diff --git a/bin/disk-image-create b/bin/disk-image-create
index e70bc94f1..dc483fed9 100755
--- a/bin/disk-image-create
+++ b/bin/disk-image-create
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ function show_options () {
     echo "       File types should be comma separated. VHD outputting requires the vhd-util"
     echo "       executable be in your PATH. ACI outputting requires the ACI_MANIFEST "
     echo "       environment variable be a path to a manifest file."
-    echo "    -x -- turn on tracing (use -x -x for very detailed tracing)"
+    echo "    -x -- turn on tracing (use -x -x for very detailed tracing)."
     echo "    -u -- uncompressed; do not compress the image - larger but faster"
     echo "    -c -- clear environment before starting work"
     echo "    --checksum -- generate MD5 and SHA256 checksum files for the created image"
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ function show_version() {
     fi
 }
 
+DIB_DEBUG_TRACE=${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-0}
 INSTALL_PACKAGES=""
 IMAGE_TYPES=("qcow2")
 COMPRESS_IMAGE="true"
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ while true ; do
         -t) IFS="," read -a IMAGE_TYPES <<< "$2"; export IMAGE_TYPES ; shift 2 ;;
         -h|--help) show_options; exit 0;;
         --version) show_version; exit 0;;
-        -x) shift; export DIB_DEBUG_TRACE=$(( $DIB_DEBUG_TRACE + 1 )); set -x;;
+        -x) shift; DIB_DEBUG_TRACE=$(( $DIB_DEBUG_TRACE + 1 ));;
         -u) shift; export COMPRESS_IMAGE="";;
         -c) shift ; export CLEAR_ENV=1;;
         -n) shift; export SKIP_BASE="1";;
@@ -209,6 +210,8 @@ while true ; do
     esac
 done
 
+export DIB_DEBUG_TRACE
+
 export DIB_IMAGE_CACHE=${DIB_IMAGE_CACHE:-~/.cache/image-create}
 mkdir -p $DIB_IMAGE_CACHE
 
@@ -228,7 +231,6 @@ function _ps4 {
 export -f _ps4
 export PS4='+ $(_ps4):   '
 
-
 source $_LIB/img-defaults
 source $_LIB/common-functions
 source $_LIB/img-functions
@@ -245,6 +247,11 @@ if [ -z "$*" ]; then
 fi
 arg_to_elements "$@"
 
+# start tracing after most boilerplate
+if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE} -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+
 if [ "${#IMAGE_TYPES[@]}" = "1" ]; then
   export IMAGE_NAME=${IMAGE_NAME%%\.${IMAGE_TYPES[0]}}
 fi
@@ -346,8 +353,8 @@ fi
 unmount_image
 mv $TMP_BUILD_DIR/mnt $TMP_BUILD_DIR/built
 
-# save xtrace state, as we want to turn it off to avoid spamming the
-# logs with du output below.
+# save xtrace state, as we always want to turn it off to avoid
+# spamming the logs with du output below.
 xtrace=$(set +o | grep xtrace)
 
 # temp file for holding du output
diff --git a/elements/pkg-map/extra-data.d/10-create-pkg-map-dir b/elements/pkg-map/extra-data.d/10-create-pkg-map-dir
index b3b5d9315..74a526196 100755
--- a/elements/pkg-map/extra-data.d/10-create-pkg-map-dir
+++ b/elements/pkg-map/extra-data.d/10-create-pkg-map-dir
@@ -1,17 +1,21 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-1} -gt 0 ]; then
+if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-1} -gt 1 ]; then
     set -x
 fi
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
+echo "Copying pkg-map files to $TMP_MOUNT_PATH/usr/share/pkg-map"
+
 sudo mkdir -p $TMP_MOUNT_PATH/usr/share/pkg-map/
 
 for ELEMENT in $IMAGE_ELEMENT ; do
     for DIR in ${ELEMENTS_PATH//:/ }; do
         if [ -f "$DIR/$ELEMENT/pkg-map" ]; then
-            sudo cp "$DIR/$ELEMENT/pkg-map" "$TMP_MOUNT_PATH/usr/share/pkg-map/$ELEMENT"
+            echo "Deploying pkg-map $DIR/$ELEMENT/pkg-map"
+            sudo cp "$DIR/$ELEMENT/pkg-map" \
+                "$TMP_MOUNT_PATH/usr/share/pkg-map/$ELEMENT"
         fi
     done
 done
diff --git a/lib/common-functions b/lib/common-functions
index 653aee4fd..b0094b5a2 100644
--- a/lib/common-functions
+++ b/lib/common-functions
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ function copy_hooks_not_overwrite () {
     test -d $TMP_HOOKS_PATH/$_DIR || mkdir $TMP_HOOKS_PATH/$_DIR
     for _HOOK in $(ls $1); do
       if [ ! -f $TMP_HOOKS_PATH/$_DIR/$_HOOK ]; then
+        echo "Copying hooks $1/$_HOOK"
         cp -t $TMP_HOOKS_PATH/$_DIR -a $1/$_HOOK
       else
         echo "There is a duplicated hook in your elements: $_ELEMENT/$_DIR/$_HOOK"
@@ -86,7 +87,12 @@ function copy_hooks_not_overwrite () {
 }
 
 function generate_hooks () {
+  local xtrace
+  xtrace=$(set +o | grep xtrace)
+  if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE} -lt 2 ]; then set +o xtrace; fi
+
   mkdir -p $TMP_HOOKS_PATH
+  echo "Deploying hooks to $TMP_HOOKS_PATH"
   for _ELEMENT in $IMAGE_ELEMENT ; do
     for dir in ${ELEMENTS_PATH//:/ } ; do
       [ -d $dir/$_ELEMENT ] || continue
@@ -94,11 +100,14 @@ function generate_hooks () {
         copy_hooks_not_overwrite $_DIR
       done
       for _FILE in $(find $dir/$_ELEMENT -follow -maxdepth 1 -type f); do
+        echo "Copy hook $_FILE"
         cp -t $TMP_HOOKS_PATH -a $_FILE
       done
       break
     done
   done
+
+  $xtrace
 }
 
 # Call the supplied break-in routine if the named point is listed in the break
@@ -212,6 +221,7 @@ function run_d() {
     check_element
     check_break before-$1 ${break_cmd:-bash}
     if [ -d ${TMP_HOOKS_PATH}/$1.d ] ; then
+        echo "Running hooks from ${TMP_HOOKS_PATH}/$1.d"
         if [ -n "$2" ]; then
             dib-run-parts ${TMP_HOOKS_PATH}/$1.d | tee $2
             if [[ ${PIPESTATUS[0]} != 0 ]]; then