diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
index 65cc11d6e84..ca5634044d5 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
@@ -226,13 +226,13 @@ final class ShardLeaderElectionContext extends ShardLeaderElectionContextBase {
       }
       
       // solrcloud_debug
-      if (Boolean.getBoolean("solr.cloud.debug")) {
+      if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
         try {
           RefCounted<SolrIndexSearcher> searchHolder = core
               .getNewestSearcher(false);
           SolrIndexSearcher searcher = searchHolder.get();
           try {
-            System.err.println(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
+            log.debug(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
                 .getZkController().getNodeName()
                 + " synched "
                 + searcher.search(new MatchAllDocsQuery(), 1).totalHits);
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/RecoveryStrategy.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/RecoveryStrategy.java
index 438b75fd70e..6ad73c8ba62 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/RecoveryStrategy.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/RecoveryStrategy.java
@@ -156,13 +156,13 @@ public class RecoveryStrategy extends Thread implements ClosableThread {
     }
     
     // solrcloud_debug
-    if (Boolean.getBoolean("solr.cloud.debug")) {
+    if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
       try {
         RefCounted<SolrIndexSearcher> searchHolder = core
             .getNewestSearcher(false);
         SolrIndexSearcher searcher = searchHolder.get();
         try {
-          System.err.println(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
+          log.debug(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
               .getZkController().getNodeName()
               + " replicated "
               + searcher.search(new MatchAllDocsQuery(), 1).totalHits
@@ -387,13 +387,13 @@ public class RecoveryStrategy extends Thread implements ClosableThread {
             log.info("PeerSync Recovery was successful - registering as Active. core=" + coreName);
 
             // solrcloud_debug
-            if (Boolean.getBoolean("solr.cloud.debug")) {
+            if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
               try {
                 RefCounted<SolrIndexSearcher> searchHolder = core
                     .getNewestSearcher(false);
                 SolrIndexSearcher searcher = searchHolder.get();
                 try {
-                  System.err.println(core.getCoreDescriptor()
+                  log.debug(core.getCoreDescriptor()
                       .getCoreContainer().getZkController().getNodeName()
                       + " synched "
                       + searcher.search(new MatchAllDocsQuery(), 1).totalHits);
@@ -536,13 +536,13 @@ public class RecoveryStrategy extends Thread implements ClosableThread {
     }
     
     // solrcloud_debug
-    if (Boolean.getBoolean("solr.cloud.debug")) {
+    if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
       try {
         RefCounted<SolrIndexSearcher> searchHolder = core
             .getNewestSearcher(false);
         SolrIndexSearcher searcher = searchHolder.get();
         try {
-          System.err.println(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
+          log.debug(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
               .getZkController().getNodeName()
               + " replayed "
               + searcher.search(new MatchAllDocsQuery(), 1).totalHits);
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SyncStrategy.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SyncStrategy.java
index 537f737f470..8249d2732e8 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SyncStrategy.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/SyncStrategy.java
@@ -92,11 +92,7 @@ public class SyncStrategy {
       return false;
     }
     log.info("Sync replicas to " + ZkCoreNodeProps.getCoreUrl(leaderProps));
-    // TODO: look at our state usage of sync
-    // zkController.publish(core, ZkStateReader.SYNC);
-    
-    // solrcloud_debug
-    // System.out.println("SYNC UP");
+
     if (core.getUpdateHandler().getUpdateLog() == null) {
       log.error("No UpdateLog found - cannot sync");
       return false;
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java
index 80072af6c4b..53ebed42404 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/admin/CoreAdminHandler.java
@@ -796,13 +796,13 @@ public class CoreAdminHandler extends RequestHandlerBase {
         
         boolean success = syncStrategy.sync(zkController, core, new ZkNodeProps(props));
         // solrcloud_debug
-        if (Boolean.getBoolean("solr.cloud.debug")) {
+        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
           try {
             RefCounted<SolrIndexSearcher> searchHolder = core
                 .getNewestSearcher(false);
             SolrIndexSearcher searcher = searchHolder.get();
             try {
-              System.err.println(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
+              log.debug(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
                   .getZkController().getNodeName()
                   + " synched "
                   + searcher.search(new MatchAllDocsQuery(), 1).totalHits);
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ public class CoreAdminHandler extends RequestHandlerBase {
         }
         
         // solrcloud_debug
-        if (Boolean.getBoolean("solr.cloud.debug")) {
+        if (log.isDebugEnabled()) {
           try {
             ;
             LocalSolrQueryRequest r = new LocalSolrQueryRequest(core,
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ public class CoreAdminHandler extends RequestHandlerBase {
                 .getNewestSearcher(false);
             SolrIndexSearcher searcher = searchHolder.get();
             try {
-              System.err.println(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
+              log.debug(core.getCoreDescriptor().getCoreContainer()
                   .getZkController().getNodeName()
                   + " to replicate "
                   + searcher.search(new MatchAllDocsQuery(), 1).totalHits