diff --git a/java/google/registry/dns/DnsQueue.java b/java/google/registry/dns/DnsQueue.java
index 51319e1ef..5776daadd 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/dns/DnsQueue.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/dns/DnsQueue.java
@@ -31,14 +31,17 @@ import com.google.appengine.api.taskqueue.TaskOptions;
 import com.google.appengine.api.taskqueue.TaskOptions.Method;
 import com.google.appengine.api.taskqueue.TransientFailureException;
 import com.google.apphosting.api.DeadlineExceededException;
+import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
 import com.google.common.base.Optional;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.net.InternetDomainName;
 import google.registry.dns.DnsConstants.TargetType;
 import google.registry.model.registry.Registries;
 import google.registry.util.FormattingLogger;
+import google.registry.util.NonFinalForTesting;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javax.inject.Named;
 import org.joda.time.Duration;
@@ -66,7 +69,9 @@ public class DnsQueue {
     return new DnsQueue(getQueue(DNS_PULL_QUEUE_NAME));
   }
 
-  long writeBatchSize = QueueConstants.maxLeaseCount();
+  @NonFinalForTesting
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  long leaseTasksBatchSize = QueueConstants.maxLeaseCount();
 
   /**
    * Enqueues the given task type with the given target name to the DNS queue.
@@ -107,7 +112,13 @@ public class DnsQueue {
   /** Returns handles for a batch of tasks, leased for the specified duration. */
   public List<TaskHandle> leaseTasks(Duration leaseDuration) {
     try {
-      return queue.leaseTasks(leaseDuration.getMillis(), MILLISECONDS, writeBatchSize);
+      int numTasks = queue.fetchStatistics().getNumTasks();
+      logger.logfmt(
+          (numTasks >= leaseTasksBatchSize) ? Level.WARNING : Level.INFO,
+          "There are %d tasks in the DNS queue '%s'.",
+          numTasks,
+          DNS_PULL_QUEUE_NAME);
+      return queue.leaseTasks(leaseDuration.getMillis(), MILLISECONDS, leaseTasksBatchSize);
     } catch (TransientFailureException | DeadlineExceededException e) {
       logger.severe(e, "Failed leasing tasks too fast");
       return ImmutableList.of();
diff --git a/java/google/registry/util/FormattingLogger.java b/java/google/registry/util/FormattingLogger.java
index 7a52f8966..48f046246 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/util/FormattingLogger.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/util/FormattingLogger.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.google.common.collect.FluentIterable;
 import java.util.logging.Handler;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
+import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 /** Logging wrapper. */
 public class FormattingLogger {
@@ -34,7 +35,15 @@ public class FormattingLogger {
     this.logger = Logger.getLogger(name);
   }
 
-  private void log(Level level, Throwable cause, String msg) {
+  public void logfmt(Level level, Throwable cause, String fmt, Object... args) {
+    log(level, cause, String.format(fmt, args));
+  }
+
+  public void logfmt(Level level, String fmt, Object... args) {
+    log(level, null, String.format(fmt, args));
+  }
+
+  private void log(Level level, @Nullable Throwable cause, String msg) {
     StackTraceElement callerFrame = FluentIterable
         .from(new Exception().getStackTrace())
         .firstMatch(new Predicate<StackTraceElement>() {
diff --git a/javatests/google/registry/dns/DnsQueueTest.java b/javatests/google/registry/dns/DnsQueueTest.java
index 0b10f191d..5871240c2 100644
--- a/javatests/google/registry/dns/DnsQueueTest.java
+++ b/javatests/google/registry/dns/DnsQueueTest.java
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public class DnsQueueTest {
   @Before
   public void init() {
     dnsQueue = DnsQueue.create();
-    dnsQueue.writeBatchSize = 10;
+    dnsQueue.leaseTasksBatchSize = 10;
   }
 
   @Test