diff --git a/kernel/src/api/v4/interrupt.cc b/kernel/src/api/v4/interrupt.cc
index 63a3d8a1..8a3646e8 100644
--- a/kernel/src/api/v4/interrupt.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/api/v4/interrupt.cc
@@ -368,5 +368,5 @@ void SECTION(".init") init_interrupt_threads()
     /* initialize KIP */
     word_t num_irqs = get_interrupt_ctrl()->get_number_irqs();
     get_kip()->thread_info.set_system_base(num_irqs);
-    TRACE_INIT("system has %d interrupts\n", num_irqs);
+    TRACE_INIT("System has %d interrupts\n", num_irqs);
 }
diff --git a/kernel/src/api/v4/schedule.cc b/kernel/src/api/v4/schedule.cc
index ee9bf52a..b9999084 100644
--- a/kernel/src/api/v4/schedule.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/api/v4/schedule.cc
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ static void SECTION(".init") init_all_threads(void)
  */
 static void idle_thread()
 {
-    TRACE_INIT("idle thread started on CPU %d\n", get_current_cpu());
+    TRACE_INIT("Idle thread started on CPU %d\n", get_current_cpu());
 
     while(1)
     {
diff --git a/kernel/src/api/v4/thread.cc b/kernel/src/api/v4/thread.cc
index 118a0bd2..0dbf5850 100644
--- a/kernel/src/api/v4/thread.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/api/v4/thread.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*********************************************************************
  *                
- * Copyright (C) 2002-2006,  Karlsruhe University
+ * Copyright (C) 2002-2007,  Karlsruhe University
  *                
  * File path:     api/v4/thread.cc
  * Description:   thread manipulation
@@ -1381,7 +1381,7 @@ void SECTION(".init") init_root_servers()
     sigma1.set_global_id(ubase+1, ROOT_VERSION);
     root_server.set_global_id(ubase+2, ROOT_VERSION);
     
-    TRACE_INIT ("creating sigma0 (%t)\n", TID(sigma0));
+    TRACE_INIT ("Creating sigma0 (%t)\n", TID(sigma0));
     tcb = create_root_server(
 	sigma0,			// tid and space
 	root_server,		// scheduler
@@ -1397,7 +1397,7 @@ void SECTION(".init") init_root_servers()
     /* start sigma1 */
     if (!get_kip()->sigma1.mem_region.is_empty())
     {
-	TRACE_INIT ("creating sigma1 (%t)\n", TID(sigma1));
+	TRACE_INIT ("Creating sigma1 (%t)\n", TID(sigma1));
 	tcb = create_root_server(
 	    sigma1,		// tid and space
 	    root_server,	// scheduler
@@ -1414,7 +1414,7 @@ void SECTION(".init") init_root_servers()
     /* start root task */
     if (!get_kip()->root_server.mem_region.is_empty())
     {
-	TRACE_INIT ("creating root server (%t)\n", TID(root_server));
+	TRACE_INIT ("Creating root server (%t)\n", TID(root_server));
 	tcb = create_root_server(
 	    root_server,	// tid and space
 	    root_server,	// scheduler
diff --git a/kernel/src/generic/kmemory.cc b/kernel/src/generic/kmemory.cc
index 827c6e10..d594a468 100644
--- a/kernel/src/generic/kmemory.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/generic/kmemory.cc
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ kmem_t kmem;
 SECTION(SEC_INIT) void kmem_t::init(void * start, void * end)
 {
 #define ISIZE ((word_t) end - (word_t) start)
-    TRACE_INIT ("kmem_init (%p, %p) [%d%c]\n", start, end,
+    TRACE_INIT ("Initializing kernel memory (%p-%p) [%d%c]\n", start, end,
 		ISIZE >= GB (1) ? ISIZE >> 30 :
 		ISIZE >= MB (1) ? ISIZE >> 20 : ISIZE >> 10,
 		ISIZE >= GB (1) ? 'G' : ISIZE >= MB (1) ? 'M' : 'K');
diff --git a/kernel/src/glue/v4-amd64/space.cc b/kernel/src/glue/v4-amd64/space.cc
index 6339a01a..bbe6d666 100644
--- a/kernel/src/glue/v4-amd64/space.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/glue/v4-amd64/space.cc
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ void space_t::init_cpu_mappings(cpuid_t cpu)
     /* cpu 0 operates on already initialized pagetables */
     if ( cpu == 0 ) return; 
     
-    TRACE_INIT("init cpu mappings for cpu %d\n", cpu);
+    TRACE_INIT("Initializing cpu mappings for cpu %d\n", cpu);
 
     mem_region_t reg = { start_cpu_local, end_cpu_local };
 
@@ -588,10 +588,10 @@ void space_t::init_cpu_mappings(cpuid_t cpu)
 	
     }
 
-    TRACE_INIT("switching to CPU local pagetable %p\n", get_pagetable(cpu));
+    TRACE_INIT("Switching to CPU local pagetable %p\n", get_pagetable(cpu));
     x86_mmu_t::set_active_pagetable((word_t)get_pagetable(cpu));
     x86_mmu_t::flush_tlb(true);
-    TRACE_INIT("cpu pagetable activated (%x)\n",
+    TRACE_INIT("CPU pagetable activated (%x)\n",
 	       x86_mmu_t::get_active_pagetable());
     
 
diff --git a/kernel/src/glue/v4-ia32/space.cc b/kernel/src/glue/v4-ia32/space.cc
index c80629dc..be2eae7d 100644
--- a/kernel/src/glue/v4-ia32/space.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/glue/v4-ia32/space.cc
@@ -425,12 +425,12 @@ void SECTION (".init") space_t::init_cpu_mappings(cpuid_t cpu)
     /* CPU 0 gets the always initialized page table */
     if (cpu == 0) return;
 
