diff --git a/lib/common/ipc_schedulerd.c b/lib/common/ipc_schedulerd.c
index 0e0d9308bc..858942a91b 100644
--- a/lib/common/ipc_schedulerd.c
+++ b/lib/common/ipc_schedulerd.c
@@ -1,179 +1,180 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2021-2022 the Pacemaker project contributors
  *
  * The version control history for this file may have further details.
  *
  * This source code is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License
  * version 2.1 or later (LGPLv2.1+) WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY.
  */
 
 #include <crm_internal.h>
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include <crm/crm.h>
 #include <crm/msg_xml.h>
 #include <crm/common/xml.h>
 #include <crm/common/ipc.h>
 #include <crm/common/ipc_internal.h>
 #include <crm/common/ipc_schedulerd.h>
 #include "crmcommon_private.h"
 
 typedef struct schedulerd_api_private_s {
     char *client_uuid;
 } schedulerd_api_private_t;
 
 // \return Standard Pacemaker return code
 static int
 new_data(pcmk_ipc_api_t *api)
 {
     struct schedulerd_api_private_s *private = NULL;
 
     api->api_data = calloc(1, sizeof(struct schedulerd_api_private_s));
 
     if (api->api_data == NULL) {
         return errno;
     }
 
     private = api->api_data;
     /* See comments in ipc_pacemakerd.c. */
     private->client_uuid = pcmk__getpid_s();
 
     return pcmk_rc_ok;
 }
 
 static void
 free_data(void *data)
 {
     free(((struct schedulerd_api_private_s *) data)->client_uuid);
     free(data);
 }
 
 // \return Standard Pacemaker return code
 static int
 post_connect(pcmk_ipc_api_t *api)
 {
     if (api->api_data == NULL) {
         return EINVAL;
     }
 
     return pcmk_rc_ok;
 }
 
 static bool
 reply_expected(pcmk_ipc_api_t *api, xmlNode *request)
 {
     const char *command = crm_element_value(request, F_CRM_TASK);
 
     if (command == NULL) {
         return false;
     }
 
     // We only need to handle commands that functions in this file can send
     return pcmk__str_any_of(command, CRM_OP_PECALC, NULL);
 }
 
 static bool
 dispatch(pcmk_ipc_api_t *api, xmlNode *reply)
 {
     crm_exit_t status = CRM_EX_OK;
     xmlNode *msg_data = NULL;
     pcmk_schedulerd_api_reply_t reply_data = {
         pcmk_schedulerd_reply_unknown
     };
     const char *value = NULL;
 
     if (pcmk__str_eq((const char *) reply->name, "ack", pcmk__str_casei)) {
         return false;
     }
 
     value = crm_element_value(reply, F_CRM_MSG_TYPE);
-    if ((value == NULL) || (strcmp(value, XML_ATTR_RESPONSE))) {
-        crm_debug("Unrecognizable schedulerd message: invalid message type '%s'",
-                  pcmk__s(value, "(missing)"));
+    if (!pcmk__str_eq(value, XML_ATTR_RESPONSE, pcmk__str_none)) {
+        crm_info("Unrecognizable message from schedulerd: "
+                  "message type '%s' not '" XML_ATTR_RESPONSE "'",
+                  pcmk__s(value, ""));
         status = CRM_EX_PROTOCOL;
         goto done;
     }
 
-    if (crm_element_value(reply, XML_ATTR_REFERENCE) == NULL) {
-        crm_debug("Unrecognizable schedulerd message: no reference");
+    if (pcmk__str_empty(crm_element_value(reply, XML_ATTR_REFERENCE))) {
+        crm_info("Unrecognizable message from schedulerd: no reference");
         status = CRM_EX_PROTOCOL;
         goto done;
     }
 
     // Parse useful info from reply
     msg_data = get_message_xml(reply, F_CRM_DATA);
     value = crm_element_value(reply, F_CRM_TASK);
 
     if (pcmk__str_eq(value, CRM_OP_PECALC, pcmk__str_none)) {
         reply_data.reply_type = pcmk_schedulerd_reply_graph;
         reply_data.data.graph.reference = crm_element_value(reply, XML_ATTR_REFERENCE);
         reply_data.data.graph.input = crm_element_value(reply, F_CRM_TGRAPH_INPUT);
         reply_data.data.graph.tgraph = msg_data;
     } else {
-        crm_debug("Unrecognizable pacemakerd message: '%s'",
-                  pcmk__s(value, "(missing)"));
+        crm_info("Unrecognizable message from schedulerd: "
+                  "unknown command '%s'", pcmk__s(value, ""));
         status = CRM_EX_PROTOCOL;
         goto done;
     }
 
 done:
     pcmk__call_ipc_callback(api, pcmk_ipc_event_reply, status, &reply_data);
     return false;
 }
 
 pcmk__ipc_methods_t *
 pcmk__schedulerd_api_methods()
 {
     pcmk__ipc_methods_t *cmds = calloc(1, sizeof(pcmk__ipc_methods_t));
 
     if (cmds != NULL) {
         cmds->new_data = new_data;
         cmds->free_data = free_data;
         cmds->post_connect = post_connect;
         cmds->reply_expected = reply_expected;
         cmds->dispatch = dispatch;
     }
     return cmds;
 }
 
 static int
 do_schedulerd_api_call(pcmk_ipc_api_t *api, const char *task, xmlNode *cib, char **ref)
 {
     schedulerd_api_private_t *private;
     xmlNode *cmd = NULL;
     int rc;
 
     if (!pcmk_ipc_is_connected(api)) {
         return ENOTCONN;
     }
 
     private = api->api_data;
     CRM_ASSERT(private != NULL);
 
     cmd = create_request(task, cib, NULL, CRM_SYSTEM_PENGINE,
                          crm_system_name? crm_system_name : "client",
                          private->client_uuid);
 
     if (cmd) {
         rc = pcmk__send_ipc_request(api, cmd);
         if (rc != pcmk_rc_ok) {
             crm_debug("Couldn't send request to schedulerd: %s rc=%d",
                       pcmk_rc_str(rc), rc);
         }
 
         *ref = strdup(crm_element_value(cmd, F_CRM_REFERENCE));
         free_xml(cmd);
     } else {
         rc = ENOMSG;
     }
 
     return rc;
 }
 
 int
 pcmk_schedulerd_api_graph(pcmk_ipc_api_t *api, xmlNode *cib, char **ref)
 {
     return do_schedulerd_api_call(api, CRM_OP_PECALC, cib, ref);
 }