diff --git a/contract-shared-headers/eosdactokens_shared.hpp b/contract-shared-headers/eosdactokens_shared.hpp
index 684267e5..c44b5203 100644
--- a/contract-shared-headers/eosdactokens_shared.hpp
+++ b/contract-shared-headers/eosdactokens_shared.hpp
@@ -198,6 +198,48 @@ namespace eosdac {
         return liquid;
     }
 
+    std::pair<asset, string> get_liquid_debug(name owner, name code, symbol sym) {
+
+        std::string debug_output = "";
+
+        // Hardcoding a precision of 4, it doesnt matter because the index ignores precision
+        dacdir::dac dac = dacdir::dac_for_symbol(extended_symbol{sym, code});
+
+        stakes_table   stakes(code, dac.dac_id.value);
+        unstakes_table unstakes(code, dac.dac_id.value);
+        auto           unstakes_idx = unstakes.get_index<"byaccount"_n>();
+
+        asset liquid = get_balance(owner, code, sym.code());
+        debug_output += fmt("get_balance(%s, %s, %s) = %s | ", owner, code, sym.code(), liquid);
+        auto existing_stake = stakes.find(owner.value);
+        if (existing_stake != stakes.end()) {
+            debug_output += fmt("reducing by existing_stake->stake: %s | ", existing_stake->stake);
+            liquid -= existing_stake->stake;
+        }
+        debug_output += fmt("liquid is now: %s | ", liquid);
+
+        auto unstakes_itr = unstakes_idx.find(owner.value);
+        while (unstakes_itr != unstakes_idx.end()) {
+            if (unstakes_itr->released()) {
+                print("this is already released, erasing");
+                // if this unstake is already released, it can be safely deleted
+                debug_output += fmt("deleting stake %s | ", unstakes_itr->stake);
+                unstakes_itr = unstakes_idx.erase(unstakes_itr);
+            } else {
+                print("NOT yet released");
+
+                // otherwise it still negatively impacts the liquid balance
+                debug_output += fmt("reducing by unstakes_itr->stake: %s | ", unstakes_itr->stake);
+                liquid -= unstakes_itr->stake;
+                debug_output += fmt("liquid is now: %s | ", liquid);
+                unstakes_itr++;
+            }
+        }
+        debug_output += fmt("while loop ended liquid is now: %s", liquid);
+
+        return {liquid, debug_output};
+    }
+
     asset get_staked(name owner, name code, symbol sym) {
         // Hardcoding a precision of 4, it doesnt matter because the index ignores precision
         dacdir::dac dac = dacdir::dac_for_symbol(extended_symbol{sym, code});
diff --git a/contracts/eosdactokens/eosdactokens.cpp b/contracts/eosdactokens/eosdactokens.cpp
index 20bedb25..28fd7c12 100644
--- a/contracts/eosdactokens/eosdactokens.cpp
+++ b/contracts/eosdactokens/eosdactokens.cpp
@@ -304,9 +304,11 @@ namespace eosdac {
         check(quantity.is_valid(), "ERR::STAKE_INVALID_QTY::Invalid quantity supplied");
         check(quantity.amount > 0, "ERR::STAKE_NON_POSITIVE_QTY::Stake amount must be greater than 0");
 
-        asset liquid = eosdac::get_liquid(account, get_self(), quantity.symbol);
+        auto [liquid, debug_output] = eosdac::get_liquid_debug(account, get_self(), quantity.symbol);
 
-        check(liquid >= quantity, "ERR::STAKE_MORE_LIQUID::Attempting to stake more than your liquid balance");
+        check(liquid >= quantity,
+            "ERR::STAKE_MORE_LIQUID::Attempting to stake %s but your liquid balance is only %s | %s", quantity, liquid,
+            debug_output);
 
         add_stake(account, quantity, dac.dac_id, account);