diff --git a/ipa-install/src/ipa-server-install b/ipa-install/src/ipa-server-install
index 5a611468b..67fba74fc 100644
--- a/ipa-install/src/ipa-server-install
+++ b/ipa-install/src/ipa-server-install
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ def parse_options():
                       help="admin password")
     parser.add_option("-m", "--master-password", dest="master_password",
                       help="kerberos master password")
+    parser.add_option("-d", "--debug", dest="debug", action="store_true",
+                     dest="debug", default=False, help="print debugging information")
 
     options, args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -51,15 +53,34 @@ def parse_options():
 
     return options
 
-def main():
+def logging_setup(options):
+    # Always log everything (i.e., DEBUG) to the log
+    # file.
     logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG,
                         format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s',
                         filename='ipa-install.log',
                         filemode='w')
+
+    console = logging.StreamHandler()
+    # If the debug option is set, also log debug messages to the console
+    if options.debug:
+        console.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+    else:
+        # Otherwise, log critical and error messages
+        console.setLevel(logging.ERROR)
+    formatter = logging.Formatter('%(name)-12s: %(levelname)-8s %(message)s')
+    console.setFormatter(formatter)
+    logging.getLogger('').addHandler(console)
+        
+def main():
     options = parse_options()
+    logging_setup(options)
+
+    # Create a directory server instance
     ds = ipa.dsinstance.DsInstance()
     ds.create_instance(options.ds_user, options.realm_name, options.host_name, options.password)
 
+    # Create a kerberos instance
     krb = ipa.krbinstance.KrbInstance()
     krb.create_instance(options.ds_user, options.realm_name, options.host_name, options.password, options.master_password)
     #restart ds after the krb instance have add the sasl map
diff --git a/ipa-install/src/ipa/dsinstance.py b/ipa-install/src/ipa/dsinstance.py
index a275bf407..f99563dde 100644
--- a/ipa-install/src/ipa/dsinstance.py
+++ b/ipa-install/src/ipa/dsinstance.py
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ def write_tmp_file(txt):
     return fd
 
 def run(args, stdin=None):
+    logging.debug("running command [%s]" % (" ".join(args)))
     p = subprocess.Popen(args, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
     if stdin:
         stdout,stderr = p.communicate(stdin)
@@ -133,15 +134,26 @@ class DsInstance:
     def __create_ds_user(self):
 	try:
             pwd.getpwnam(self.ds_user)
+            logging.debug("ds user %s exists" % self.ds_user)
 	except KeyError:
+            logging.debug("adding ds user %s" % self.ds_user)
             args = ["/usr/sbin/useradd", "-c", "DS System User", "-d", "/var/lib/fedora-ds", "-M", "-r", "-s", "/sbin/nologin", self.ds_user]
             run(args)
+            logging.debug("done adding user")
 
     def __create_instance(self):
+        logging.debug("creating ds instance . . . ")
         inf_txt = template_str(INF_TEMPLATE, self.sub_dict)
+        logging.debug(inf_txt)
         inf_fd = write_tmp_file(inf_txt)
+        logging.debug("writing inf template")
         args = ["/usr/bin/ds_newinst.pl", inf_fd.name]
+        logging.debug("calling ds_newinst.pl")
         run(args)
+        logging.debug("completed creating ds instance")
+        logging.debug("restarting ds instance")
+        self.restart()
+        logging.debug("done restarting ds instance")
 
     def __add_default_schemas(self):
         shutil.copyfile(SHARE_DIR + "60kerberos.ldif",
@@ -150,14 +162,18 @@ class DsInstance:
                         self.schema_dirname() + "60samba.ldif")
 
     def __enable_ssl(self):
+        logging.debug("configuring ssl for ds instance")
         dirname = self.config_dirname()
         args = ["/usr/sbin/ipa-server-setupssl", self.admin_password,
                 dirname, self.host_name]
         run(args)
+        logging.debug("done configuring ssl for ds instance")
         
     def __add_default_layout(self):
         txt = template_file(SHARE_DIR + "bootstrap-template.ldif", self.sub_dict)
         inf_fd = write_tmp_file(txt)
+        logging.debug("adding default ds layout")
         args = ["/usr/bin/ldapmodify", "-xv", "-D", "cn=Directory Manager",
                 "-w", self.admin_password, "-f", inf_fd.name]
         run(args)
+        logging.debug("done adding default ds layout")