diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.c b/src/lxc/conf.c
index 8c10b9c4c..9f8c90bc1 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.c
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.c
@@ -1172,25 +1172,24 @@ static const struct lxc_devs lxc_devs[] = {
 	{ "console",	S_IFCHR | S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR,	       5, 1	},
 };
 
-static int fill_autodev(const struct lxc_rootfs *rootfs, bool mount_console)
+static int lxc_fill_autodev(const struct lxc_rootfs *rootfs, bool mount_console)
 {
 	int ret;
 	char path[MAXPATHLEN];
 	int i;
 	mode_t cmask;
 
-	INFO("Creating initial consoles under container /dev");
-
 	ret = snprintf(path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/dev", rootfs->path ? rootfs->mount : "");
 	if (ret < 0 || ret >= MAXPATHLEN) {
 		ERROR("Error calculating container /dev location");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if (!dir_exists(path)) // ignore, just don't try to fill in
+	/* ignore, just don't try to fill in */
+	if (!dir_exists(path))
 		return 0;
 
-	INFO("Populating container /dev");
+	INFO("populating container /dev");
 	cmask = umask(S_IXUSR | S_IXGRP | S_IXOTH);
 	for (i = 0; i < sizeof(lxc_devs) / sizeof(lxc_devs[0]); i++) {
 		const struct lxc_devs *d = &lxc_devs[i];
@@ -1201,13 +1200,20 @@ static int fill_autodev(const struct lxc_rootfs *rootfs, bool mount_console)
 		ret = snprintf(path, MAXPATHLEN, "%s/dev/%s", rootfs->path ? rootfs->mount : "", d->name);
 		if (ret < 0 || ret >= MAXPATHLEN)
 			return -1;
+
 		ret = mknod(path, d->mode, makedev(d->maj, d->min));
-		if (ret && errno != EEXIST) {
+		if (ret < 0) {
 			char hostpath[MAXPATHLEN];
 			FILE *pathfile;
 
-			// Unprivileged containers cannot create devices, so
-			// bind mount the device from the host
+			if (errno == EEXIST) {
+				DEBUG("\"%s\" device already existed", path);
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			/* Unprivileged containers cannot create devices, so
+			 * bind mount the device from the host.
+			 */
 			ret = snprintf(hostpath, MAXPATHLEN, "/dev/%s", d->name);
 			if (ret < 0 || ret >= MAXPATHLEN)
 				return -1;
@@ -1217,17 +1223,18 @@ static int fill_autodev(const struct lxc_rootfs *rootfs, bool mount_console)
 				return -1;
 			}
 			fclose(pathfile);
-			if (safe_mount(hostpath, path, 0, MS_BIND, NULL,
-						rootfs->path ? rootfs->mount : NULL) != 0) {
-				SYSERROR("Failed bind mounting device %s from host into container",
-					d->name);
+			if (safe_mount(hostpath, path, 0, MS_BIND, NULL, rootfs->path ? rootfs->mount : NULL) != 0) {
+				SYSERROR("Failed bind mounting device %s from host into container", d->name);
 				return -1;
 			}
+			DEBUG("bind mounted \"%s\" onto \"%s\"", hostpath, path);
+		} else {
+			DEBUG("created device node \"%s\"", path);
 		}
 	}
 	umask(cmask);
 
-	INFO("Populated container /dev");
+	INFO("populated container /dev");
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -4047,7 +4054,7 @@ int lxc_setup(struct lxc_handler *handler)
 			ERROR("failed to run autodev hooks for container '%s'.", name);
 			return -1;
 		}
-		if (fill_autodev(&lxc_conf->rootfs, mount_console)) {
+		if (lxc_fill_autodev(&lxc_conf->rootfs, mount_console)) {
 			ERROR("failed to populate /dev in the container");
 			return -1;
 		}