diff --git a/.github/scripts/check-commit.sh b/.github/scripts/check-commit.sh
index bb2ba376..fad8806a 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/check-commit.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/check-commit.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ set -ex
 SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "$0" )" && pwd )"
 source $SCRIPT_DIR/defaults.sh
 
-# enter bhd repo
 cd $LOCAL_CHIPYARD_DIR
 
 # ignore the private vlsi submodules
diff --git a/scripts/init-submodules-no-riscv-tools-nolog.sh b/scripts/init-submodules-no-riscv-tools-nolog.sh
index b41e0ba0..e2379ecc 100755
--- a/scripts/init-submodules-no-riscv-tools-nolog.sh
+++ b/scripts/init-submodules-no-riscv-tools-nolog.sh
@@ -107,10 +107,14 @@ cd "$CHIPYARD_DIR"
     _unskip() { git config --local --unset-all "submodule.${1}.update" || : ; }
 
     trap 'git_submodule_exclude _unskip' EXIT INT TERM
+    set -x
     git_submodule_exclude _skip
     git submodule update --init --recursive #--jobs 8
+    set +x
 )
 
+set -x
+
 # Non-recursive clone to exclude riscv-linux
 git submodule update --init generators/sha3
 
@@ -125,6 +129,8 @@ git config --local submodule.sims/firesim.update none
 # Only shallow clone needed for basic SW tests
 git submodule update --init software/firemarshal
 
+set +x
+
 # Configure firemarshal to know where our firesim installation is
 if [ ! -f ./software/firemarshal/marshal-config.yaml ]; then
   echo "firesim-dir: '../../sims/firesim/'" > ./software/firemarshal/marshal-config.yaml