diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_exec.c b/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_exec.c
index ab2484714e..3c6b35d876 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_exec.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_exec.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ dd_result dd_request_exec(dd_conn *nonnull conn, zval *nonnull data)
 
     struct ctx ctx = {.data = data};
 
-    return dd_command_exec(conn, &_spec, &ctx);
+    return dd_command_exec_req_info(conn, &_spec, &ctx.req_info);
 }
 
 static dd_result _pack_command(mpack_writer_t *nonnull w, void *nonnull _ctx)
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_init.c b/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_init.c
index dc8632bd11..54db5ef7ed 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_init.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_init.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static const dd_command_spec _spec = {
 dd_result dd_request_init(
     dd_conn *nonnull conn, struct req_info_init *nonnull ctx)
 {
-    return dd_command_exec(conn, &_spec, ctx);
+    return dd_command_exec_req_info(conn, &_spec, &ctx->req_info);
 }
 
 static dd_result _request_pack(mpack_writer_t *nonnull w, void *nonnull _ctx)
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_shutdown.c b/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_shutdown.c
index 0f66c3e380..2c4a580ef7 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_shutdown.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/commands/request_shutdown.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ static const dd_command_spec _spec = {
 dd_result dd_request_shutdown(
     dd_conn *nonnull conn, struct req_shutdown_info *nonnull req_info)
 {
-    return dd_command_exec(conn, &_spec, req_info);
+    return dd_command_exec_req_info(conn, &_spec, &req_info->req_info);
 }
 
 static dd_result _request_pack(mpack_writer_t *nonnull w, void *nonnull ctx)
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/commands_ctx.h b/appsec/src/extension/commands_ctx.h
index 9d78a3d53c..ab185db9d2 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/commands_ctx.h
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/commands_ctx.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <php.h>
 
 struct req_info {
+    const char *nullable command_name; // for logging
     zend_object *nullable root_span;
     zend_string *nullable client_ip;
 };
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.c b/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.c
index 5ba4e5e55e..bd236bf10d 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.c
@@ -194,6 +194,13 @@ dd_result ATTR_WARN_UNUSED dd_command_exec(dd_conn *nonnull conn,
     return _dd_command_exec(conn, false, spec, ctx);
 }
 
+dd_result ATTR_WARN_UNUSED dd_command_exec_req_info(dd_conn *nonnull conn,
+    const dd_command_spec *nonnull spec, struct req_info *nonnull ctx)
+{
+    ctx->command_name = spec->name;
+    return _dd_command_exec(conn, false, spec, ctx);
+}
+
 dd_result ATTR_WARN_UNUSED dd_command_exec_cred(dd_conn *nonnull conn,
     const dd_command_spec *nonnull spec, void *unspecnull ctx)
 {
@@ -361,6 +368,8 @@ static void _command_process_block_parameters(mpack_node_t root)
         }
     }
 
+    mlog(dd_log_debug, "Blocking parameters: status_code=%d, type=%d",
+        status_code, type);
     dd_set_block_code_and_type(status_code, type);
 }
 
@@ -425,7 +434,8 @@ dd_result dd_command_proc_resp_verd_span_data(
         if (verd_len > INT_MAX) {
             verd_len = INT_MAX;
         }
-        mlog(dd_log_debug, "Verdict of request_init was '%.*s'", (int)verd_len,
+        mlog(dd_log_debug, "Verdict of %s was '%.*s'",
+            ctx->command_name ? ctx->command_name : "(unknown)", (int)verd_len,
             verd_str);
     }
 
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.h b/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.h
index 58154031c7..45321bb0aa 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.h
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/commands_helpers.h
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ typedef struct _dd_command_spec {
 dd_result ATTR_WARN_UNUSED dd_command_exec(dd_conn *nonnull conn,
     const dd_command_spec *nonnull spec, void *unspecnull ctx);
 
+dd_result ATTR_WARN_UNUSED dd_command_exec_req_info(dd_conn *nonnull conn,
+    const dd_command_spec *nonnull spec, struct req_info *nonnull ctx);
+
 dd_result ATTR_WARN_UNUSED dd_command_exec_cred(dd_conn *nonnull conn,
     const dd_command_spec *nonnull spec, void *unspecnull ctx);
 
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h b/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h
index 736cf9a2d9..702a4c84b3 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/php_compat.h
@@ -29,7 +29,15 @@ static zend_always_inline zend_string *zend_string_init_interned(
     const char *str, size_t len, int persistent)
 {
     zend_string *ret = zend_string_init(str, len, persistent);
+#    ifdef ZTS
+    // believe it or not zend_new_interned_string() is an identity function
+    // set the interned flag manually so zend_string_release() is a no-op
+    GC_FLAGS(ret) |= IS_STR_INTERNED;
+    zend_string_hash_val(ret);
+    return ret;
+#    else
     return zend_new_interned_string(ret);
+#    endif
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c b/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c
index 03a89ae084..08b8744666 100644
--- a/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c
+++ b/appsec/src/extension/request_abort.c
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ static void _set_content_type(const char *nonnull content_type)
 static void _set_output(const char *nonnull output, size_t length)
 {
     size_t written = php_output_write(output, length);
+    mlog_g(dd_log_debug, "php_output_write() returned %zu", written);
     if (written != length) {
         mlog(dd_log_info, "could not write full response (written: %zu)",
             written);
@@ -146,8 +147,8 @@ static dd_response_type _get_response_type_from_accept_header(
         dd_php_get_string_elem_cstr(_server, LSTRARG("HTTP_ACCEPT"));
     if (!accept_zstr) {
         mlog(dd_log_info,
-            "Could not find Accept header, using default content-type");
-        goto exit;
+            "Could not find Accept header, using default content-type (json)");
+        return response_type_json;
     }
 
     const char *accept_end = ZSTR_VAL(accept_zstr) + ZSTR_LEN(accept_zstr);
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ static dd_response_type _get_response_type_from_accept_header(
         return response_type_html;
     }
 
