diff --git a/pym/_emerge/FakeVartree.py b/pym/_emerge/FakeVartree.py
index d4dbe97..904a7a5 100644
--- a/pym/_emerge/FakeVartree.py
+++ b/pym/_emerge/FakeVartree.py
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ class FakeVartree(vartree):
 		self._portdb = portdb
 		self._global_updates = None
 
+		self._debug = root_config.settings.get("PORTAGE_DEBUG") == "1"
+
 	@property
 	def root(self):
 		warnings.warn("The root attribute of "
@@ -88,7 +90,19 @@ class FakeVartree(vartree):
 		be accessed directly from the Package instance instead of via
 		aux_get().
 		"""
+		tracing = False
+		if self._debug:
+			if cpv in ('=dev-libs/openssl-0.9.8*', 'dev-libs/openssl:0.9.8'):
+				tracing = True
+				import portage.debug as portage_debug
+				portage_debug.set_trace(True)
 		matches = self._match(cpv, use_cache=use_cache)
+		if self._debug:
+			portage.util.writemsg("FakeVartree._match_wrapper('%s'): %s\n" %
+				(cpv, matches), noiselevel=-1)
+			if tracing:
+				portage_debug.set_trace(False)
+
 		for cpv in matches:
 			if cpv in self._aux_get_history:
 				continue
@@ -199,6 +213,10 @@ class FakeVartree(vartree):
 			if pkg is None:
 				pkg = self._pkg(cpv)
 
+			if self._debug:
+				portage.util.writemsg("FakeVartree._sync: %s slot_atom: %s counter: %s\n" %
+					(pkg, pkg.slot_atom, pkg.counter), noiselevel=-1)
+
 			other_counter = slot_counters.get(pkg.slot_atom)
 			if other_counter is not None:
 				if other_counter > pkg.counter:
@@ -207,6 +225,11 @@ class FakeVartree(vartree):
 			slot_counters[pkg.slot_atom] = pkg.counter
 			pkg_vardb.cpv_inject(pkg)
 
+		if self._debug:
+			portage.util.writemsg("FakeVartree._sync:\n", noiselevel=-1)
+			for cpv in sorted(pkg_vardb.cpv_all()):
+				portage.util.writemsg("\t%s\n" % (cpv,), noiselevel=-1)
+
 		real_vardb.flush_cache()
 
 	def _pkg(self, cpv):