diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 95c6df11e..0490abfef 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ const apps = require('./apps.js'),
     shell = require('./shell.js'),
     superagent = require('superagent'),
     sysinfo = require('./sysinfo.js'),
-    util = require('util'),
     _ = require('underscore');
 
 const COLLECTD_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/collectd/app.ejs', { encoding: 'utf8' }),
@@ -46,12 +45,6 @@ const COLLECTD_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/collectd/app.ejs', { e
     LOGROTATE_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/logrotate.ejs', { encoding: 'utf8' }),
     CONFIGURE_LOGROTATE_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/configurelogrotate.sh');
 
-function debugApp(app) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof app, 'object');
-
-    debug(app.fqdn + ' ' + util.format.apply(util, Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1)));
-}
-
 function makeTaskError(error, app) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof error, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof app, 'object');
@@ -89,7 +82,7 @@ async function createContainer(app) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof app, 'object');
     assert(!app.containerId); // otherwise, it will trigger volumeFrom
 
-    debugApp(app, 'creating container');
+    debug('createContainer: creating container');
 
     const container = await docker.createContainer(app);
 
@@ -104,7 +97,7 @@ async function deleteContainers(app, options) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof app, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
 
-    debugApp(app, 'deleting app containers (app, scheduler)');
+    debug('deleteContainer: deleting app containers (app, scheduler)');
 
     // remove configs that rely on container id
     await removeCollectdProfile(app);
@@ -204,7 +197,7 @@ async function cleanupLogs(app) {
 
     // note that redis container logs are cleaned up by the addon
     const [error] = await safe(fs.promises.rm(path.join(paths.LOG_DIR, app.id), { force: true, recursive: true }));
-    if (error) debugApp(app, 'cannot cleanup logs:', error);
+    if (error) debug('cleanupLogs: cannot cleanup logs:', error);
 }
 
 async function verifyManifest(manifest) {
@@ -223,7 +216,7 @@ async function downloadIcon(app) {
     // nothing to download if we dont have an appStoreId
     if (!app.appStoreId) return;
 
-    debugApp(app, `Downloading icon of ${app.appStoreId}@${app.manifest.version}`);
+    debug(`downloadIcon: Downloading icon of ${app.appStoreId}@${app.manifest.version}`);
 
     const iconUrl = settings.apiServerOrigin() + '/api/v1/apps/' + app.appStoreId + '/versions/' + app.manifest.version + '/icon';
 
@@ -244,7 +237,7 @@ async function waitForDnsPropagation(app) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof app, 'object');
 
     if (!constants.CLOUDRON) {
-        debugApp(app, 'Skipping dns propagation check for development');
+        debug('waitForDnsPropagation: Skipping dns propagation check for development');
         return;
     }
 
@@ -266,7 +259,7 @@ async function moveDataDir(app, targetDir) {
     const resolvedSourceDir = apps.getDataDir(app, app.dataDir);
     const resolvedTargetDir = apps.getDataDir(app, targetDir);
 
-    debugApp(app, `moveDataDir: migrating data from ${resolvedSourceDir} to ${resolvedTargetDir}`);
+    debug(`moveDataDir: migrating data from ${resolvedSourceDir} to ${resolvedTargetDir}`);
 
     if (resolvedSourceDir === resolvedTargetDir) return;
 
@@ -287,7 +280,7 @@ async function downloadImage(manifest) {
 }
 
 async function startApp(app) {
-    debugApp(app, 'startApp: starting container');
+    debug('startApp: starting container');
 
     if (app.runState === apps.RSTATE_STOPPED) return;
 
@@ -548,7 +541,6 @@ async function update(app, args, progressCallback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof progressCallback, 'function');
 
     const updateConfig = args.updateConfig;
-    debugApp(app, `Updating to ${updateConfig.manifest.version}`);
 
     // app does not want these addons anymore
     // FIXME: this does not handle option changes (like multipleDatabases)
@@ -597,7 +589,7 @@ async function update(app, args, progressCallback) {
         if (newTcpPorts[portName] || newUdpPorts[portName]) continue; // port still in use
 
         const [error] = await safe(apps.delPortBinding(currentPorts[portName], apps.PORT_TYPE_TCP));
-        if (error && error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) debugApp(app, 'update: portbinding does not exist in database', error);
+        if (error && error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) debug('update: portbinding does not exist in database', error);
         else if (error) throw error;
 
         // also delete from app object for further processing (the db is updated in the next step)
@@ -715,7 +707,7 @@ async function run(appId, args, progressCallback) {
 
     const app = await apps.get(appId);
 
-    debugApp(app, `startTask installationState: ${app.installationState} runState: ${app.runState}`);
+    debug(`run: startTask installationState: ${app.installationState} runState: ${app.runState}`);
 
     let cmd;
 
@@ -762,19 +754,19 @@ async function run(appId, args, progressCallback) {
         cmd = updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null, health: null });
         break;
     default:
-        debugApp(app, 'apptask launched with invalid command');
+        debug('run: apptask launched with invalid command');
         throw new BoxError(BoxError.INTERNAL_ERROR, 'Unknown install command in apptask:' + app.installationState);
     }
 
     const [error] = await safe(cmd);
     if (error) {
-        debugApp(app, `app error for state ${app.installationState}:`, error);
+        debug(`run: app error for state ${app.installationState}:`, error);
 
         if (app.installationState === apps.ISTATE_PENDING_BACKUP) {
             // return to installed state intentionally. the error is stashed only in the task and not the app (the UI shows error state otherwise)
             await safe(updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null }), { debug });
         } else if (app.installationState === apps.ISTATE_PENDING_UPDATE && error.backupError) {
-            debugApp(app, 'update aborted because backup failed');
+            debug('run: update aborted because backup failed');
             await safe(updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null, health: null }, { debug }));
         } else {
             await safe(updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_ERROR, error: makeTaskError(error, app) }), { debug });