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
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@
 
         self.assertSnapshotOk(SNAPSHOT1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status(), {'status': 'eventful'})
+        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status()['status'], 'eventful')
         self.assertEqual(self.loader.visit_status(), 'full')
 
     def test_load_unchanged(self):
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@
 
         self.loader.storage = MockStorage1()
         res = self.load()
-        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'uneventful')
+        self.assertEqual(res['status'], 'uneventful', res)
         self.assertCountSnapshots(1)
 
 
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@
         # TODO: how to check the snapshot id?
         # self.assertSnapshotOk(SNAPSHOT1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status(), {'status': 'eventful'})
+        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status()['status'], 'eventful')
         self.assertEqual(self.loader.visit_status(), 'full')
 
         # Load with a new merge
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@
         # TODO: how to check the snapshot id?
         # self.assertSnapshotOk(SNAPSHOT1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status(), {'status': 'eventful'})
+        self.assertEqual(self.loader.load_status()['status'], 'eventful')
         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 +482,20 @@
     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
-
         if self.base_snapshot:
-            eventful = self.snapshot['id'] != self.base_snapshot['id']
+            if self.snapshot['id'] == self.base_snapshot['id']:
+                return {'status': 'uneventful'}
+            else:
+                return {'status': 'eventful',
+                        'whatsnew': 'snapshot: {} -> {}'.format(
+                            self.base_snapshot['id'], self.snapshot['id'])}
         else:
-            eventful = bool(self.snapshot['branches'])
-
-        return {'status': ('eventful' if eventful else 'uneventful')}
+            if self.snapshot['branches']:
+                return {'status': 'eventful',
+                        'whatsnew': 'new branches: {}'.format(
+                            ', '.join(map(repr, self.snapshot['branches'])))}
+            else:
+                return {'status': 'uneventful'}
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':