diff --git a/alloc.c b/alloc.c
index 052837b..a5bf394 100644
--- a/alloc.c
+++ b/alloc.c
@@ -570,8 +570,8 @@ static void log_reuse(struct liftoff_output *output)
 
 static void log_no_reuse(struct liftoff_output *output)
 {
-	liftoff_log(LIFTOFF_DEBUG,
-				"\n== Apply request for output %"PRIu32" ==", output->crtc_id);
+	liftoff_log_formatted(LIFTOFF_DEBUG, LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START,
+				"== Apply request for output %"PRIu32" ==", output->crtc_id);
 
 	if (output->alloc_reused_counter != 0) {
 		liftoff_log(LIFTOFF_DEBUG,
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ static void log_planes(struct liftoff_device *device,
 	} else {
 		debug_cnt(device, ":");
 	}
-	debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+	debug_end(device, LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START);
 
 	liftoff_list_for_each(plane, &device->planes, link) {
 		bool active = false;
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ static void log_planes(struct liftoff_device *device,
 			char *name;
 
 			if (++per_line == max_per_line) {
-				debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+				debug_end(device, 0);
 				debug_cnt(device, "   ");
 				per_line = 0;
 			}
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ static void log_planes(struct liftoff_device *device,
 			}
 			debug_cnt(device, " %s: %"PRIu64, name, value);
 		}
-		debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+		debug_end(device, 0);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ static bool reset_planes(struct liftoff_device *device, drmModeAtomicReq *req)
 	uint32_t debug_type = DRM_PLANE_TYPE_PRIMARY;
 	bool compatible;
 
-	debug_cnt(device, "\nReset planes:");
+	debug_cnt(device, "Reset planes:");
 
 	liftoff_list_for_each(plane, &device->planes, link) {
 		if (plane->layer != NULL) {
@@ -721,13 +721,14 @@ static bool reset_planes(struct liftoff_device *device, drmModeAtomicReq *req)
 
 		if (!plane_apply(plane, NULL, req, &compatible)) {
 			debug_cnt(device, "... Error resetting: %"PRIu32, plane->id);
-			debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+			debug_end(device,
+					  LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START | LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_END);
 			return false;
 		}
 		assert(compatible);
 	}
 
-	debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+	debug_end(device, LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START | LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_END);
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -806,7 +807,8 @@ bool liftoff_output_apply(struct liftoff_output *output, drmModeAtomicReq *req)
 		    "score=%d:", (void *)output, result.best_score);
 
 	/* Apply the best allocation */
-	liftoff_log(LIFTOFF_DEBUG, "\nFinal assignment of layers to planes:");
+	liftoff_log_formatted(LIFTOFF_DEBUG, LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START,
+						  "Final assignment of layers to planes:");
 	i = j = 0;
 	liftoff_list_for_each(plane, &device->planes, link) {
 		layer = result.best[i];
diff --git a/include/libliftoff.h b/include/libliftoff.h
index f3ec515..da6ee92 100644
--- a/include/libliftoff.h
+++ b/include/libliftoff.h
@@ -74,8 +74,15 @@ enum liftoff_log_importance {
 	LIFTOFF_DEBUG,
 };
 
+enum liftoff_log_flags {
+	LIFTOFF_LOG_NO_FLAG			= 0,
+	LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START	= 1,
+	LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_END		= 2,
+};
+
 typedef void (*liftoff_log_func)(enum liftoff_log_importance importance,
-				 const char *fmt, va_list args);
+								 enum liftoff_log_flags flags,
+								 const char *fmt, va_list args);
 
 void liftoff_log_init(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity,
 		      liftoff_log_func callback);
diff --git a/include/log.h b/include/log.h
index 21e93c3..646a99f 100644
--- a/include/log.h
+++ b/include/log.h
@@ -13,9 +13,13 @@ bool log_has(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity);
 
 void liftoff_log(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity,
 		 const char *format, ...) _LIFTOFF_ATTRIB_PRINTF(2, 3);
+void liftoff_log_formatted(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity,
+		 enum liftoff_log_flags flags,
+		 const char *format, ...) _LIFTOFF_ATTRIB_PRINTF(3, 4);
 void liftoff_log_errno(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity, const char *msg);
 
