diff --git a/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc b/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
index e0dce0c28..5fd89725b 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbNetlistCompare.cc
@@ -977,8 +977,6 @@ NetlistComparer::compare_circuits (const db::Circuit *c1, const db::Circuit *c2,
 
       size_t new_identities = 0;
 
-      printf("@@@1\n"); fflush(stdout);
-
       for (db::NetGraph::node_iterator i1 = g1.begin (); i1 != g1.end (); ++i1) {
 
         //  note: ambiguous nodes don't contribute additional paths, so skip them
@@ -994,16 +992,14 @@ NetlistComparer::compare_circuits (const db::Circuit *c1, const db::Circuit *c2,
               }
             }
 
-          } else {
-            printf("@@@ skipped redundant node: %s\n", i1->net()->expanded_name ().c_str()); fflush(stdout);
+          } else if (db::NetlistCompareGlobalOptions::options ()->debug_netcompare) {
+            tl::info << "skipped redundant node: " << i1->net()->expanded_name ();
           }
 
         }
 
       }
 
-      printf("@@@2\n"); fflush(stdout);
-
       if (db::NetlistCompareGlobalOptions::options ()->debug_netcompare) {
         tl::info << "checking topological identity ...";
       }
diff --git a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc
index 0f0c22b59..68e4f2d3a 100644
--- a/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc
+++ b/src/db/unit_tests/dbNetlistCompareTests.cc
@@ -3026,18 +3026,18 @@ TEST(18_ClockTree)
     "match_nets S S\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SX SX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SX SX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
     "match_subcircuits TXXX TXXX\n"
     "match_subcircuits TX TX\n"
     "match_subcircuits TXXX TXXX\n"
@@ -3087,18 +3087,18 @@ TEST(18_ClockTree)
     "match_nets S S\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SX SX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SX SX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets SXX SXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets SXXX SXXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
+    "match_nets SXX SXX\n"
     "match_subcircuits TXXX TXXX\n"
     "match_subcircuits TX TX\n"
     "match_subcircuits TXXX TXXX\n"
@@ -3348,19 +3348,19 @@ TEST(19_SymmetricCircuit)
     "match_ambiguous_nets nn2 NN2\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets nn2_ NN2_\n"
     "match_ambiguous_nets q0 Q0\n"
-    "match_ambiguous_nets q1 Q1\n"
-    "match_nets $11 CS0\n"
     "match_nets q0_ Q0_\n"
-    "match_nets $4 NET200\n"
-    "match_nets $13 CS1\n"
+    "match_ambiguous_nets q1 Q1\n"
     "match_nets q1_ Q1_\n"
-    "match_nets $9 NET175\n"
+    "match_nets $11 CS0\n"
+    "match_nets $13 CS1\n"
     "match_nets a0 A0\n"
     "match_nets a0_ A0_\n"
-    "match_nets $35 HNET44\n"
-    "match_nets $34 HNET48\n"
+    "match_nets $4 NET200\n"
     "match_nets $6 NET181\n"
     "match_nets $8 NET215\n"
+    "match_nets $9 NET175\n"
+    "match_nets $35 HNET44\n"
+    "match_nets $34 HNET48\n"
     "match_nets nn1 NN1\n"
     "match_nets nn1_ NN1_\n"
     "match_pins VDD VDD\n"