diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
index 18a59786..7558dfc8 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
@@ -722,13 +722,13 @@ Step::ptr State::createStep(std::shared_ptr<StoreAPI> store, const Path & drvPat
         (*steps_)[drvPath] = step;
     }
 
-    printMsg(lvlDebug, format("considering derivation ‘%1%’") % drvPath);
-
     if (!isNew) {
         assert(step->created);
         return step;
     }
 
+    printMsg(lvlDebug, format("considering derivation ‘%1%’") % drvPath);
+
     /* Initialize the step. Note that the step may be visible in
        ‘steps’ before this point, but that doesn't matter because
        it's not runnable yet, and other threads won't make it