diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 1b7946b24..173d4ece0 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -208,29 +208,32 @@ func (c *config) discoverInternal() error {
 	for builder := range command.Builders {
 		_, found := (c.Builders)[builder]
 		if !found {
-			log.Printf("Using internal plugin for %s", builder)
 			(c.Builders)[builder] = fmt.Sprintf("%s%splugin%spacker-builder-%s",
 				packerPath, PACKERSPACE, PACKERSPACE, builder)
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("Using external plugin for %s", builder)
 		}
 	}
 
 	for provisioner := range command.Provisioners {
 		_, found := (c.Provisioners)[provisioner]
 		if !found {
-			log.Printf("Using internal plugin for %s", provisioner)
 			(c.Provisioners)[provisioner] = fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s%splugin%spacker-provisioner-%s",
 				packerPath, PACKERSPACE, PACKERSPACE, provisioner)
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("Using external plugin for %s", provisioner)
 		}
 	}
 
 	for postProcessor := range command.PostProcessors {
 		_, found := (c.PostProcessors)[postProcessor]
 		if !found {
-			log.Printf("Using internal plugin for %s", postProcessor)
 			(c.PostProcessors)[postProcessor] = fmt.Sprintf(
 				"%s%splugin%spacker-post-processor-%s",
 				packerPath, PACKERSPACE, PACKERSPACE, postProcessor)
+		} else {
+			log.Printf("Using external plugin for %s", postProcessor)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 4078d306f..b24ee229b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ func realMain() int {
 
 		packer.LogSecretFilter.SetOutput(logWriter)
 
-		//packer.LogSecrets.
-
 		// Disable logging here
 		log.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
 
@@ -137,12 +135,16 @@ func wrappedMain() int {
 	packer.LogSecretFilter.SetOutput(os.Stderr)
 	log.SetOutput(&packer.LogSecretFilter)
 
+	inPlugin := os.Getenv(plugin.MagicCookieKey) == plugin.MagicCookieValue
+	if inPlugin {
+		// This prevents double-logging timestamps
+		log.SetFlags(0)
+	}
+
 	log.Printf("[INFO] Packer version: %s", version.FormattedVersion())
 	log.Printf("Packer Target OS/Arch: %s %s", runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
 	log.Printf("Built with Go Version: %s", runtime.Version())
 
-	inPlugin := os.Getenv(plugin.MagicCookieKey) == plugin.MagicCookieValue
-
 	config, err := loadConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error loading configuration: \n\n%s\n", err)
@@ -195,7 +197,7 @@ func wrappedMain() int {
 			currentPID := os.Getpid()
 			backgrounded, err := checkProcess(currentPID)
 			if err != nil {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "cannot determind if process is in "+
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "cannot determine if process is in "+
 					"background: %s\n", err)
 			}
 			if backgrounded {
diff --git a/packer/plugin/client.go b/packer/plugin/client.go
index 7cfcb8e21..33fcf7f75 100644
--- a/packer/plugin/client.go
+++ b/packer/plugin/client.go
@@ -327,8 +327,10 @@ func (c *Client) Start() (addr net.Addr, err error) {
 		switch parts[1] {
 		case "tcp":
 			addr, err = net.ResolveTCPAddr("tcp", parts[2])
+			log.Printf("Received tcp RPC address for %s: addr is %s", cmd.Path, addr)
 		case "unix":
 			addr, err = net.ResolveUnixAddr("unix", parts[2])
+			log.Printf("Received unix RPC address for %s: addr is %s", cmd.Path, addr)
 		default:
 			err = fmt.Errorf("Unknown address type: %s", parts[1])
 		}
@@ -339,6 +341,13 @@ func (c *Client) Start() (addr net.Addr, err error) {
 }
 
 func (c *Client) logStderr(r io.Reader) {
+	logPrefix := filepath.Base(c.config.Cmd.Path)
+	if logPrefix == "packer" {
+		// we just called the normal packer binary with the plugin arg.
+		// grab the last arg from the list which will match the plugin name.
+		logPrefix = c.config.Cmd.Args[len(c.config.Cmd.Args)-1]
+	}
+
 	bufR := bufio.NewReader(r)
 	for {
 		line, err := bufR.ReadString('\n')
@@ -346,7 +355,8 @@ func (c *Client) logStderr(r io.Reader) {
 			c.config.Stderr.Write([]byte(line))
 
 			line = strings.TrimRightFunc(line, unicode.IsSpace)
-			log.Printf("%s: %s", filepath.Base(c.config.Cmd.Path), line)
+
+			log.Printf("%s plugin: %s", logPrefix, line)
 		}
 
 		if err == io.EOF {
diff --git a/packer/plugin/server.go b/packer/plugin/server.go
index 0efefb7e5..e30de6fb0 100644
--- a/packer/plugin/server.go
+++ b/packer/plugin/server.go
@@ -51,20 +51,7 @@ func Server() (*packrpc.Server, error) {
 		runtime.GOMAXPROCS(runtime.NumCPU())
 	}
 
-	minPort, err := strconv.ParseInt(os.Getenv("PACKER_PLUGIN_MIN_PORT"), 10, 32)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	maxPort, err := strconv.ParseInt(os.Getenv("PACKER_PLUGIN_MAX_PORT"), 10, 32)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	log.Printf("Plugin minimum port: %d\n", minPort)
-	log.Printf("Plugin maximum port: %d\n", maxPort)
-
-	listener, err := serverListener(minPort, maxPort)
+	listener, err := serverListener()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -104,15 +91,28 @@ func Server() (*packrpc.Server, error) {
 	return packrpc.NewServer(conn)
 }
 
-func serverListener(minPort, maxPort int64) (net.Listener, error) {
+func serverListener() (net.Listener, error) {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		return serverListener_tcp(minPort, maxPort)
+		return serverListener_tcp()
 	}
 
 	return serverListener_unix()
 }
 
-func serverListener_tcp(minPort, maxPort int64) (net.Listener, error) {
+func serverListener_tcp() (net.Listener, error) {
+	minPort, err := strconv.ParseInt(os.Getenv("PACKER_PLUGIN_MIN_PORT"), 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	maxPort, err := strconv.ParseInt(os.Getenv("PACKER_PLUGIN_MAX_PORT"), 10, 32)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	log.Printf("Plugin minimum port: %d\n", minPort)
+	log.Printf("Plugin maximum port: %d\n", maxPort)
+
 	for port := minPort; port <= maxPort; port++ {
 		address := fmt.Sprintf("127.0.0.1:%d", port)
 		listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", address)