diff --git a/lib/bot.js b/lib/bot.js
index 5db41af..7b52473 100644
--- a/lib/bot.js
+++ b/lib/bot.js
@@ -61,8 +61,13 @@ async function handleCheckSuiteCompleted(context) {
     pull_requests
   } = check_suite;
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    head_sha: context.payload.check_suite.head_sha
+  });
+
   if (conclusion !== 'success') {
-    context.log.info(`skipping: check_suite conclusion == ${conclusion}`);
+    context.log.info(ctx, `skipping: check_suite conclusion == ${conclusion}`);
+
     return;
   }
 
@@ -72,6 +77,11 @@ async function handleCheckSuiteCompleted(context) {
     const pullRequest = await findPullRequestByShallowRef(context, pull_requests[0]);
 
     if (!pullRequest) {
+      context.log.warn({
+        ...ctx,
+        pull_number: pullRequest.number
+      }, 'skipping: no PR found for shallow ref');
+
       return;
     }
 
@@ -93,7 +103,9 @@ async function handlePullRequestReviewSubmitted(context) {
   } = context.payload;
 
   if (review.state !== 'approved') {
-    context.log.info(`skipping: review in state ${review.state}`);
+    context.log.info(context.repo({
+      pull_number: pull_request.number
+    }), `skipping: review in state ${review.state}`);
 
     return;
   }
@@ -130,14 +142,19 @@ async function handleStatus(context) {
     state
   } = context.payload;
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    status_ref: context.payload.sha
+  });
+
   if (state !== 'success') {
-    context.log.info(`skipping: status == ${state}`);
+    context.log.info(ctx, `skipping: status == ${state}`);
     return;
   }
 
   const pullRequest = await findPullRequestByStatus(context, context.payload);
 
   if (!pullRequest) {
+    context.log.debug(ctx, `skipping: status == ${state}`);
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/core.js b/lib/core.js
index 70615bf..7a7e573 100644
--- a/lib/core.js
+++ b/lib/core.js
@@ -291,22 +291,29 @@ async function getCollaboratorReviews(context, pullRequest) {
  */
 async function getReviewApproval(context, pullRequest) {
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
   const config = await getReviewConfig(context, pullRequest);
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest, { config }), 'checking review approval');
+  context.log.debug({
+    ...ctx,
+    config
+  }, 'checking review approval');
 
   const reviews = await getCollaboratorReviews(context, pullRequest);
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), `found ${reviews.length} collaborator reviews`);
+  context.log.debug(ctx, `found ${reviews.length} collaborator reviews`);
 
   if (reviews.some(isChangesRequested)) {
-    context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: reviews request changes');
+    context.log.debug(ctx, 'skipping: reviews request changes');
 
     return CHANGES_REQUESTED;
   }
 
   if (reviews.filter(isApproved).length < config.minApprovals) {
-    context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), `skipping: lacks minApprovals=${config.minApprovals}`);
+    context.log.debug(ctx, `skipping: lacks minApprovals=${config.minApprovals}`);
 
     return REVIEWS_MISSING;
   }
@@ -325,7 +332,7 @@ async function getReviewApproval(context, pullRequest) {
 
   }
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), 'approved via review(s)');
+  context.log.debug(ctx, 'approved via review(s)');
 
   return APPROVED;
 }
@@ -502,7 +509,6 @@ async function getStatusApproval(context, pullRequest) {
 
   // quick reject if there are unsuccessful status checks
   if (statuses.length && statusState !== SUCCESS) {
-    context.log.debug(`skipping: combined status == ${statusState}`);
 
     // returns STATUS_FAILED, STATUS_PENDING
     return `STATUS_${statusState}`;
@@ -550,15 +556,17 @@ async function getStatusApproval(context, pullRequest) {
  */
 async function canMerge(context, pullRequest) {
 
-  if (pullRequest.draft) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: pull request is a draft');
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
 
+  if (pullRequest.draft) {
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'skipping: pull request is a draft');
     return false;
   }
 
   if (pullRequest.merged) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: pull request is already merged');
-
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'skipping: pull request is already merged');
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -566,15 +574,13 @@ async function canMerge(context, pullRequest) {
 
   // rebaseable => true, false or null
   if (mergeMethod === 'rebase' && !pullRequest.rebaseable) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: pull request is not rebaseable');
-
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'skipping: pull request is not rebaseable');
     return false;
   }
 
   // mergeable => true, false or null
   if (mergeMethod === 'merge' && !pullRequest.mergeable) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: pull request is not mergeable');
-
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'skipping: pull request is not mergeable');
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -589,7 +595,7 @@ async function canMerge(context, pullRequest) {
   // we always attempt to merge if a branch is protected;
   // GitHub enforces the protection and our merge will fail
   if (branchProtected) {
-    context.log.debug('branch is protected, merge check skipped');
+    context.log.debug(ctx, 'branch is protected, merge check skipped');
     return true;
   }
 
@@ -602,14 +608,14 @@ async function canMerge(context, pullRequest) {
   //     reviews: minimum one for external PRs and a
   //     configurable minimum of reviews for
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), 'checking status and reviews');
+  context.log.debug(ctx, 'checking status and reviews');
 
