diff --git a/pungi/compose.py b/pungi/compose.py
index 4bb77037..295f4329 100644
--- a/pungi/compose.py
+++ b/pungi/compose.py
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ class Compose(kobo.log.LoggingBase):
     def read_variants(self):
         # TODO: move to phases/init ?
         variants_file = self.paths.work.variants_file(arch="global")
-        msg = "Writing variants file: %s" % variants_file
 
         scm_dict = self.conf["variants_file"]
         if isinstance(scm_dict, dict):
@@ -232,7 +231,7 @@ class Compose(kobo.log.LoggingBase):
             file_name = os.path.basename(scm_dict)
             scm_dict = os.path.join(self.config_dir, os.path.basename(scm_dict))
 
-        self.log_debug(msg)
+        self.log_debug("Writing variants file: %s", variants_file)
         tmp_dir = self.mkdtemp(prefix="variants_file_")
         get_file_from_scm(scm_dict, tmp_dir, logger=self._logger)
         shutil.copy2(os.path.join(tmp_dir, file_name), variants_file)
diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py b/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
index 618aa3b1..3efd8e17 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
@@ -87,9 +87,10 @@ def write_pungi_config(compose, arch, variant, packages, groups, filter_packages
     """write pungi config (kickstart) for arch/variant"""
     pungi_wrapper = PungiWrapper()
     pungi_cfg = compose.paths.work.pungi_conf(variant=variant, arch=arch, source_name=source_name)
-    msg = "Writing pungi config (arch: %s, variant: %s): %s" % (arch, variant, pungi_cfg)
 
-    compose.log_info(msg)
+    compose.log_info(
+        "Writing pungi config (arch: %s, variant: %s): %s", arch, variant, pungi_cfg
+    )
 
     repos = {
         "pungi-repo": compose.paths.work.arch_repo(arch=arch),
diff --git a/pungi/phases/init.py b/pungi/phases/init.py
index f41da5fd..3d5472fa 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/init.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/init.py
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ def _variant_worker(_, args, num):
 
 def write_global_comps(compose):
     comps_file_global = compose.paths.work.comps(arch="global")
-    msg = "Writing global comps file: %s" % comps_file_global
 
     scm_dict = compose.conf["comps_file"]
     if isinstance(scm_dict, dict):
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@ def write_global_comps(compose):
         comps_name = os.path.basename(scm_dict)
         scm_dict = os.path.join(compose.config_dir, scm_dict)
 
-    compose.log_debug(msg)
+    compose.log_debug("Writing global comps file: %s", comps_file_global)
     tmp_dir = compose.mkdtemp(prefix="comps_")
     get_file_from_scm(scm_dict, tmp_dir, logger=compose._logger)
     shutil.copy2(os.path.join(tmp_dir, comps_name), comps_file_global)
@@ -110,9 +109,8 @@ def write_global_comps(compose):
 
 def write_arch_comps(compose, arch):
     comps_file_arch = compose.paths.work.comps(arch=arch)
-    msg = "Writing comps file for arch '%s': %s" % (arch, comps_file_arch)
 
-    compose.log_debug(msg)
+    compose.log_debug("Writing comps file for arch '%s': %s", arch, comps_file_arch)
     run(["comps_filter", "--arch=%s" % arch, "--no-cleanup",
          "--output=%s" % comps_file_arch,
          compose.paths.work.comps(arch="global")])
@@ -136,9 +134,10 @@ def get_lookaside_groups(compose, variant):
 
 def write_variant_comps(compose, arch, variant):
     comps_file = compose.paths.work.comps(arch=arch, variant=variant)
-    msg = "Writing comps file (arch: %s, variant: %s): %s" % (arch, variant, comps_file)
 
-    compose.log_debug(msg)
+    compose.log_debug(
+        "Writing comps file (arch: %s, variant: %s): %s", arch, variant, comps_file
+    )
     cmd = [
         "comps_filter",
         "--arch=%s" % arch,
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py
index 51a8f254..cca8e05e 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_koji.py
@@ -709,12 +709,11 @@ def populate_global_pkgset(compose, koji_wrapper, path_prefix, event):
 def get_koji_event_info(compose, koji_wrapper):
     event_file = os.path.join(compose.paths.work.topdir(arch="global"), "koji-event")
 
-    msg = "Getting koji event"
+    compose.log_info("Getting koji event")
     result = get_koji_event_raw(koji_wrapper, compose.koji_event, event_file)
     if compose.koji_event:
         compose.log_info("Setting koji event to a custom value: %s" % compose.koji_event)
     else:
-        compose.log_info(msg)
         compose.log_info("Koji event: %s" % result["id"])
 
     return result
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py
index 06014b15..fbf2a70c 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/sources/source_repos.py
@@ -138,10 +138,9 @@ def populate_global_pkgset(compose, file_list, path_prefix):
         arches = get_valid_arches(arch, is_multilib)
         ALL_ARCHES.update(arches)
 
-    msg = "Populating the global package set from a file list"
     global_pkgset_path = os.path.join(compose.paths.work.topdir(arch="global"), "packages.pickle")
 
-    compose.log_info(msg)
+    compose.log_info("Populating the global package set from a file list")
     pkgset = pungi.phases.pkgset.pkgsets.FilelistPackageSet(
         compose.conf["sigkeys"], logger=compose._logger, arches=ALL_ARCHES
     )
@@ -158,9 +157,10 @@ def write_pungi_config(compose, arch, variant, repos=None, comps_repo=None, pack
     """write pungi config (kickstart) for arch/variant"""
     pungi_wrapper = PungiWrapper()
     pungi_cfg = compose.paths.work.pungi_conf(variant=variant, arch=arch)
-    msg = "Writing pungi config (arch: %s, variant: %s): %s" % (arch, variant, pungi_cfg)
 
-    compose.log_info(msg)
+    compose.log_info(
+        "Writing pungi config (arch: %s, variant: %s): %s", arch, variant, pungi_cfg
+    )
     packages, grps = get_packages_to_gather(compose, arch, variant)
 
     # include *all* packages providing system-release