diff --git a/backend/local/backend_apply.go b/backend/local/backend_apply.go
index 1b479c752..66c437971 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_apply.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_apply.go
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ func (b *Local) opApply(
 	doneCh := make(chan struct{})
 	go func() {
 		defer close(doneCh)
+		log.Printf("[INFO] backend/local: apply calling Apply")
 		_, applyDiags = tfCtx.Apply()
 		// we always want the state, even if apply failed
 		applyState = tfCtx.State()
diff --git a/backend/local/backend_local.go b/backend/local/backend_local.go
index e972098e1..0e9ec77f3 100644
--- a/backend/local/backend_local.go
+++ b/backend/local/backend_local.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package local
 
 import (
+	"log"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
@@ -35,15 +36,18 @@ func (b *Local) context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, *configload.
 	var diags tfdiags.Diagnostics
 
 	// Get the latest state.
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: requesting state manager for workspace %q", op.Workspace)
 	s, err := b.StateMgr(op.Workspace)
 	if err != nil {
 		diags = diags.Append(errwrap.Wrapf("Error loading state: {{err}}", err))
 		return nil, nil, nil, diags
 	}
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: requesting state lock for workspace %q", op.Workspace)
 	if err := op.StateLocker.Lock(s, op.Type.String()); err != nil {
 		diags = diags.Append(errwrap.Wrapf("Error locking state: {{err}}", err))
 		return nil, nil, nil, diags
 	}
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: reading remote state for workspace %q", op.Workspace)
 	if err := s.RefreshState(); err != nil {
 		diags = diags.Append(errwrap.Wrapf("Error loading state: {{err}}", err))
 		return nil, nil, nil, diags
@@ -63,6 +67,7 @@ func (b *Local) context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, *configload.
 	// Load the latest state. If we enter contextFromPlanFile below then the
 	// state snapshot in the plan file must match this, or else it'll return
 	// error diagnostics.
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: retrieving the local state snapshot for workspace %q", op.Workspace)
 	opts.State = s.State()
 
 	var tfCtx *terraform.Context
@@ -77,17 +82,20 @@ func (b *Local) context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, *configload.
 			m := sm.StateSnapshotMeta()
 			stateMeta = &m
 		}
+		log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: building context from plan file")
 		tfCtx, configSnap, ctxDiags = b.contextFromPlanFile(op.PlanFile, opts, stateMeta)
 		// Write sources into the cache of the main loader so that they are
 		// available if we need to generate diagnostic message snippets.
 		op.ConfigLoader.ImportSourcesFromSnapshot(configSnap)
 	} else {
+		log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: building context for current working directory")
 		tfCtx, configSnap, ctxDiags = b.contextDirect(op, opts)
 	}
 	diags = diags.Append(ctxDiags)
 	if diags.HasErrors() {
 		return nil, nil, nil, diags
 	}
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: finished building terraform.Context")
 
 	// If we have an operation, then we automatically do the input/validate
 	// here since every option requires this.
@@ -98,6 +106,7 @@ func (b *Local) context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, *configload.
 			mode |= terraform.InputModeVar
 			mode |= terraform.InputModeVarUnset
 
+			log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: requesting interactive input, if necessary")
 			inputDiags := tfCtx.Input(mode)
 			diags = diags.Append(inputDiags)
 			if inputDiags.HasErrors() {
@@ -107,6 +116,7 @@ func (b *Local) context(op *backend.Operation) (*terraform.Context, *configload.
 
 		// If validation is enabled, validate
 		if b.OpValidation {
+			log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/local: running validation operation")
 			validateDiags := tfCtx.Validate()
 			diags = diags.Append(validateDiags)
 		}
diff --git a/terraform/context.go b/terraform/context.go
index ff3679aa1..b6e6b73ac 100644
--- a/terraform/context.go
+++ b/terraform/context.go
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ type Context struct {
 // If the returned diagnostics contains errors then the resulting context is
 // invalid and must not be used.
 func NewContext(opts *ContextOpts) (*Context, tfdiags.Diagnostics) {
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] terraform.NewContext: starting")
 	diags := CheckCoreVersionRequirements(opts.Config)
 	// If version constraints are not met then we'll bail early since otherwise
 	// we're likely to just see a bunch of other errors related to
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ func NewContext(opts *ContextOpts) (*Context, tfdiags.Diagnostics) {
 		if opts.ProviderSHA256s != nil && !opts.SkipProviderVerify {
 			reqd.LockExecutables(opts.ProviderSHA256s)
 		}
+		log.Printf("[TRACE] terraform.NewContext: resolving provider version selections")
 		providerFactories, err = resourceProviderFactories(opts.ProviderResolver, reqd)
 		if err != nil {
 			diags = diags.Append(err)
@@ -189,6 +191,7 @@ func NewContext(opts *ContextOpts) (*Context, tfdiags.Diagnostics) {
 		provisioners: opts.Provisioners,
 	}
 
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] terraform.NewContext: loading provider schemas")
 	schemas, err := LoadSchemas(opts.Config, opts.State, components)
 	if err != nil {
 		diags = diags.Append(err)
@@ -205,6 +208,8 @@ func NewContext(opts *ContextOpts) (*Context, tfdiags.Diagnostics) {
 		config = configs.NewEmptyConfig()
 	}
 
+	log.Printf("[TRACE] terraform.NewContext: complete")
+
 	return &Context{
 		components: components,
 		schemas:    schemas,