diff --git a/src/core/ext/client_config/client_channel.c b/src/core/ext/client_config/client_channel.c
index 0b220c04d49..d00b9668122 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/client_config/client_channel.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/client_config/client_channel.c
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ static void on_lb_policy_state_changed_locked(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
     w->chand->lb_policy = NULL;
   }
   set_channel_connectivity_state_locked(exec_ctx, w->chand, publish_state,
-                                        error, "lb_changed");
+                                        GRPC_ERROR_REF(error), "lb_changed");
   if (w->state != GRPC_CHANNEL_FATAL_FAILURE) {
     watch_lb_policy(exec_ctx, w->chand, w->lb_policy, w->state);
   }
diff --git a/src/core/ext/lb_policy/pick_first/pick_first.c b/src/core/ext/lb_policy/pick_first/pick_first.c
index bc52e2804fc..6aa8688ed69 100644
--- a/src/core/ext/lb_policy/pick_first/pick_first.c
+++ b/src/core/ext/lb_policy/pick_first/pick_first.c
@@ -359,7 +359,6 @@ static void pf_connectivity_changed(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx, void *arg,
         GRPC_SUBCHANNEL_UNREF(exec_ctx, p->subchannels[p->num_subchannels],
                               "pick_first");
         if (p->num_subchannels == 0) {
-          GRPC_ERROR_REF(error);
           grpc_connectivity_state_set(
               exec_ctx, &p->state_tracker, GRPC_CHANNEL_FATAL_FAILURE,
               GRPC_ERROR_CREATE_REFERENCING("Pick first exhausted channels",
diff --git a/src/core/lib/transport/connectivity_state.c b/src/core/lib/transport/connectivity_state.c
index da0de276a2d..3286af9fb2f 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/transport/connectivity_state.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/transport/connectivity_state.c
@@ -152,9 +152,11 @@ void grpc_connectivity_state_set(grpc_exec_ctx *exec_ctx,
                                  grpc_error *error, const char *reason) {
   grpc_connectivity_state_watcher *w;
   if (grpc_connectivity_state_trace) {
-    gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "SET: %p %s: %s --> %s [%s]", tracker, tracker->name,
-            grpc_connectivity_state_name(tracker->current_state),
-            grpc_connectivity_state_name(state), reason);
+    const char *error_string = grpc_error_string(error);
+    gpr_log(GPR_DEBUG, "SET: %p %s: %s --> %s [%s] error=%p %s", tracker,
+            tracker->name, grpc_connectivity_state_name(tracker->current_state),
+            grpc_connectivity_state_name(state), reason, error, error_string);
+    grpc_error_free_string(error_string);
   }
   switch (state) {
     case GRPC_CHANNEL_CONNECTING: