diff --git a/cmd/mt-update-ttl/main.go b/cmd/mt-update-ttl/main.go
index 45458feb6e..2d594141e9 100644
--- a/cmd/mt-update-ttl/main.go
+++ b/cmd/mt-update-ttl/main.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var (
 
 	startTs    = flag.Int("start-timestamp", 0, "timestamp at which to start, defaults to 0")
 	endTs      = flag.Int("end-timestamp", math.MaxInt32, "timestamp at which to stop, defaults to int max")
-	numThreads = flag.Int("threads", 1, "number of workers to use to process data")
+	numThreads = flag.Int("threads", 10, "number of workers to use to process data")
 
 	verbose = flag.Bool("verbose", false, "show every record being processed")
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func main() {
 	session, err := NewCassandraStore()
 
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to instantiate cassandra: %s", err))
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to instantiate cassandra: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	update(session, ttl, tableIn, tableOut)
@@ -182,26 +182,26 @@ func worker(id int, jobs <-chan string, wg *sync.WaitGroup, session *gocql.Sessi
 				query = fmt.Sprintf("INSERT INTO %s (data, key, ts) values(?,?,?) USING TTL %d", tableOut, newTTL)
 			}
 			if *verbose {
-				log.Printf("id=%d processing rownum=%d table=%q key=%q ts=%d query=%q data='%x'\n", id, atomic.LoadUint64(&doneRows)+1, tableIn, key, ts, query, data)
+				log.Infof("id=%d processing rownum=%d table=%q key=%q ts=%d query=%q data='%x'\n", id, atomic.LoadUint64(&doneRows)+1, tableIn, key, ts, query, data)
 			}
 
 			err := session.Query(query, data, key, ts).Exec()
 			if err != nil {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ERROR: id=%d failed updating %s %s %d: %q", id, tableOut, key, ts, err)
+				log.Errorf("id=%d failed updating %s %s %d: %q", id, tableOut, key, ts, err)
 			}
 
 			doneRowsSnap := atomic.AddUint64(&doneRows, 1)
 			if doneRowsSnap%10000 == 0 {
 				doneKeysSnap := atomic.LoadUint64(&doneKeys)
 				completeness := completenessEstimate(token)
-				log.Printf("WORKING: id=%d processed %d keys, %d rows. (last token: %d, completeness estimate %.1f%%)", id, doneKeysSnap, doneRowsSnap, token, completeness*100)
+				log.Infof("WORKING: id=%d processed %d keys, %d rows. (last token: %d, completeness estimate %.1f%%)", id, doneKeysSnap, doneRowsSnap, token, completeness*100)
 			}
 		}
 		err := iter.Close()
 		if err != nil {
 			doneKeysSnap := atomic.LoadUint64(&doneKeys)
 			doneRowsSnap := atomic.LoadUint64(&doneRows)
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ERROR: id=%d failed querying %s: %q. processed %d keys, %d rows", id, tableIn, err, doneKeysSnap, doneRowsSnap)
+			log.Errorf("id=%d failed querying %s: %q. processed %d keys, %d rows", id, tableIn, err, doneKeysSnap, doneRowsSnap)
 		}
 		atomic.AddUint64(&doneKeys, 1)
 	}
@@ -227,11 +227,13 @@ func update(session *gocql.Session, ttl int, tableIn, tableOut string) {
 	close(jobs)
 	err := keyItr.Close()
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ERROR: failed querying %s: %q. processed %d keys, %d rows", tableIn, err, doneKeys, doneRows)
+		doneKeysSnap := atomic.LoadUint64(&doneKeys)
+		doneRowsSnap := atomic.LoadUint64(&doneRows)
+		log.Errorf("failed querying %s: %q. processed %d keys, %d rows", tableIn, err, doneKeysSnap, doneRowsSnap)
 		wg.Wait()
 		os.Exit(2)
 	}
 
 	wg.Wait()
-	log.Printf("DONE.  Processed %d keys, %d rows", doneKeys, doneRows)
+	log.Infof("DONE.  Processed %d keys, %d rows", doneKeys, doneRows)
 }
diff --git a/docs/tools.md b/docs/tools.md
index b38061d846..2a68d0e351 100644
--- a/docs/tools.md
+++ b/docs/tools.md
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ Flags:
   -start-timestamp int
     	timestamp at which to start, defaults to 0
   -threads int
-    	number of workers to use to process data (default 1)
+    	number of workers to use to process data (default 10)
   -verbose
     	show every record being processed
 ```