diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystem.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystem.java
index 8107f862..662f6982 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystem.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystem.java
@@ -67,8 +67,15 @@ public GlusterFileSystem(){
         log.info("GIT INFO="+v);
         log.info("GIT_TAG="+v.getTag());
     }
-
-    public GlusterFileSystem(FileSystem rawLocalFileSystem){
+    
+    /**
+     * An internal constructor for creating FlusterFileSystem from a rawlocal fs.
+     * Example usage: 
+     * <code>
+     *    FileSystem fs = new GlusterFileSystem(new GlusterVolume()); 
+     * </code>
+     */
+    protected GlusterFileSystem(FileSystem rawLocalFileSystem){
         super(rawLocalFileSystem);
         rfs=rawLocalFileSystem;
     }
@@ -113,6 +120,11 @@ public void copyToLocalFile(boolean delSrc,Path src,Path dst) throws IOException
         FileUtil.copy(srcFs, src, dstFs, dst, delSrc, getConf());
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected void checkPath(Path path){
+        Util.checkPath(this, path);
+    }
+
     public String toString(){
         return "Gluster File System, no CRC.";
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystemCRC.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystemCRC.java
index 2739a77d..84944222 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystemCRC.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterFileSystemCRC.java
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ public void copyToLocalFile(boolean delSrc, Path src, Path dst) throws IOExcepti
       FileUtil.copy(srcFs, src, dstFs, dst, delSrc, getConf());
     }
     
+
+    @Override
+    protected void checkPath(Path path){
+        Util.checkPath(this, path);
+    }
+    
     public String toString(){
         return "Gluster File System - CRC Enabled";
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterVolume.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterVolume.java
index ea2699cf..010136ad 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterVolume.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/GlusterVolume.java
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+/**
+ * 
+ */
 public class GlusterVolume extends RawLocalFileSystem{
 
     static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(GlusterFileSystemCRC.class);
@@ -53,7 +56,7 @@ public GlusterVolume(Configuration conf){
     public URI getUri() { return NAME; }
     
     public void setConf(Configuration conf){
-        log.info("Initializing gluster volume..");
+        log.info("Initializing gluster volume: " + conf.toString());
         super.setConf(conf);
         String getfattrcmd = null;
         if(conf!=null){
@@ -154,13 +157,25 @@ public BlockLocation[] getFileBlockLocations(FileStatus file,long start,long len
 
         result=attr.getPathInfo(f.getPath(), start, len);
         if(result==null){
-            log.info("Problem getting destination host for file "+f.getPath());
+            log.info("Problem getting destination host for file "+f.getPath() + " start=" + start + " len=" + len) ;
             return null;
         }
 
         return result;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void checkPath(Path path){
+        Util.checkPath(this, path);
+    }
     
+    /** 
+    * May revert to include this at some point.
+    * protected void checkPath(Path arg0){
+    *      super.checkPath(arg0);
+    * }
+    */
+
     public String toString(){
         return "Gluster Volume mounted at: " + root;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/Util.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/Util.java
index 6c26be5b..9ea36c03 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/Util.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/glusterfs/Util.java
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem;
 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileUtil;
+import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.Shell;
 
 public class Util{
@@ -50,4 +52,34 @@ public static String[] getGET_PERMISSION_COMMAND(){
     public static final boolean WINDOWS /* borrowed from Path.WINDOWS */
     =System.getProperty("os.name").startsWith("Windows");
     // / loads permissions, owner, and group from `ls -ld`
+
+    /** 
+     * Check that a Path belongs to this FileSystem. 
+     * lenient : doesn't check authority. This might be temporary ~ 
+     * there could be a better long term implementation.  
+     * Having custom implementation here is critical for debugging, because
+     * existing checkPath in hadoop doesn't print all the scheme/auth values.
+     * */
+    public static void checkPath(FileSystem fs, Path path) {
+        String thisScheme = fs.getUri().getScheme();
+        String thisAuthority = fs.getUri().getAuthority();
+
+        String thatScheme = path.toUri().getScheme();
+        String thatAuthority = path.toUri().getAuthority();
+        
+        //String debugInfo="GV: checking path " +path+  " scheme=" + thisScheme+" auth="+thisAuthority + " vs scheme=" + thatScheme +" auth=" + thatAuthority;
+        //log.info(debugInfo);
+        //log.warn("Not validating authority");
+        //now the exception will be traceable in the logs above .
+        try{
+            //super.checkPath(path);
+            if(thisScheme.equals(thatScheme) || (thatScheme==null && thatAuthority==null))
+                return ;
+            else
+                throw new RuntimeException("Schemes dont match: expecting :" + thisScheme + " but input path is :" + thatScheme);
+         }
+        catch(Throwable t){
+            throw new RuntimeException("ERROR matching schemes/auths: " + thisScheme +" ~ " + thisAuthority + " : " + thatScheme + " ~ " + thatAuthority );
+        }
+    }
 }