diff --git a/checker/notify-commit b/checker/notify-commit
index de17493..5cf487b 100755
--- a/checker/notify-commit
+++ b/checker/notify-commit
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 # 
 # 	COMMIT - hash of commit
 #	COMMIT_AUTHOR - author of commit
+# 	COMMIT_ABBREV - abbreviated sha
+#	COMMIT_LOG - short line of commit log
 #	COMMIT_BRANCH - name of branch 
 #	PROJECT_NAME - project name specified in cloner.cfg
 echo "Commit: ($COMMIT: (AUTHOR=$COMMIT_AUTHOR; BRANCH=$COMMIT_BRANCH), Project: $PROJECT_NAME)"
+echo -e "\t$COMMIT_ABBREV: $COMMIT_LOG"
 
diff --git a/checker/notify-tag b/checker/notify-tag
index 11aeb92..bbea1af 100755
--- a/checker/notify-tag
+++ b/checker/notify-tag
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#/bin/bash
 # notify on tag push (new tag or change)
 #
 # Parameters (via env)
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 # 	TAG_HASH - hash of tagged commit
 #	TAG_NAME - tag label
 #	TAG_AUTHOR - who authored the tag - if available
+#	TAG_ABBREV - commit abbreviated hash
+#	TAG_LOG - short status line of log
 # 	PROJECT_NAME - name of project specified in cloner.cfg
 echo "TAG: (Name=$TAG_NAME; AUTHOR=$TAG_AUTHOR; SHA: $TAG_HASH), PROJECT: $PROJECT_NAME"
+echo -e "\t$TAG_ABBREV: $TAG_LOG"
 
diff --git a/checker/run-checker b/checker/run-checker
index bf4cc2b..8b44399 100755
--- a/checker/run-checker
+++ b/checker/run-checker
@@ -101,17 +101,23 @@ do
 			# COMMIT = $commitId
 			# COMMIT_AUTHOR = $author
 			author=$(git --git-dir $repodir log $commitId -1 --format="%an <%ae>")
+			# COMMIT_ABBREV
+			abbr=$(git --git-dir $repodir log $commitId -1 --format="%h")
+			# COMMIT_LOG
+			log=$(git --git-dir $repodir log $commitId -1 --format="%s")
 			# BRANCH = $branch
 			# PORJECT_NAME = $cloner_project_name
 
 			set +e
-			env COMMIT="$commitId" \
+			COMMIT="$commitId" \
 				COMMIT_AUTHOR="$author" \
 				COMMIT_BRANCH="$branch" \
+				COMMIT_ABBREV="$abbr" \
+				COMMIT_LOG="$log" \
 				PROJECT_NAME="$cloner_project_name" \
 				notify-commit
-				rc=$?
-				[ $rc -eq 0 ] || echo "Notify $branch/$commitId: return code = $rc"
+			rc=$?
+			[ $rc -eq 0 ] || echo "Notify $branch/$commitId: return code = $rc"
 			set -e
 			detectorSaveCommit $commitId			
 		fi
@@ -144,15 +150,20 @@ do
 		# TAG_NAME = $tagname
 		# TAG_AUTHOR
 		author=$(git --git-dir $repodir log $newsha -1 --pretty=format:"%an <%ae>")
+		# TAG_ABBREV
+		abbr=$(git --git-dir $repodir log $newsha -1 --format="%h")
+		# TAG_LOG
+		log=$(git --git-dir $repodir log $newsha -1 --format="%s")
 		# PROJECT_NAME = $cloner_project_name
-
+		
 		# call the notify script
 		set +e
-		env TAG_HASH="$newsha" \
+		TAG_HASH="$newsha" \
 			TAG_NAME="$tagname" \
 			TAG_AUTHOR="$author" \
-			PROJECT_NAME="$cloner_project_name" \
-			notify-tag
+			TAG_ABBREV="$abbr" \
+			TAG_LOG="$log" \
+			PROJECT_NAME="$cloner_project_name" notify-tag
 		rc=$?
 		[ $rc -eq 0 ] || echo "Notify $tagname: return code = $rc"
 		set -e