diff --git a/google/common_operation.go b/google/common_operation.go
index 31ad8a16..3160b180 100644
--- a/google/common_operation.go
+++ b/google/common_operation.go
@@ -98,11 +98,15 @@ func CommonRefreshFunc(w Waiter) resource.StateRefreshFunc {
 			if !isRetryableError(err) {
 				return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("Not retriable error: %s", err)
 			}
+
+			log.Printf("[DEBUG] Saw error polling for op, but dismissed as retriable: %s", err)
 			if op == nil {
 				return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("Cannot continue, Operation is nil. %s", err)
 			}
 		}
 
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] working with op %#v", op)
+
 		// Try to set the operation (so we can check it's Error/State),
 		// and fail if we can't.
 		if err = w.SetOp(op); err != nil {
diff --git a/google/sqladmin_operation.go b/google/sqladmin_operation.go
index fe9c2bd4..1e9990ef 100644
--- a/google/sqladmin_operation.go
+++ b/google/sqladmin_operation.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package google
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 
 	sqladmin "google.golang.org/api/sqladmin/v1beta4"
 )
@@ -14,7 +15,11 @@ type SqlAdminOperationWaiter struct {
 }
 
 func (w *SqlAdminOperationWaiter) State() string {
-	if w == nil || w.Op == nil {
+	if w == nil {
+		return "Operation Waiter is nil!"
+	}
+
+	if w.Op == nil {
 		return "Operation is nil!"
 	}
 
@@ -29,8 +34,13 @@ func (w *SqlAdminOperationWaiter) Error() error {
 }
 
 func (w *SqlAdminOperationWaiter) SetOp(op interface{}) error {
-	var ok bool
-	w.Op, ok = op.(*sqladmin.Operation)
+	if op == nil {
+		// Starting as a log statement, this may be a useful error in the future
+		log.Printf("[DEBUG] attempted to set nil op")
+	}
+
+	sqlOp, ok := op.(*sqladmin.Operation)
+	w.Op = sqlOp
 	if !ok {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to set operation. Bad type!")
 	}
@@ -39,19 +49,30 @@ func (w *SqlAdminOperationWaiter) SetOp(op interface{}) error {
 }
 
 func (w *SqlAdminOperationWaiter) QueryOp() (interface{}, error) {
-	if w == nil || w.Op == nil {
+	if w == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Cannot query operation, waiter is unset or nil.")
+	}
+
+	if w.Op == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Cannot query operation, it's unset or nil.")
 	}
+
 	if w.Service == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Cannot query operation, service is nil.")
 	}
+
 	return w.Service.Operations.Get(w.Project, w.Op.Name).Do()
 }
 
 func (w *SqlAdminOperationWaiter) OpName() string {
-	if w == nil || w.Op == nil {
-		return "<nil>"
+	if w == nil {
+		return "<nil waiter>"
 	}
+
+	if w.Op == nil {
+		return "<nil op>"
+	}
+
 	return w.Op.Name
 }