-    TRACE_INIT("init cpu mappings for cpu %d\n", cpu);
+    TRACE_INIT("Initializing CPU mappings for cpu %d\n", cpu);
 
     mem_region_t reg = { start_cpu_local, end_cpu_local };
     align_memregion(reg, IA32_PAGEDIR_SIZE);
 
-    TRACE_INIT("remapping CPU local memory %p - %p (%p - %p)\n", 
+    TRACE_INIT("Remapping CPU local memory %p - %p (%p - %p)\n", 
 	       start_cpu_local, end_cpu_local, reg.low, reg.high);
 
     pgent_t::pgsize_e size = pgent_t::size_max;
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ void SECTION (".init") space_t::init_cpu_mappings(cpuid_t cpu)
 	    else
 	    {
 		addr_t page = kmem.alloc(kmem_pgtab, IA32_PAGE_SIZE);
-		TRACE_INIT("allocated cpu local page %p -> %p\n", pgaddr, page);
+		TRACE_INIT("Allocated cpu local page %p -> %p\n", pgaddr, page);
 		dst_pgent->set_entry(this, size, virt_to_phys(page), 7, 0, true);
 		memcpy(page, pgaddr, IA32_PAGE_SIZE);
 	    }
@@ -473,10 +473,10 @@ void SECTION (".init") space_t::init_cpu_mappings(cpuid_t cpu)
 	}
 	size++;
     }
-    TRACE_INIT("switching to CPU local pagetable %p\n", get_pagetable(cpu));
+    TRACE_INIT("Switching to CPU local pagetable %p\n", get_pagetable(cpu));
     x86_mmu_t::set_active_pagetable((u32_t)get_pagetable(cpu));
     x86_mmu_t::flush_tlb(true);
-    TRACE_INIT("cpu pagetable activated (%x)\n", 
+    TRACE_INIT("CPU pagetable activated (%x)\n", 
 	       x86_mmu_t::get_active_pagetable());
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/init.cc b/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/init.cc
index e530dfad..7fd7e1c9 100644
--- a/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/init.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/init.cc
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ extern "C" void SECTION(".init.init64") startup_system(u32_t is_ap)
 #if defined(CONFIG_SMP)
     /* start APs on an SMP + rendezvous */
     {
-	TRACE_INIT("starting %d application processors (%p->%p)\n", 
+	TRACE_INIT("Starting %d application processors (%p->%p)\n",
 		   cpu_t::count, _start_ap, SMP_STARTUP_ADDRESS);
 	
 	// aqcuire commence lock before starting any processor
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ extern "C" void SECTION(".init.init64") startup_system(u32_t is_ap)
 		continue;
 
 	    smp_boot_lock.lock(); // unlocked by AP
-	    TRACE_INIT("sending startup IPI to CPU#%d APIC %d\n", 
+	    TRACE_INIT("Sending startup IPI to CPU#%d APIC %d\n", 
 		       cpuid, cpu->get_apic_id());
 	    local_apic.send_init_ipi(cpu->get_apic_id(), true);
 	    for (int i = 0; i < 200000; i++);
diff --git a/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/timer-apic.cc b/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/timer-apic.cc
index bcda77b9..21462dfd 100644
--- a/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/timer-apic.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/glue/v4-x86/timer-apic.cc
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ X86_EXCNO_ERRORCODE(timer_interrupt, 0)
 
 void timer_t::init_global()
 {
-    TRACE_INIT("Init_global timer - trap gate %d\n", IDT_LAPIC_TIMER);
+    TRACE_INIT("Initializing global timer - trap gate %d\n", IDT_LAPIC_TIMER);
     idt.add_int_gate(IDT_LAPIC_TIMER, timer_interrupt);
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/src/platform/generic/intctrl-apic.cc b/kernel/src/platform/generic/intctrl-apic.cc
index d7a12698..602df58e 100755
--- a/kernel/src/platform/generic/intctrl-apic.cc
+++ b/kernel/src/platform/generic/intctrl-apic.cc
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ bool intctrl_t::init_io_apic(word_t idx, word_t id, word_t irq_base, addr_t padd
     ioapic->init(id, addr_t(IOAPIC_MAPPING(idx)));
 
     word_t numirqs = ioapic->i82093->num_irqs();
-    TRACE_INIT("realid=%d maxint=%d, version=%d\n",
+    TRACE_INIT("Initializing IOAPIC realid=%d maxint=%d, version=%d\n",
 	       ioapic->i82093->id(), numirqs, ioapic->i82093->version().ver.version);
 
     /* VU: we initialize all IO-APIC interrupts. By default all 
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ bool intctrl_t::init_io_apic(word_t idx, word_t id, word_t irq_base, addr_t padd
 }
 void intctrl_t::init_local_apic()
 {
-    TRACE_INIT("local apic id=%d, version=%d\n",
+    TRACE_INIT("Local apic id=%d, version=%d\n",
 	       local_apic.id(), local_apic.version());
 
     if (!local_apic.enable(IDT_LAPIC_SPURIOUS_INT))
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ void intctrl_t::init_local_apic()
 	    if ((lapic_map & (1 << i)) == 0)
 	    {
 		lapic_map |= (1 << i);
-		TRACE_INIT("changing local APIC id to %d\n", i);
+		TRACE_INIT("Changing local APIC id to %d\n", i);
 		local_apic.set_id(i);
 		if (local_apic.id() != i)
 		    panic("could not change local APIC id\n");