diff --git a/gnome-panel/main.c b/gnome-panel/main.c
index 966b35d..70a31fe 100644
--- a/gnome-panel/main.c
+++ b/gnome-panel/main.c
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	GOptionContext *context;
 	GnomeProgram   *program;
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("Entering main()");
+
 	bindtextdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, GNOMELOCALEDIR);
 	bind_textdomain_codeset (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "UTF-8");
 	textdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE);
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
 	g_option_context_add_main_entries (context, options, GETTEXT_PACKAGE);
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): gnome_program_init()");
 	program = gnome_program_init ("gnome-panel", VERSION,
 				      LIBGNOMEUI_MODULE,
 				      argc, argv,
@@ -63,26 +66,41 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 				      GNOME_PROGRAM_STANDARD_PROPERTIES,
 				      NULL);
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): setting icon name");
 	gtk_window_set_default_icon_name (PANEL_ICON_PANEL);
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): registering with bonobo-activation");
 	if (!panel_shell_register ())
 		return -1;
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing authentication manager");
 	gnome_authentication_manager_init ();
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing action protocol");
 	panel_action_protocol_init ();
+
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing multiscreen");
 	panel_multiscreen_init ();
+
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing stock icons");
 	panel_init_stock_icons_and_items ();
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing session");
 	panel_session_init ();
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): setting up gconf monitoring");
 	gconf_client_add_dir (panel_gconf_get_client (),
 			      "/desktop/gnome/interface",
 			      GCONF_CLIENT_PRELOAD_NONE,
 			      NULL);
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): loading global configuration");
 	panel_global_config_load ();
+
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing lockdown");
 	panel_lockdown_init ();
+
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): loading profile");
 	panel_profile_load ();
 
 	/*add forbidden lists to ALL panels*/
@@ -90,8 +108,10 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 			 (GFunc)panel_widget_add_forbidden,
 			 NULL);
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): initializing X stuff");
 	xstuff_init ();
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("main(): entering main loop!");
 	gtk_main ();
 
 	panel_lockdown_finalize ();
diff --git a/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c b/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c
index 07688c8..7386b97 100644
--- a/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c
+++ b/gnome-panel/panel-applet-frame.c
@@ -361,9 +361,11 @@ panel_applet_frame_load (const gchar *iid,
 
 	CORBA_exception_init (&ev);
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("panel_applet_frame_load(): activating %s", iid);
 	bonobo_activation_activate_from_id_async (iid, 0,
 						  (BonoboActivationCallback) panel_applet_frame_activated,
 						  frame_act, &ev);
+	panel_checkpoint ("panel_applet_frame_load(): waiting for async activation notification");
 }
 
 void
@@ -1263,6 +1265,8 @@ panel_applet_frame_activated (CORBA_Object object,
 	frame_act = (PanelAppletFrameActivating *) data;
 	frame = frame_act->frame;
 
+	panel_checkpoint ("panel_applet_frame_activated(): applet %s is active", frame->priv->iid);
+
 	/* according to the source of bonobo control == NULL && no
 	   exception can happen, so handle it */
 	if (error_reason != NULL || object == CORBA_OBJECT_NIL) {
diff --git a/gnome-panel/panel-util.c b/gnome-panel/panel-util.c
index 08fcd16..d952c1d 100644
--- a/gnome-panel/panel-util.c
+++ b/gnome-panel/panel-util.c
@@ -39,6 +39,23 @@
 #include "launcher.h"
 #include "panel-icon-names.h"
 
+void
+panel_checkpoint (const char *format, ...)
+{
+	va_list args;
+	char *str;
+	char *checkpoint_str;
+
+	va_start (args, format);
+	str = g_strdup_vprintf (format, args);
+	checkpoint_str = g_strdup_printf ("MARK: %s: %s", g_get_prgname(), str);
+
+	access (checkpoint_str, F_OK);
+
+	g_free (str);
+	g_free (checkpoint_str);
+}
+
 int
 panel_ditem_launch (GnomeDesktopItem  *item,
 		    GList             *file_list,
diff --git a/gnome-panel/panel-util.h b/gnome-panel/panel-util.h
index 0d74d2d..dda340c 100644
--- a/gnome-panel/panel-util.h
+++ b/gnome-panel/panel-util.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ typedef void (*UpdateFunction) (gpointer);
 
 #define		sure_string(s)		((const char *)((s)!=NULL?(s):""))
 
+void		panel_checkpoint (const char *format, ...);
+
 void            panel_util_launch_from_key_file (GKeyFile                *keyfile,
 						 GList                   *file_list,
 						 GdkScreen               *screen,