Index: modules/node/node.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/node/node.module,v
retrieving revision 1.1217
diff -u -p -r1.1217 node.module
--- modules/node/node.module	18 Jan 2010 17:16:42 -0000	1.1217
+++ modules/node/node.module	20 Jan 2010 00:04:47 -0000
@@ -882,6 +882,11 @@ function node_load($nid = NULL, $vid = N
   $nids = (isset($nid) ? array($nid) : array());
   $conditions = (isset($vid) ? array('vid' => $vid) : array());
   $node = node_load_multiple($nids, $conditions, $reset);
+  // add a watchdog entry if the node_load failed to assist admins in debugging
+  if (!is_object($node)) {
+    $message = t("A node_load failed for nid = '%nid', vid = '%vid'.", array('%nid' => $nid, '%vid' => $vid));
+    watchdog('node', $message);
+  }
   return $node ? reset($node) : FALSE;
 }