   // (1) verify checks + status //////////
 
   const statusApproval = await getStatusApproval(context, pullRequest);
 
   if (statusApproval !== SUCCESS) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), `skipping: failed status check (${statusApproval})`);
+    context.log.info(ctx, `skipping: failed status check (${statusApproval})`);
 
     return false;
   }
@@ -619,12 +625,12 @@ async function canMerge(context, pullRequest) {
   const reviewApproval = await getReviewApproval(context, pullRequest);
 
   if (reviewApproval !== APPROVED) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), `skipping: failed review check (${reviewApproval})`);
+    context.log.info(ctx, `skipping: failed review check (${reviewApproval})`);
 
     return false;
   }
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), 'merge check passed');
+  context.log.debug(ctx, 'merge check passed');
 
   return true;
 }
@@ -640,6 +646,10 @@ async function canMerge(context, pullRequest) {
  */
 async function merge(context, pullRequest) {
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
   const {
     number,
     head
@@ -651,7 +661,7 @@ async function merge(context, pullRequest) {
 
   const { mergeMethod } = await getAppConfig(context);
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), `attempting merge (method=${mergeMethod})`);
+  context.log.debug(ctx, `attempting merge (method=${mergeMethod})`);
 
   try {
 
@@ -673,7 +683,7 @@ async function merge(context, pullRequest) {
       // 404 - not found
       // 409 - merge conflict
 
-      context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), `merge failed (message=${error.message}, status=${error.status})`);
+      context.log.info(ctx, `merge failed (message=${error.message}, status=${error.status})`);
 
       return false;
     } else {
@@ -693,25 +703,29 @@ async function merge(context, pullRequest) {
  */
 async function checkMerge(context, pullRequest) {
 
-  context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'checking merge');
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
+  context.log.info(ctx, 'checking merge');
 
   let shouldMerge = false;
 
   try {
     shouldMerge = await canMerge(context, pullRequest);
-  } catch (err) {
+  } catch (error) {
 
-    if (isConfigError(err)) {
-      context.log.warn(PR(pullRequest), `skipping: ${err.message}`);
-    } else if (isMergeCheckError(err)) {
-      context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), `skipping: ${err.message}`);
+    if (isConfigError(error)) {
+      context.log.warn(ctx, `skipping: ${error.message}`);
+    } else if (isMergeCheckError(error)) {
+      context.log.debug(ctx, `skipping: ${error.message}`);
     } else {
-      throw err;
+      throw error;
     }
   }
 
   if (!shouldMerge) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: merge rejected');
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'skipping: merge rejected');
 
     return false;
   }
@@ -719,11 +733,11 @@ async function checkMerge(context, pullRequest) {
   const merged = await merge(context, pullRequest);
 
   if (merged) {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'merged');
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'merged');
 
     return true;
   } else {
-    context.log.info(PR(pullRequest), 'skipping: merge failed');
+    context.log.info(ctx, 'skipping: merge failed');
 
     return false;
   }
@@ -766,6 +780,10 @@ function getPullRequestTargetOrg(pullRequest) {
  */
 async function getTeamsApproval(context, pullRequest, config, reviews) {
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
   const {
     minApprovals,
     reviewTeams: configuredTeams
@@ -784,7 +802,10 @@ async function getTeamsApproval(context, pullRequest, config, reviews) {
 
   const effectiveTeams = getEffectiveReviewTeams(teams, reviewers, requestedTeams);
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest, { effectiveTeams }), 'effective review teams');
+  context.log.debug({
+    ...ctx,
+    effectiveTeams
+  }, 'effective review teams');
 
   return getTeamsReviewApproval(context, pullRequest, reviews, effectiveTeams, minApprovals);
 }
@@ -801,6 +822,10 @@ async function getTeamsApproval(context, pullRequest, config, reviews) {
  */
 async function getTeamsReviewApproval(context, pullRequest, reviews, teams, minApprovals) {
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
   const approvals = reviews.filter(isApproved);
 
   for (const team of teams) {
@@ -810,15 +835,15 @@ async function getTeamsReviewApproval(context, pullRequest, reviews, teams, minA
     );
 
     if (teamsApprovals.length < minApprovals) {
-      context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), `skipping: lacks minApprovals=${minApprovals} by team ${team.name}`);
+      context.log.debug(ctx, `skipping: lacks minApprovals=${minApprovals} by team ${team.name}`);
 
       return REVIEWS_MISSING;
     }
 
-    context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), `approved by team ${team.name}`);
+    context.log.debug(ctx, `approved by team ${team.name}`);
   }
 
-  context.log.debug(PR(pullRequest), 'approved via team review(s)');
+  context.log.debug(ctx, 'approved via team review(s)');
 
   return APPROVED;
 }
@@ -898,6 +923,10 @@ function getEffectiveReviewTeams(teams, reviewers, requestedTeams) {
  */
 async function getTeamsWithMembers(context, pullRequest, reviewTeams) {
 
+  const ctx = context.repo({
+    pull_number: pullRequest.number
+  });
+
   const org = getPullRequestTargetOrg(pullRequest);
 
   const teamMembers = await Promise.all(reviewTeams.map(async (teamSlug) => {
@@ -909,7 +938,7 @@ async function getTeamsWithMembers(context, pullRequest, reviewTeams) {
       team_slug: teamSlug
     }).catch(error => {
 
-      context.log.debug(`failed to fetch team ${teamSlug}`, error);
+      context.log.debug(ctx, `failed to fetch team ${teamSlug}`, error);
 
       // app is missing missing permissions
       if (error.status === 403) {
@@ -935,16 +964,6 @@ async function getTeamsWithMembers(context, pullRequest, reviewTeams) {
   );
 }
 
-/**
- * @param { { number: number } } pullRequest
- */
-function PR(pullRequest, details={}) {
-  return {
-    pull_number: pullRequest.number,
-    ...details
-  };
-}
-
 // module exports //////////////////////////////
 
 module.exports = {