diff --git a/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/git/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -274,18 +274,19 @@
 
         self.assertSnapshotOk(SNAPSHOT1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status(), {'status': 'eventful'})
+        res = self.loader.load_status()
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful', res)
         self.assertEqual(self.loader.visit_status(), 'full')
 
     def test_load_unchanged(self):
         """Checks loading a repository a second time does not add
         any extra data."""
         res = self.load()
-        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful')
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful', res)
 
         self.loader.storage = MockStorage1()
         res = self.load()
-        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'uneventful')
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'uneventful', res)
         self.assertCountSnapshots(1)
 
 
@@ -327,7 +328,7 @@
         revisions[new_revision] = '85dae072a5aa9923ffa7a7568f819ff21bf49858'
 
         res = self.load()
-        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful')
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful', res)
 
         self.assertCountContents(4 + 1)
         self.assertCountDirectories(7 + 1)
@@ -340,7 +341,8 @@
         # TODO: how to check the snapshot id?
         # self.assertSnapshotOk(SNAPSHOT1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status(), {'status': 'eventful'})
+        res = self.loader.load_status()
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful', res)
         self.assertEqual(self.loader.visit_status(), 'full')
 
         # Load with a new merge
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@
         revisions[new_revision] = 'dab8a37df8db8666d4e277bef9a546f585b5bedd'
 
         res = self.load()
-        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful')
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful', res)
 
         self.assertCountContents(4 + 1)
         self.assertCountDirectories(7 + 2)
@@ -364,7 +366,8 @@
         # TODO: how to check the snapshot id?
         # self.assertSnapshotOk(SNAPSHOT1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status(), {'status': 'eventful'})
+        res = self.loader.load_status()
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'eventful', res)
         self.assertEqual(self.loader.visit_status(), 'full')
 
 
diff --git a/swh/loader/git/updater.py b/swh/loader/git/updater.py
--- a/swh/loader/git/updater.py
+++ b/swh/loader/git/updater.py
@@ -482,14 +482,18 @@
     def load_status(self):
         """The load was eventful if the current snapshot is different to
            the one we retrieved at the beginning of the run"""
-        eventful = False
-
+        result = {'status': 'uneventful'}
         if self.base_snapshot:
-            eventful = self.snapshot['id'] != self.base_snapshot['id']
-        else:
-            eventful = bool(self.snapshot['branches'])
-
-        return {'status': ('eventful' if eventful else 'uneventful')}
+            if self.snapshot['id'] != self.base_snapshot['id']:
+                result['status'] = 'eventful'
+                result['whatsnew'] = 'snapshot: {} -> {}'.format(
+                    hashutil.hash_to_hex(self.base_snapshot['id']),
+                    hashutil.hash_to_hex(self.snapshot['id']))
+        elif self.snapshot['branches']:
+            result['status'] = 'eventful'
+            result['whatsnew'] = 'new branches: {}'.format(
+                ', '.join(map(repr, self.snapshot['branches'])))
+        return result
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':