diff --git a/neps/runtime.py b/neps/runtime.py
index 4ef2592a..ba84b051 100644
--- a/neps/runtime.py
+++ b/neps/runtime.py
@@ -358,7 +358,6 @@ def _get_next_trial(self) -> Trial | Literal["break"]:
             time.sleep(self._GRACE)  # Give the lock some time
             with self.state._trial_lock.lock():
                 time.sleep(self._GRACE)  # Give the lock some time
-                logger.info("I, MR WORKER %s obtained thel lock", self.worker_id)
                 DEBUG_COUNT_FILE = Path(self.state.path / "DEBUG_COUNT_FILE")
                 with DEBUG_COUNT_FILE.open("a") as f:
                     f.write(f"locked: {time.time()}\n")
@@ -395,7 +394,6 @@ def _get_next_trial(self) -> Trial | Literal["break"]:
                         earliest_pending.id,
                     )
                     return earliest_pending
-                logger.info("I, MR WORKER %s released thel lock", self.worker_id)
             with DEBUG_COUNT_FILE.open("a") as f:
                 f.write(f"unlocked: {time.time()}\n")
 
diff --git a/neps/state/filebased.py b/neps/state/filebased.py
index 3142d2d8..794e9a1b 100644
--- a/neps/state/filebased.py
+++ b/neps/state/filebased.py
@@ -317,14 +317,13 @@ def lock(
         self,
         *,
         fail_if_locked: bool = False,
+        worker_id: str | None = None,
     ) -> Iterator[None]:
         self.lock_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        self.lock_path.touch(exist_ok=True)
 
         try:
             with pl.Lock(
                 self.lock_path,
-                mode="wb",
                 check_interval=self.poll,
                 timeout=self.timeout,
                 flags=FILELOCK_EXCLUSIVE_NONE_BLOCKING,
@@ -332,7 +331,14 @@ def lock(
             ) as fh:
                 import portalocker.portalocker as pl_module
 
-                logger.info(pl_module.LOCKER)
+                if worker_id is not None:
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Worker %s acquired lock on %s using %s at %s",
+                        worker_id,
+                        self.lock_path,
+                        pl_module.LOCKER,
+                        time.time(),
+                    )
                 fh.write(f"{time.time()}".encode("utf-8"))  # noqa: UP012
                 os.fsync(fh)
                 yield