diff --git a/source/java/log4j.properties b/source/java/log4j.properties
index b25d591fb5..af5a9b069d 100644
--- a/source/java/log4j.properties
+++ b/source/java/log4j.properties
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ log4j.appender.stdout.layout.ConversionPattern=%d %5p %c{1}:%m%n
 
 ### Set log levels.
 log4j.rootLogger=warn, stdout
-log4j.logger.org.hibernate=fatal
\ No newline at end of file
+log4j.logger.org.hibernate=fatal
+log4j.logger.org.alfresco.repo.avm=info
+log4j.logger.org.springframework=warn
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java
index e6d0632ffd..0276d893b0 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMNodeImpl.java
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ public abstract class AVMNodeImpl implements AVMNode, Serializable
         }
         if (!(obj instanceof AVMNode))
         {
-            System.err.println("Failing AVMNodeImpl.equals");
             return false;
         }
         return fID == ((AVMNode)obj).getId();
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceImpl.java
index e979265e5a..fc8edc14bd 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceImpl.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.SortedMap;
 
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.SuperRepository;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
 /**
  * Implements the AVMService.  Stub.
@@ -35,6 +36,8 @@ import org.alfresco.repo.avm.SuperRepository;
  */
 public class AVMServiceImpl implements AVMService
 {
+    private static Logger fgLogger = Logger.getLogger(AVMServiceImpl.class);
+    
     /**
      * The RetryingTransaction.
      */
@@ -103,15 +106,19 @@ public class AVMServiceImpl implements AVMService
                                                    fContentIssuer,
                                                    fLayerIssuer,
                                                    fStorage);
+            fgLogger.info("Initialized AVMService and SuperRepository");
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            e.printStackTrace(System.err);
-            // TODO Log this and abort in some useful way.
+            fgLogger.fatal("Failed to initialize AVMService", e);
+            // TODO Abort in some useful way.
         }
         if (fInitialize)
         {
+            File storageDir = new File(fStorage);
+            storageDir.mkdirs();
             createRepository("main");
+            fgLogger.info("Created new main repository");
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java
index 8cf5dc0472..4e4b48674e 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/OrphanReaper.java
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ package org.alfresco.repo.avm;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
+import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
+
 /**
  * This is the background thread for reaping no longer referenced nodes
  * in the AVM repository.  These orphans arise from purge operations.
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@ import java.util.List;
  */
 public class OrphanReaper implements Runnable
 {
+    private Log fgLogger = LogFactory.getLog(OrphanReaper.class);
     /**
      * The HibernateTxn instance.
      */
@@ -274,8 +278,7 @@ public class OrphanReaper implements Runnable
         }
         catch (Exception e)
         {
-            e.printStackTrace(System.err);
-            // TODO Log this properly.
+            fgLogger.error("Garbage collector error", e);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVMNodeDAOHibernate.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVMNodeDAOHibernate.java
index 031cdfe3e5..8f002424d7 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVMNodeDAOHibernate.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/AVMNodeDAOHibernate.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import org.alfresco.repo.avm.AVMNodeUnwrapper;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.DirectoryNode;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.Repository;
 import org.hibernate.Query;
-import org.hibernate.Session;
 import org.springframework.orm.hibernate3.support.HibernateDaoSupport;
 
 /**
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/HibernateTxn.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/HibernateTxn.java
index ae23afcc65..242a58c28a 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/HibernateTxn.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/hibernate/HibernateTxn.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.alfresco.repo.avm.AVMException;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.AVMNotFoundException;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.RetryingTransactionCallback;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.RetryingTransaction;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 import org.springframework.dao.DataRetrievalFailureException;
 import org.springframework.dao.DeadlockLoserDataAccessException;
 import org.springframework.dao.OptimisticLockingFailureException;
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ import org.springframework.transaction.TransactionStatus;
  */
 public class HibernateTxn extends HibernateTemplate implements RetryingTransaction
 {
+    private static Logger fgLogger = Logger.getLogger(HibernateTxn.class);
     /**
      * The transaction manager.
      */
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ public class HibernateTxn extends HibernateTemplate implements RetryingTransacti
                 // If we've lost a race or we've deadlocked, retry.
                 if (t instanceof DeadlockLoserDataAccessException)
                 {
-                    System.err.println("Deadlock.");
+                    fgLogger.info("Deadlock");
                     try
                     {
                         long interval;
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ public class HibernateTxn extends HibernateTemplate implements RetryingTransacti
                 }
                 if (t instanceof OptimisticLockingFailureException)
                 {
-                    System.err.println("Lost Race.");
+                    fgLogger.info("Lost Race");
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (t instanceof AVMException)