-exit:
+    mlog_g(dd_log_debug, "No recognized accept header, defaulting to json");
     return response_type_json;
 }
 
@@ -214,6 +215,7 @@ void dd_request_abort_redirect()
     }
 
     if (!_abort_prelude()) {
+        mlog(dd_log_debug, "_abort_prelude has failed");
         return;
     }
 
@@ -221,6 +223,9 @@ void dd_request_abort_redirect()
     uint line_len = (uint)spprintf(
         &line, 0, "Location: %s", ZSTR_VAL(_redirection_location));
 
+    mlog_g(dd_log_debug, "Will forward to %s with status %d",
+        ZSTR_VAL(_redirection_location), _redirection_response_code);
+
     SG(sapi_headers).http_response_code = _redirection_response_code;
     int res = sapi_header_op(SAPI_HEADER_REPLACE,
         &(sapi_header_line){.line = line, .line_len = line_len});
@@ -232,7 +237,7 @@ void dd_request_abort_redirect()
     efree(line);
 
     if (sapi_flush() == SUCCESS) {
-        mlog(dd_log_debug, "Successful call to sapi_flush()");
+        mlog_g(dd_log_debug, "Successful call to sapi_flush()");
     } else {
         mlog(dd_log_warning, "Call to sapi_flush() failed");
     }
@@ -299,6 +304,7 @@ void _request_abort_static_page(int response_code, int type)
     }
 
     if (!_abort_prelude()) {
+        mlog(dd_log_debug, "_abort_prelude has failed");
         zend_string_release(body);
         return;
     }
@@ -434,8 +440,10 @@ static void _suppress_error_reporting(void);
 ATTR_FORMAT(1, 2)
 static void _emit_error(const char *format, ...)
 {
-    va_list args;
+    mlog_g(dd_log_debug, "_emit_error() called: during_request_startup: %d",
+        PG(during_request_startup));
 
+    va_list args;
     va_start(args, format);
     if (PG(during_request_startup)) {
         /* if emitting error during startup, RSHUTDOWN will not run (except fpm)
@@ -615,6 +623,7 @@ static zend_string *nonnull _get_json_blocking_template()
             return _empty_zstr;
         }
         if (ZSTR_LEN(body_error_json) == 0) {
+            zend_string_release(body_error_json);
             return _body_error_json_def;
         }
 
@@ -635,6 +644,7 @@ static zend_string *nonnull _get_html_blocking_template()
             return _empty_zstr;
         }
         if (ZSTR_LEN(body_error_html) == 0) {
+            zend_string_release(body_error_html);
             return _body_error_html_def;
         }
 
diff --git a/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-fpm/entrypoint.sh b/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-fpm/entrypoint.sh
index f3f7433555..ca5cb7faac 100755
--- a/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-fpm/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-fpm/entrypoint.sh
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ enable_extensions.sh
 php-fpm -y /etc/php-fpm.conf -c /etc/php/php.ini
 service apache2 start
 
-exec tail -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}" "${LOGS_APACHE[@]}"
+exec tail -n +1 -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}" "${LOGS_APACHE[@]}"
diff --git a/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-mod/entrypoint.sh b/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-mod/entrypoint.sh
index df94b70c57..81b37162c8 100755
--- a/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-mod/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/apache2-mod/entrypoint.sh
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ enable_extensions.sh
 
 service apache2 start
 
-exec tail -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}" "${LOGS_APACHE[@]}"
+exec tail -n +1 -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}" "${LOGS_APACHE[@]}"
diff --git a/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/nginx-fpm/entrypoint.sh b/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/nginx-fpm/entrypoint.sh
index a3068651e9..d26b3152ee 100755
--- a/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/nginx-fpm/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/appsec/tests/integration/src/docker/nginx-fpm/entrypoint.sh
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ enable_extensions.sh
 php-fpm -y /etc/php-fpm.conf -c /etc/php/php.ini
 service nginx start
 
-exec tail -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}" "${LOGS_NGINX[@]}"
+exec tail -n +1 -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}" "${LOGS_NGINX[@]}"
diff --git a/appsec/tests/integration/src/test/www/roadrunner/run.sh b/appsec/tests/integration/src/test/www/roadrunner/run.sh
index a0e886fd77..7135d342ad 100755
--- a/appsec/tests/integration/src/test/www/roadrunner/run.sh
+++ b/appsec/tests/integration/src/test/www/roadrunner/run.sh
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@ echo datadog.trace.cli_enabled=true >> /etc/php/php.ini
 
 ./rr serve 2>&1 >> /tmp/logs/rr.log &
 
-tail -f "${LOGS_PHP[@]}"
+tail -n +1 -F "${LOGS_PHP[@]}"