 void debug_cnt(struct liftoff_device *device, const char *format, ...)
 _LIFTOFF_ATTRIB_PRINTF(2, 3);
+void debug_end(struct liftoff_device *device, enum liftoff_log_flags flags);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/log.c b/log.c
index ce14044..bce64a6 100644
--- a/log.c
+++ b/log.c
@@ -7,11 +7,18 @@
 
 static enum liftoff_log_importance log_importance = LIFTOFF_ERROR;
 
-static void log_stderr(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity, const char *fmt,
-		       va_list args)
+static void log_stderr(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity,
+					   enum liftoff_log_flags flags,
+					   const char *fmt, va_list args)
 {
+	if (flags & LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_START) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+	}
 	vfprintf(stderr, fmt, args);
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+	if (flags & LIFTOFF_LOG_SECTION_END) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+	}
 }
 
 static liftoff_log_func log_callback = log_stderr;
@@ -39,7 +46,21 @@ void liftoff_log(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity, const char *fmt, ...)
 
 	va_list args;
 	va_start(args, fmt);
-	log_callback(verbosity, fmt, args);
+	log_callback(verbosity, 0, fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+}
+
+void liftoff_log_formatted(enum liftoff_log_importance verbosity,
+						   enum liftoff_log_flags flags,
+						   const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	if (!log_has(verbosity)) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	va_list args;
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	log_callback(verbosity, flags, fmt, args);
 	va_end(args);
 }
 
@@ -55,18 +76,6 @@ void debug_cnt(struct liftoff_device *device, const char *fmt, ...)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (fmt == NULL) {
-		if (device->log_buf == 0) {
-			return;
-		}
-		liftoff_log(LIFTOFF_DEBUG, "%s", device->log_buf);
-		free(device->log_buf);
-		device->log_buf = NULL;
-		device->log_buf_index = 0;
-		device->log_buf_len = 0;
-		return;
-	}
-
 	va_list args;
 	va_start(args, fmt);
 
@@ -112,3 +121,18 @@ cleanup_out:
 final_out:
 	va_end(args);
 }
+
+void debug_end(struct liftoff_device *device, enum liftoff_log_flags flags)
+{
+	if (!log_has(LIFTOFF_DEBUG)) {
+		return;
+	}
+	if (device->log_buf == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+	liftoff_log_formatted(LIFTOFF_DEBUG, flags, "%s", device->log_buf);
+	free(device->log_buf);
+	device->log_buf = NULL;
+	device->log_buf_index = 0;
+	device->log_buf_len = 0;
+}
diff --git a/plane.c b/plane.c
index 6511a1c..7f86d9d 100644
--- a/plane.c
+++ b/plane.c
@@ -48,21 +48,21 @@ static void log_plane(struct liftoff_device *device,
 	} else {
 		debug_cnt(device, "Overlay");
 	}
-	debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+	debug_end(device, 0);
 
 	liftoff_log(LIFTOFF_DEBUG, "     zpos: %"PRIu32, plane->zpos);
 
 	debug_cnt(device, "    props:");
 	for (i = 0; i < plane->props_len; i++) {
 		if (per_line == 5) {
-			debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+			debug_end(device, 0);
 			debug_cnt(device, "          ");
 			per_line = 0;
 		}
 		debug_cnt(device, " %s", plane->props[i].name);
 		per_line++;
 	}
-	debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+	debug_end(device, 0);
 }
 
 struct liftoff_plane *plane_create(struct liftoff_device *device, uint32_t id)
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ struct liftoff_plane *plane_create(struct liftoff_device *device, uint32_t id)
 	bool has_type = false, has_zpos = false;
 
 	debug_cnt(device, "Plane %"PRIu32, id);
-	debug_cnt(device, NULL);
+	debug_end(device, 0);
 
 	plane = calloc(1, sizeof(*plane));
 	if (plane == NULL) {