diff --git a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/backend.py b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/backend.py
index 7c5b350..ea33c9b 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/backend.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/backend.py
@@ -115,14 +115,17 @@
 
         pull_steps_dir = Config.get("pull_steps_dir")
         if pull_steps_dir:
+            self.log.info("Starting XOSPullStepEngine", pull_steps_dir=pull_steps_dir)
             pull_steps_engine = XOSPullStepEngine()
             pull_steps_engine.load_pull_step_modules(pull_steps_dir)
-            pull_steps_engine.start()
+            pull_steps_thread = threading.Thread(target=pull_steps_engine.start, name="pull_step_engine")
+            pull_steps_thread.start()
         else:
-            self.log.info("Skipping event engine due to no event_steps dir.")
+            self.log.info("Skipping pull step engine due to no pull_steps_dir dir.")
 
         event_steps_dir = Config.get("event_steps_dir")
         if event_steps_dir:
+            self.log.info("Starting XOSEventEngine", event_steps_dir=event_steps_dir)
             event_engine = XOSEventEngine()
             event_engine.load_event_step_modules(event_steps_dir)
             event_engine.start()
diff --git a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py
index ad4a13b..49f8954 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/event_engine.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
 
     def load_event_step_modules(self, event_step_dir):
         self.event_steps = []
-        log.info("Loading event steps", pull_step_dir=event_step_dir)
+        log.info("Loading event steps", event_step_dir=event_step_dir)
 
         # NOTE we'll load all the classes that inherit from EventStep
         for fn in os.listdir(event_step_dir):
diff --git a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/pull_step_engine.py b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/pull_step_engine.py
index e695b1a..22ab643 100644
--- a/xos/synchronizers/new_base/pull_step_engine.py
+++ b/xos/synchronizers/new_base/pull_step_engine.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 
     def load_pull_step_modules(self, pull_step_dir):
         self.pull_steps = []
-        log.info("Loading event steps", pull_step_dir=pull_step_dir)
+        log.info("Loading pull steps", pull_step_dir=pull_step_dir)
 
         # NOTE we'll load all the classes that inherit from PullStep
         for fn in os.listdir(pull_step_dir):