diff --git a/tests/pytest/crash_gen.py b/tests/pytest/crash_gen.py
index c525a59d7e1af8f4f02b185aa0f903e828c21d60..ee4a68eee559627d87120f59d57ad69b4c4ac4ed 100755
--- a/tests/pytest/crash_gen.py
+++ b/tests/pytest/crash_gen.py
@@ -74,8 +74,7 @@ class WorkerThread:
 
         # Let us have a DB connection of our own
         if ( gConfig.per_thread_db_connection ):
-            self._dbConn = DbConn()
-        
+            self._dbConn = DbConn()        
 
     def start(self):
         self._thread.start()  # AFTER the thread is recorded
@@ -120,18 +119,16 @@ class WorkerThread:
         self.verifyThreadSelf() # only allowed by ourselves
         # self.verifyIsSleeping(False) # has to be awake
 
-        logger.debug("Worker thread {} about to cross pool barrier".format(self._tid))
+        # logger.debug("Worker thread {} about to cross pool barrier".format(self._tid))
         # self.isSleeping = True # TODO: maybe too early?
         self._pool.crossPoolBarrier() # wait for all other threads
         
         # Wait again at the "gate", waiting to be "tapped"
-        logger.debug("Worker thread {} about to cross the step gate".format(self._tid))
-        # self.stepGate.acquire() # acquire lock immediately     
+        # logger.debug("Worker thread {} about to cross the step gate".format(self._tid))
         self._stepGate.wait() 
         self._stepGate.clear()
-        # self.stepGate.release() # release
         
-        logger.debug("Worker thread {} woke up".format(self._tid))
+        # logger.debug("Worker thread {} woke up".format(self._tid))
         # Someone will wake us up here
         self._curStep += 1  # off to a new step...
 
@@ -151,9 +148,15 @@ class WorkerThread:
         time.sleep(0) # let the released thread run a bit, IMPORTANT, do it after release
 
     def doWork(self):
-        logger.info("  Step {}, thread {}: ".format(self._curStep, self._tid))
+        self.logInfo("Thread starting an execution")
         self._pool.dispatcher.doWork(self)
 
+    def logInfo(self, msg):
+        logger.info("    T[{}.{}]: ".format(self._curStep, self._tid) + msg)
+
+    def logDebug(self, msg):
+        logger.debug("    T[{}.{}]: ".format(self._curStep, self._tid) + msg)
+
     def execSql(self, sql):
         if ( gConfig.per_thread_db_connection ):
             return self._dbConn.execSql(sql)            
@@ -175,9 +178,8 @@ class SteppingThreadPool:
         # self.numWaitingThreads = 0
         
         # Thread coordination
-        self.barrier = threading.Barrier(numThreads + 1) # plus main thread
-        # self.lock = threading.Lock() # for critical section execution
-        # self.mainGate = threading.Condition()
+        self._lock = threading.RLock() # lock to control access (e.g. even reading it is dangerous)
+        self._poolBarrier = threading.Barrier(numThreads + 1) # do nothing before crossing this, except main thread
 
     # starting to run all the threads, in locking steps
     def run(self):                
@@ -189,11 +191,20 @@ class SteppingThreadPool:
         # Coordinate all threads step by step
         self.curStep = -1 # not started yet
         while(self.curStep < self.maxSteps):
+            print(".", end="", flush=True)
             logger.debug("Main thread going to sleep")
-            self.crossPoolBarrier()
-            self.barrier.reset() # Other worker threads should now be at the "gate"            
 
-            logger.debug("Main thread waking up, tapping worker threads".format(self.curStep)) # Now not all threads had time to go to sleep            
+            # Now ready to enter a step
+            self.crossPoolBarrier() # let other threads go past the pool barrier, but wait at the thread gate
+            self._poolBarrier.reset() # Other worker threads should now be at the "gate"            
+
+            # Rare chance, when all threads should be blocked at the "step gate" for each thread
+            logger.info("<-- Step {} finished".format(self.curStep))
+            self.curStep += 1 # we are about to get into next step. TODO: race condition here!    
+            logger.debug(" ") # line break
+            logger.debug("--> Step {} starts with main thread waking up".format(self.curStep)) # Now not all threads had time to go to sleep
+
+            logger.debug("Main thread waking up at step {}, tapping worker threads".format(self.curStep)) # Now not all threads had time to go to sleep            
             self.tapAllThreads()
 
