unpacked):")
+        printMsg(lvlInfo, format("these paths will be fetched (%.2f MiB download, %.2f MiB unpacked):")
             % (downloadSize / (1024.0 * 1024.0))
             % (narSize / (1024.0 * 1024.0)));
         foreach (PathSet::iterator, i, willSubstitute)
diff --git a/src/libstore/build.cc b/src/libstore/build.cc
index 171c08913..a8ef9b23e 100644
--- a/src/libstore/build.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/build.cc
@@ -2202,9 +2202,7 @@ void SubstitutionGoal::tryNext()
     if (subs.size() == 0) {
         /* None left.  Terminate this goal and let someone else deal
            with it. */
-        printMsg(lvlError,
-            format("path `%1%' is required, but there is no substituter that can build it")
-            % storePath);
+        debug(format("path `%1%' is required, but there is no substituter that can build it") % storePath);
         amDone(ecFailed);
         return;
     }
@@ -2235,8 +2233,7 @@ void SubstitutionGoal::referencesValid()
     trace("all references realised");
 
     if (nrFailed > 0) {
-        printMsg(lvlError,
-            format("some references of path `%1%' could not be realised") % storePath);
+        debug(format("some references of path `%1%' could not be realised") % storePath);
         amDone(ecFailed);
         return;
     }
@@ -2289,9 +2286,7 @@ void SubstitutionGoal::tryToRun()
         return;
     }
 
-    printMsg(lvlInfo,
-        format("substituting path `%1%' using substituter `%2%'")
-        % storePath % sub);
+    printMsg(lvlInfo, format("fetching path `%1%'...") % storePath);
     
     logPipe.create();
 
@@ -2367,19 +2362,15 @@ void SubstitutionGoal::finished()
     try {
         
         if (!statusOk(status))
-            throw SubstError(format("builder for `%1%' %2%")
+            throw SubstError(format("fetching path `%1%' %2%")
                 % storePath % statusToString(status));
 
         if (!pathExists(storePath))
-            throw SubstError(
-                format("substitute did not produce path `%1%'")
-                % storePath);
+            throw SubstError(format("substitute did not produce path `%1%'") % storePath);
         
     } catch (SubstError & e) {
 
-        printMsg(lvlInfo,
-            format("substitution of path `%1%' using substituter `%2%' failed: %3%")
-            % storePath % sub % e.msg());
+        printMsg(lvlInfo, e.msg());
         
         if (printBuildTrace) {
             printMsg(lvlError, format("@ substituter-failed %1% %2% %3%")