diff --git a/lib/src/bootloader.rs b/lib/src/bootloader.rs
index b6f2520f..24d28eda 100644
--- a/lib/src/bootloader.rs
+++ b/lib/src/bootloader.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const STATIC_GRUB_CFG_EFI: &str = include_str!("grub-efi.cfg");
 /// The name of the mountpoint for efi (as a subdirectory of /boot, or at the toplevel)
 pub(crate) const EFI_DIR: &str = "efi";
 
+#[context("Installing grub2 EFI")]
 fn install_grub2_efi(efidir: &Dir, uuid: &str) -> Result<()> {
     let mut vendordir = None;
     let efidir = efidir.open_dir("EFI").context("Opening EFI/")?;
@@ -56,31 +57,30 @@ pub(crate) fn install_via_bootupd(
     rootfs: &Utf8Path,
     boot_uuid: &str,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-    Task::new_and_run(
-        "Running bootupctl to install bootloader",
-        "bootupctl",
-        [
-            "backend",
-            "install",
-            "--src-root",
-            "/",
-            "--device",
-            device.as_str(),
-            rootfs.as_str(),
-        ],
-    )?;
+    let verbose = std::env::var_os("BOOTC_BOOTLOADER_DEBUG").map(|_| "-vvvv");
+    let args = ["backend", "install"].into_iter().chain(verbose).chain([
+        "--src-root",
+        "/",
+        "--device",
+        device.as_str(),
+        rootfs.as_str(),
+    ]);
+    Task::new_and_run("Running bootupctl to install bootloader", "bootupctl", args)?;
 
     let grub2_uuid_contents = format!("set BOOT_UUID=\"{boot_uuid}\"\n");
 
     let bootfs = &rootfs.join("boot");
-    let bootfs = Dir::open_ambient_dir(bootfs, cap_std::ambient_authority())?;
+    let bootfs =
+        Dir::open_ambient_dir(bootfs, cap_std::ambient_authority()).context("Opening boot")?;
 
     if super::install::ARCH_USES_EFI {
-        let efidir = bootfs.open_dir("efi")?;
+        let efidir = bootfs.open_dir("efi").context("Opening efi")?;
         install_grub2_efi(&efidir, &grub2_uuid_contents)?;
     }
 
-    bootfs.ensure_dir_with("grub2", &DirBuilder::new())?;
+    bootfs
+        .ensure_dir_with("grub2", &DirBuilder::new())
+        .context("Creating boot/grub2")?;
     let grub2 = bootfs.open_dir("grub2")?;
 
     // Mode 0700 to support passwords etc.