         # The threads will run through many steps
@@ -201,15 +212,11 @@ class SteppingThreadPool:
             workerThread._thread.join() # slight hack, accessing members
 
         logger.info("All threads finished")
+        print("")
+        print("Finished")
 
     def crossPoolBarrier(self):
-        if ( self.barrier.n_waiting == self.numThreads ):  # everyone else is waiting, inc main thread
-            logger.info("<-- Step {} finished".format(self.curStep))
-            self.curStep += 1 # we are about to get into next step. TODO: race condition here!    
-            logger.debug(" ") # line break
-            logger.debug("--> Step {} starts with main thread waking up".format(self.curStep)) # Now not all threads had time to go to sleep
-
-        self.barrier.wait()
+        self._poolBarrier.wait()
 
     def tapAllThreads(self): # in a deterministic manner
         wakeSeq = []
@@ -397,46 +404,51 @@ class DbState():
     def cleanUp(self):
         self._dbConn.close()      
 
+# A task is a long-living entity, carrying out short-lived "executions" for threads
 class Task():
     def __init__(self, dbState):
         self.dbState = dbState
 
+    def _executeInternal(self, wt):
+        raise RuntimeError("To be implemeted by child classes")
+
     def execute(self, workerThread):
-        raise RuntimeError("Must be overriden by child class")
+        self._executeInternal(workerThread) # TODO: no return value?
+        workerThread.logDebug("[X] task execution completed")
 
     def execSql(self, sql):
         return self.dbState.execute(sql)
 
 class CreateTableTask(Task):
-    def execute(self, wt):
+    def _executeInternal(self, wt):
         tIndex = dbState.addTable()
-        logger.debug("    Creating a table {} ...".format(tIndex))
+        wt.logDebug("Creating a table {} ...".format(tIndex))
         wt.execSql("create table db.table_{} (ts timestamp, speed int)".format(tIndex))
-        logger.debug("    Table {} created.".format(tIndex))
+        wt.logDebug("Table {} created.".format(tIndex))
         dbState.releaseTable(tIndex)
 
 class DropTableTask(Task):
-    def execute(self, wt):
+    def _executeInternal(self, wt):
         tableName = dbState.getTableNameToDelete()
         if ( not tableName ): # May be "False"
-            logger.info("    Cannot generate a table to delete, skipping...")
+            wt.logInfo("Cannot generate a table to delete, skipping...")
             return
-        logger.info("    Dropping a table db.{} ...".format(tableName))
+        wt.logInfo("Dropping a table db.{} ...".format(tableName))
         wt.execSql("drop table db.{}".format(tableName))
 
 class AddDataTask(Task):
-    def execute(self, wt):
+    def _executeInternal(self, wt):
         ds = self.dbState
-        logger.info("    Adding some data... numQueue={}".format(ds.tableNumQueue.toText()))
+        wt.logInfo("Adding some data... numQueue={}".format(ds.tableNumQueue.toText()))
         tIndex = ds.pickAndAllocateTable()
         if ( tIndex == None ):
-            logger.info("    No table found to add data, skipping...")
+            wt.logInfo("No table found to add data, skipping...")
             return
         sql = "insert into db.table_{} values ('{}', {});".format(tIndex, ds.getNextTick(), ds.getNextInt())
-        logger.debug("    Executing SQL: {}".format(sql))
+        wt.logDebug("Executing SQL: {}".format(sql))
         wt.execSql(sql) 
         ds.releaseTable(tIndex)
-        logger.debug("    Finished adding data")
+        wt.logDebug("Finished adding data")
 
 # Deterministic random number generator
 class Dice():
@@ -510,7 +522,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     Dice.seed(0) # initial seeding of dice
     dbState = DbState()
-    threadPool = SteppingThreadPool(dbState, 5, 10, 0) 
+    threadPool = SteppingThreadPool(dbState, 5, 500, 0) 
     threadPool.run()
     logger.info("Finished running thread pool")
     dbState.cleanUp()