diff --git a/base-notebook/start.sh b/base-notebook/start.sh
index 4248a6bc..c0d14d54 100755
--- a/base-notebook/start.sh
+++ b/base-notebook/start.sh
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@ set -e
 if [ $UID == 0 ] ; then
     # Change UID of NB_USER to NB_UID if it does not match
     if [ "$NB_UID" != $(id -u $NB_USER) ] ; then
+        echo "Set user UID to: $NB_UID"
         usermod -u $NB_UID $NB_USER
         # Careful: $HOME might resolve to /root depending on how the
         # container is started. Use the $NB_USER home path explicitly.
         for d in "$CONDA_DIR" "$JULIA_PKGDIR" "/home/$NB_USER"; do
             if [[ ! -z "$d" && -d "$d" ]]; then
+                echo "Set ownership to uid $NB_UID: $d"
                 chown -R $NB_UID "$d"
             fi
         done
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ if [ $UID == 0 ] ; then
 
     # Change GID of NB_USER to NB_GID if NB_GID is passed as a parameter
     if [ "$NB_GID" ] ; then
+        echo "Change GID to $NB_GID"
         groupmod -g $NB_GID -o $(id -g -n $NB_USER)
     fi
 
@@ -31,8 +34,10 @@ if [ $UID == 0 ] ; then
     fi
 
     # Exec the command as NB_USER
+    echo "Execute the command as $NB_USER"
     exec su $NB_USER -c "env PATH=$PATH $*"
 else
     # Exec the command
+    echo "Execute the command"
     exec $*
 fi