diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
index 060a932d1c8..b3f3d2d304c 100755
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -550,54 +550,54 @@ class TestNode():
             unexpected_msgs = []
         assert_equal(type(expected_msgs), list)
         assert_equal(type(unexpected_msgs), list)
+        remaining_expected = list(expected_msgs)
 
         time_end = time.time() + timeout * self.timeout_factor
         prev_size = self.debug_log_size(encoding="utf-8")  # Must use same encoding that is used to read() below
 
+        def join_log(log):
+            return " - " + "\n - ".join(log.splitlines())
+
         yield
 
         while True:
-            found = True
             with open(self.debug_log_path, encoding="utf-8", errors="replace") as dl:
                 dl.seek(prev_size)
                 log = dl.read()
-            print_log = " - " + "\n - ".join(log.splitlines())
             for unexpected_msg in unexpected_msgs:
-                if re.search(re.escape(unexpected_msg), log, flags=re.MULTILINE):
-                    self._raise_assertion_error('Unexpected message "{}" partially matches log:\n\n{}\n\n'.format(unexpected_msg, print_log))
-            for expected_msg in expected_msgs:
-                if re.search(re.escape(expected_msg), log, flags=re.MULTILINE) is None:
-                    found = False
-            if found:
+                if unexpected_msg in log:
+                    self._raise_assertion_error(f'Unexpected message "{unexpected_msg}" '
+                                                f'found in log:\n\n{join_log(log)}\n\n')
+            while remaining_expected and remaining_expected[-1] in log:
+                remaining_expected.pop()
+            if not remaining_expected:
                 return
             if time.time() >= time_end:
                 break
             time.sleep(0.05)
-        self._raise_assertion_error('Expected messages "{}" does not partially match log:\n\n{}\n\n'.format(str(expected_msgs), print_log))
+        remaining_expected = [e for e in remaining_expected if e not in log]
+        self._raise_assertion_error(f'Expected message(s) {remaining_expected!s} '
+                                    f'not found in log:\n\n{join_log(log)}\n\n')
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager
     def busy_wait_for_debug_log(self, expected_msgs, timeout=60):
         """
         Block until we see a particular debug log message fragment or until we exceed the timeout.
-        Return:
-            the number of log lines we encountered when matching
         """
         time_end = time.time() + timeout * self.timeout_factor
         prev_size = self.debug_log_size(mode="rb")  # Must use same mode that is used to read() below
+        remaining_expected = list(expected_msgs)
 
         yield
 
         while True:
-            found = True
             with open(self.debug_log_path, "rb") as dl:
                 dl.seek(prev_size)
                 log = dl.read()
 
-            for expected_msg in expected_msgs:
-                if expected_msg not in log:
-                    found = False
-
-            if found:
+            while remaining_expected and remaining_expected[-1] in log:
+                remaining_expected.pop()
+            if not remaining_expected:
                 return
 
             if time.time() >= time_end:
@@ -607,9 +607,9 @@ class TestNode():
             # No sleep here because we want to detect the message fragment as fast as
             # possible.
 
-        self._raise_assertion_error(
-            'Expected messages "{}" does not partially match log:\n\n{}\n\n'.format(
-                str(expected_msgs), print_log))
+        remaining_expected = [e for e in remaining_expected if e not in log]
+        self._raise_assertion_error(f'Expected message(s) {remaining_expected!s} '
+                                    f'not found in log:\n\n{print_log}\n\n')
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager
     def wait_for_new_peer(self, timeout=5):