diff --git a/network/p2pNetwork_test.go b/network/p2pNetwork_test.go
index 3548dbd1cb..7c94be98e4 100644
--- a/network/p2pNetwork_test.go
+++ b/network/p2pNetwork_test.go
@@ -785,13 +785,20 @@ func TestP2PHTTPHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, limitcaller.ErrConnectionQueueingTimeout)
 }
 
+// TestP2PRelay checks p2p nodes can properly relay messages:
+// netA and netB are started with ForceFetchTransactions so it subscribes to the txn topic,
+// both of them are connected and do not relay messages.
+// Later, netB is forced to relay messages and netC is started with a listening address set
+// so that it relays messages as well.
+// The test checks messages from both netB and netC are received by netA.
 func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 	partitiontest.PartitionTest(t)
 
 	cfg := config.GetDefaultLocal()
 	cfg.ForceFetchTransactions = true
 	log := logging.TestingLog(t)
-	netA, err := NewP2PNetwork(log, cfg, "", nil, genesisID, config.Devtestnet, &nopeNodeInfo{})
+	log.Debugln("Starting netA")
+	netA, err := NewP2PNetwork(log.With("net", "netA"), cfg, "", nil, genesisID, config.Devtestnet, &nopeNodeInfo{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	err = netA.Start()
@@ -806,7 +813,8 @@ func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 	multiAddrStr := addrsA[0].String()
 	phoneBookAddresses := []string{multiAddrStr}
 
-	netB, err := NewP2PNetwork(log, cfg, "", phoneBookAddresses, genesisID, config.Devtestnet, &nopeNodeInfo{})
+	log.Debugf("Starting netB with phonebook addresses %v", phoneBookAddresses)
+	netB, err := NewP2PNetwork(log.With("net", "netB"), cfg, "", phoneBookAddresses, genesisID, config.Devtestnet, &nopeNodeInfo{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	err = netB.Start()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -826,8 +834,7 @@ func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 		return netA.hasPeers() && netB.hasPeers()
 	}, 2*time.Second, 50*time.Millisecond)
 
-	makeCounterHandler := func(numExpected int) ([]TaggedMessageProcessor, *atomic.Uint32, chan struct{}) {
-		var numActual atomic.Uint32
+	makeCounterHandler := func(numExpected int, counter *atomic.Uint32, msgs *[][]byte) ([]TaggedMessageProcessor, chan struct{}) {
 		counterDone := make(chan struct{})
 		counterHandler := []TaggedMessageProcessor{
 			{
@@ -837,10 +844,13 @@ func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 					ProcessorHandleFunc
 				}{
 					ProcessorValidateFunc(func(msg IncomingMessage) ValidatedMessage {
-						return ValidatedMessage{Action: Accept, Tag: msg.Tag, ValidatedMessage: nil}
+						return ValidatedMessage{Action: Accept, Tag: msg.Tag, ValidatedMessage: msg.Data}
 					}),
 					ProcessorHandleFunc(func(msg ValidatedMessage) OutgoingMessage {
-						if count := numActual.Add(1); int(count) >= numExpected {
+						if msgs != nil {
+							*msgs = append(*msgs, msg.ValidatedMessage.([]byte))
+						}
+						if count := counter.Add(1); int(count) >= numExpected {
 							close(counterDone)
 						}
 						return OutgoingMessage{Action: Ignore}
@@ -848,9 +858,10 @@ func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		}
-		return counterHandler, &numActual, counterDone
+		return counterHandler, counterDone
 	}
-	counterHandler, _, counterDone := makeCounterHandler(1)
+	var counter atomic.Uint32
+	counterHandler, counterDone := makeCounterHandler(1, &counter, nil)
 	netA.RegisterProcessors(counterHandler)
 
 	// send 5 messages from both netB to netA
@@ -866,10 +877,11 @@ func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 	case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
 	}
 
-	// add netC with listening address set, and enable relaying on netB
-	// ensure all messages are received by netA
+	// add a netC with listening address set and enable relaying on netB
+	// ensure all messages from netB and netC are received by netA
 	cfg.NetAddress = "127.0.0.1:0"
-	netC, err := NewP2PNetwork(log, cfg, "", phoneBookAddresses, genesisID, config.Devtestnet, &nopeNodeInfo{})
+	log.Debugf("Starting netB with phonebook addresses %v", phoneBookAddresses)
+	netC, err := NewP2PNetwork(log.With("net", "netC"), cfg, "", phoneBookAddresses, genesisID, config.Devtestnet, &nopeNodeInfo{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	err = netC.Start()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -893,28 +905,32 @@ func TestP2PRelay(t *testing.T) {
 	}, 2*time.Second, 50*time.Millisecond)
 
 	const expectedMsgs = 10
-	counterHandler, count, counterDone := makeCounterHandler(expectedMsgs)
+	counter.Store(0)
+	var loggedMsgs [][]byte
+	counterHandler, counterDone = makeCounterHandler(expectedMsgs, &counter, &loggedMsgs)
 	netA.ClearProcessors()
 	netA.RegisterProcessors(counterHandler)
 
 	for i := 0; i < expectedMsgs/2; i++ {
-		err := netB.Relay(context.Background(), protocol.TxnTag, []byte{1, 2, 3, byte(i)}, true, nil)
+		err := netB.Relay(context.Background(), protocol.TxnTag, []byte{5, 6, 7, byte(i)}, true, nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		err = netC.Relay(context.Background(), protocol.TxnTag, []byte{11, 12, 10 + byte(i), 14}, true, nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}
 	// send some duplicate messages, they should be dropped
 	for i := 0; i < expectedMsgs/2; i++ {
-		err := netB.Relay(context.Background(), protocol.TxnTag, []byte{1, 2, 3, byte(i)}, true, nil)
+		err := netB.Relay(context.Background(), protocol.TxnTag, []byte{5, 6, 7, byte(i)}, true, nil)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 	}
 
 	select {
 	case <-counterDone:
-	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
-		if c := count.Load(); c < expectedMsgs {
+	case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
+		if c := counter.Load(); c < expectedMsgs {
+			t.Logf("Logged messages: %v", loggedMsgs)
 			require.Failf(t, "One or more messages failed to reach destination network", "%d > %d", expectedMsgs, c)
 		} else if c > expectedMsgs {
+			t.Logf("Logged messages: %v", loggedMsgs)
 			require.Failf(t, "One or more messages that were expected to be dropped, reached destination network", "%d < %d", expectedMsgs, c)
 		}
 	}