diff --git a/site_ansto/fsm.c b/site_ansto/fsm.c
index 1a85760c..83a7ce80 100644
--- a/site_ansto/fsm.c
+++ b/site_ansto/fsm.c
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
 #include "fsm.h"
 
+char* fsm_textify(const char* pInp, int inp_len, char* pOut, int out_len) {
+  int iInp = 0;
+  int iOut = 0;
+  for (iInp = 0; iInp < inp_len; ++iInp) {
+    if ((pInp[iInp] < 32 || pInp[iInp] > 126)) {
+      if (iOut < out_len - 4) {
+        const char hex[] = "0123456789abcdef";
+        pOut[iOut++] = '\\';
+        pOut[iOut++] = hex[(pInp[iInp] >> 4) & 0xf];
+        pOut[iOut++] = hex[pInp[iInp] & 0xf];
+      }
+      else if (iOut < out_len - 1)
+        pOut[iOut++] = '.';
+    }
+    else if (iOut < out_len - 1)
+      pOut[iOut++] = pInp[iInp];
+  }
+  if (iOut < out_len)
+    pOut[iOut++] = '\0';
+  return pOut;
+}
+
 static void report_event(pStateMachine self, pEvtEvent event) {
   char line[132];
   char text[132];
@@ -25,7 +47,9 @@ int fsm_msg_callback(pAsyncTxn pCmd)
 
   if (pCmd->txn_status == ATX_TIMEOUT) {
     if (self->debug) {
-      SICSLogWrite(pCmd->out_buf, eStatus);
+      char line[1024];
+      fsm_textify(pCmd->out_buf, pCmd->out_len, line, sizeof(line));
+      SICSLogWrite(line, eStatus);
       SICSLogWrite("<TIMEOUT>", eStatus);
     }
     event.event_type = eTimeoutEvent;
@@ -33,8 +57,11 @@ int fsm_msg_callback(pAsyncTxn pCmd)
   }
   else {
     if (self->debug) {
-      SICSLogWrite(pCmd->out_buf, eStatus);
-      SICSLogWrite(pCmd->inp_buf, eStatus);
+      char line[1024];
+      fsm_textify(pCmd->out_buf, pCmd->out_len, line, sizeof(line));
+      SICSLogWrite(line, eStatus);
+      fsm_textify(pCmd->inp_buf, pCmd->inp_idx, line, sizeof(line));
+      SICSLogWrite(line, eStatus);
     }
     event.event_type = eMessageEvent;
     event.event.msg.cmd = pCmd;
@@ -68,8 +95,7 @@ void fsm_change_state(pStateMachine self, StateFunc func) {
         self->state_name ? self->state_name(self->myState) : "<unknown>",
         self->mySubState,
         self->state_name ? self->state_name(func) : "<unknown>");
-    if (self->debug)
-      SICSLogWrite(line, eStatus);
+    SICSLogWrite(line, eStatus);
   }
   self->myPrevState = self->myState;
   self->myState = func;
diff --git a/site_ansto/fsm.h b/site_ansto/fsm.h
index e4f9c070..45449dfa 100644
--- a/site_ansto/fsm.h
+++ b/site_ansto/fsm.h
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ struct statemachine_s {
   const char* (*event_name)(pEvtEvent event, char* text, int length);
 };
 
+char* fsm_textify(const char* pInp, int inp_len, char* pOut, int out_len);
+
 int fsm_msg_callback(pAsyncTxn pCmd);
 int fsm_tmr_callback(void* ctx, int mode);
 int fsm_cmd_execute(pStateMachine self, const void* cmd);