diff --git a/lib/puppet/network/http/pool.rb b/lib/puppet/network/http/pool.rb
index 0c182fe45..bd5b35028 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/network/http/pool.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/network/http/pool.rb
@@ -1,91 +1,92 @@
 class Puppet::Network::HTTP::Pool
   FIFTEEN_SECONDS = 15
 
   attr_reader :factory
 
   def initialize(keepalive_timeout = FIFTEEN_SECONDS)
     @pool = {}
     @factory = Puppet::Network::HTTP::Factory.new
     @keepalive_timeout = keepalive_timeout
   end
 
   def with_connection(conn, &block)
     reuse = true
 
     http = borrow(conn)
     begin
       yield http
     rescue => detail
       reuse = false
       close_connection(conn.site, http)
       raise detail
     ensure
       release(conn.site, http) if reuse
     end
   end
 
   def close
     @pool.each_pair do |site, sessions|
       sessions.each do |session|
         close_connection(site, session.connection)
       end
     end
     @pool.clear
   end
 
   # api private
 
   def pool
     @pool
   end
 
   def close_connection(site, connection)
     Puppet.debug("Closing connection for #{site}")
     connection.finish
   rescue => detail
     Puppet.log_exception(detail, "Failed to close connection for #{site}: #{detail}")
   end
 
   def borrow(conn)
     site = conn.site
     @pool[site] = active_sessions(site)
     session = @pool[site].shift
     if session
       Puppet.debug("Using cached connection for #{site}")
       session.connection
     else
-      Puppet.debug("Starting connection for #{site}")
       http = @factory.create_connection(site)
       conn.initialize_ssl(http)
+
+      Puppet.debug("Starting connection for #{site}")
       http.start
       http
     end
   end
 
   def release(site, connection)
     expiration = Time.now + @keepalive_timeout
     session = Puppet::Network::HTTP::Session.new(connection, expiration)
     Puppet.debug("Caching connection for #{site}")
 
     sessions = @pool[site]
     if sessions
       sessions.unshift(session)
     else
       @pool[site] = [session]
     end
   end
 
   def active_sessions(site)
     now = Time.now
 
     sessions = @pool[site] || []
     sessions.select do |session|
       if session.expired?(now)
         close_connection(site, session.connection)
         false
       else
         true
       end
     end
   end
 end