diff --git a/shards/watcher.go b/shards/watcher.go
index 572f8cd..62f2067 100644
--- a/shards/watcher.go
+++ b/shards/watcher.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -112,10 +114,10 @@
 	}
 
 	if len(toDrop) > 0 {
-		log.Printf("unloading %d shards", len(toDrop))
+		log.Printf("unloading %d shard(s)", len(toDrop))
 	}
 	for _, t := range toDrop {
-		log.Printf("unloading: %s", t)
+		log.Printf("unloading: %s", filepath.Base(t))
 		s.loader.drop(t)
 	}
 
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	log.Printf("loading %d shards", len(toLoad))
+	log.Printf("loading %d shard(s): %s", len(toLoad), humanTruncateList(toLoad, 5))
 
 	// Limit amount of concurrent shard loads.
 	throttle := make(chan struct{}, runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0))
@@ -148,6 +150,22 @@
 	return nil
 }
 
+func humanTruncateList(paths []string, max int) string {
+	sort.Strings(paths)
+	var b strings.Builder
+	for i, p := range paths {
+		if i >= max {
+			fmt.Fprintf(&b, "... %d more", len(paths)-i)
+			break
+		}
+		if i > 0 {
+			b.WriteString(", ")
+		}
+		b.WriteString(filepath.Base(p))
+	}
+	return b.String()
+}
+
 func (s *DirectoryWatcher) watch() error {
 	watcher, err := fsnotify.NewWatcher()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/shards/watcher_test.go b/shards/watcher_test.go
index 1b16617..5aad02f 100644
--- a/shards/watcher_test.go
+++ b/shards/watcher_test.go
@@ -105,3 +105,25 @@
 	default:
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHumanTruncateList(t *testing.T) {
+	paths := []string{
+		"dir/1",
+		"dir/2",
+		"dir/3",
+		"dir/4",
+	}
+
+	assert := func(max int, want string) {
+		got := humanTruncateList(paths, max)
+		if got != want {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected humanTruncateList max=%d.\ngot:  %s\nwant: %s", max, got, want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	assert(1, "1... 3 more")
+	assert(2, "1, 2... 2 more")
+	assert(3, "1, 2, 3... 1 more")
+	assert(4, "1, 2, 3, 4")
+	assert(5, "1, 2, 3, 4")
+}