diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/AbstractCompositeEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/AbstractCompositeEffector.java
index 9fa31f523f1..057f6af32e7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/AbstractCompositeEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/AbstractCompositeEffector.java
@@ -158,8 +158,7 @@ protected String getInputParameter(Object effectorDetails) {
         }
 
         protected Object invokeEffectorNamed(Entity target, String effectorName, ConfigBag params) {
-            LOG.info("{} invoking effector on {}, effector={}, parameters={}",
-                    new Object[]{this, target, effectorName, params});
+            LOG.info("{} invoking {} with params {}", new Object[] { this, effectorName, params });
             Maybe<Effector<?>> effector = target.getEntityType().getEffectorByName(effectorName);
             if (effector.isAbsent()) {
                 throw new IllegalStateException("Cannot find effector " + effectorName);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ComposeEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ComposeEffector.java
index 7884536216c..96548a326a6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ComposeEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ComposeEffector.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ public Body(Effector<?> eff, ConfigBag config) {
 
         @Override
         public Object call(final ConfigBag params) {
+            LOG.info("{} called with config {}", new Object[] { this, config });
             List<Object> effectors = EntityInitializers.resolve(config, COMPOSE);
 
             Object result = null;
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ public Object call(final ConfigBag params) {
                 String inputArgument = getInputArgument(effectorDetails);
                 String inputParameter = getInputParameter(effectorDetails);
                 Entity targetEntity = getTargetEntity(effectorDetails);
+                LOG.info("{} executing {}({}:{}) on {}", new Object[] { this, effectorName, inputArgument, inputParameter, targetEntity });
 
                 if (inputArgument == null) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("Input is not set for this effector: " + effectorDetails);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/LoopEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/LoopEffector.java
index 9e694f6ee3c..87675798012 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/LoopEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/LoopEffector.java
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ public Body(Effector<?> eff, ConfigBag config) {
 
         @Override
         public List call(final ConfigBag params) {
+            LOG.info("{} called with config {}", new Object[] { this, config });
             Object effectorDetails = EntityInitializers.resolve(config, LOOP);
             String input = config.get(INPUT);
             Object inputObject = config.getStringKey(input);
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ public List call(final ConfigBag params) {
             String effectorName = getEffectorName(effectorDetails);
             String inputArgument = getInputArgument(effectorDetails);
             Entity targetEntity = getTargetEntity(effectorDetails);
+            LOG.info("{} executing {}({}) on {}", new Object[] { this, effectorName, inputArgument, targetEntity });
 
             if (inputArgument == null) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Input is not set for this effector: " + effectorDetails);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ReplaceEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ReplaceEffector.java
index c580cc17e99..bd1adb2ca43 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ReplaceEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/ReplaceEffector.java
@@ -104,12 +104,14 @@ public Body(Effector<?> eff, ConfigBag config) {
 
         @Override
         public Object call(final ConfigBag params) {
+            LOG.info("{} called with config {}", new Object[] { this, config });
             ReplaceAction action = config.get(ACTION);
             Object effectorDetails = EntityInitializers.resolve(config, REPLACE);
 
             String effectorName = getEffectorName(effectorDetails);
             String inputArgument = getInputArgument(effectorDetails);
             Entity targetEntity = getTargetEntity(effectorDetails);
+            LOG.info("{} executing {}({}) on {}", new Object[] { this, effectorName, inputArgument, targetEntity });
 
             if (inputArgument != null) {
                 Object input = config.getStringKey(inputArgument);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/SequenceEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/SequenceEffector.java
index 8f40365e21e..2bde97a7c1b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/SequenceEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/SequenceEffector.java
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ public Body(Effector<?> eff, ConfigBag config) {
 
         @Override
         public Object call(final ConfigBag params) {
+            LOG.info("{} called with config {}", new Object[] { this, config });
             List<Object> effectors = EntityInitializers.resolve(config, SEQUENCE);
 
             Object result = null;
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ public Object call(final ConfigBag params) {
                 String effectorName = getEffectorName(effectorDetails);
                 String inputArgument = getInputArgument(effectorDetails);
                 Entity targetEntity = getTargetEntity(effectorDetails);
+                LOG.info("{} executing {}({}) on {}", new Object[] { this, effectorName, inputArgument, targetEntity });
 
                 if (inputArgument == null) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("Input is not set for this effector: " + effectorDetails);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/TransformEffector.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/TransformEffector.java
index e68e44bf835..2dbadc0392d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/TransformEffector.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/core/effector/composite/TransformEffector.java
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ public Body(Effector<?> eff, ConfigBag config) {
 
         @Override
         public Object call(final ConfigBag params) {
+            LOG.info("{} called with config {}", new Object[] { this, config });
             Function<Object,Object> function = EntityInitializers.resolve(config, FUNCTION);
 
             String input = config.get(INPUT);
diff --git a/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/PeriodicEffectorPolicy.java b/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/PeriodicEffectorPolicy.java
index 44ec00fb5f8..53a378ff9b5 100644
--- a/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/PeriodicEffectorPolicy.java
+++ b/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/PeriodicEffectorPolicy.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import com.google.api.client.repackaged.com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import com.google.common.annotations.Beta;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicates;
 
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ public PeriodicEffectorPolicy() {
 
     public PeriodicEffectorPolicy(Map<String,?> props) {
         super(props);
-        Duration period = config().get(PERIOD);
+        Duration period = Preconditions.checkNotNull(config().get(PERIOD), "The period must be copnfigured for this policy");
         delay = period.toMilliseconds();
     }
 
diff --git a/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/ScheduledEffectorPolicy.java b/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/ScheduledEffectorPolicy.java
index 00334507c02..ff2dbb7e19a 100644
--- a/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/ScheduledEffectorPolicy.java
+++ b/policy/src/main/java/org/apache/brooklyn/policy/action/ScheduledEffectorPolicy.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import com.google.api.client.repackaged.com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import com.google.common.annotations.Beta;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicates;
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ public ScheduledEffectorPolicy() {
 
     public ScheduledEffectorPolicy(Map<String,?> props) {
         super(props);
-        String time = config().get(TIME);
+        String time = Preconditions.checkNotNull(config().get(TIME), "The time must be configured for this policy");
         DateFormat format = DateFormat.getDateTimeInstance();
         try {
             when = format.parse(time);