diff --git a/configs/configload/loader_install_test.go b/configs/configload/loader_install_test.go
index 2be85a6ba..e0e6bdf98 100644
--- a/configs/configload/loader_install_test.go
+++ b/configs/configload/loader_install_test.go
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ package configload
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	version "github.com/hashicorp/go-version"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/configs"
 )
 
 func TestLoaderInstallModules_local(t *testing.T) {
@@ -39,8 +41,25 @@ func TestLoaderInstallModules_local(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Make sure the configuration is loadable now.
 	// (This ensures that correct information is recorded in the manifest.)
-	_, loadDiags := loader.LoadConfig(".")
+	config, loadDiags := loader.LoadConfig(".")
 	assertNoDiagnostics(t, loadDiags)
+
+	wantTraces := map[string]string{
+		"":                "in root module",
+		"child_a":         "in child_a module",
+		"child_a.child_b": "in child_b module",
+	}
+	gotTraces := map[string]string{}
+	config.DeepEach(func(c *configs.Config) {
+		path := strings.Join(c.Path, ".")
+		if c.Module.Variables["v"] == nil {
+			gotTraces[path] = "<missing>"
+			return
+		}
+		varDesc := c.Module.Variables["v"].Description
+		gotTraces[path] = varDesc
+	})
+	assertResultDeepEqual(t, gotTraces, wantTraces)
 }
 
 func TestLoaderInstallModules_registry(t *testing.T) {
@@ -136,8 +155,30 @@ func TestLoaderInstallModules_registry(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Make sure the configuration is loadable now.
 	// (This ensures that correct information is recorded in the manifest.)
-	_, loadDiags := loader.LoadConfig(".")
+	config, loadDiags := loader.LoadConfig(".")
 	assertNoDiagnostics(t, loadDiags)
+
+	wantTraces := map[string]string{
+		"":                             "in local caller for registry-modules",
+		"acctest_root":                 "in root module",
+		"acctest_root.child_a":         "in child_a module",
+		"acctest_root.child_a.child_b": "in child_b module",
+		"acctest_child_a":              "in child_a module",
+		"acctest_child_a.child_b":      "in child_b module",
+		"acctest_child_b":              "in child_b module",
+	}
+	gotTraces := map[string]string{}
+	config.DeepEach(func(c *configs.Config) {
+		path := strings.Join(c.Path, ".")
+		if c.Module.Variables["v"] == nil {
+			gotTraces[path] = "<missing>"
+			return
+		}
+		varDesc := c.Module.Variables["v"].Description
+		gotTraces[path] = varDesc
+	})
+	assertResultDeepEqual(t, gotTraces, wantTraces)
+
 }
 
 func TestLoaderInstallModules_goGetter(t *testing.T) {
@@ -225,8 +266,30 @@ func TestLoaderInstallModules_goGetter(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Make sure the configuration is loadable now.
 	// (This ensures that correct information is recorded in the manifest.)
-	_, loadDiags := loader.LoadConfig(".")
+	config, loadDiags := loader.LoadConfig(".")
 	assertNoDiagnostics(t, loadDiags)
+
+	wantTraces := map[string]string{
+		"":                             "in local caller for go-getter-modules",
+		"acctest_root":                 "in root module",
+		"acctest_root.child_a":         "in child_a module",
+		"acctest_root.child_a.child_b": "in child_b module",
+		"acctest_child_a":              "in child_a module",
+		"acctest_child_a.child_b":      "in child_b module",
+		"acctest_child_b":              "in child_b module",
+	}
+	gotTraces := map[string]string{}
+	config.DeepEach(func(c *configs.Config) {
+		path := strings.Join(c.Path, ".")
+		if c.Module.Variables["v"] == nil {
+			gotTraces[path] = "<missing>"
+			return
+		}
+		varDesc := c.Module.Variables["v"].Description
+		gotTraces[path] = varDesc
+	})
+	assertResultDeepEqual(t, gotTraces, wantTraces)
+
 }
 
 type testInstallHooks struct {
diff --git a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/go-getter-modules/root.tf b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/go-getter-modules/root.tf
index 3c92ef1db..9b174a7a5 100644
--- a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/go-getter-modules/root.tf
+++ b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/go-getter-modules/root.tf
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 # ...and expects its v0.0.1 tag to be pointing at the following commit:
 #     d676ab2559d4e0621d59e3c3c4cbb33958ac4608
 
+variable "v" {
+  description = "in local caller for go-getter-modules"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 module "acctest_root" {
   source = "github.com/hashicorp/terraform-aws-module-installer-acctest?ref=v0.0.1"
 }
diff --git a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_a.tf b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_a.tf
index eb2c0044f..68ebb8e40 100644
--- a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_a.tf
+++ b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_a.tf
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 
+variable "v" {
+  description = "in child_a module"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 module "child_b" {
   source = "./child_b"
 }
diff --git a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_b/child_b.tf b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_b/child_b.tf
index 4900e9796..e2e220916 100644
--- a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_b/child_b.tf
+++ b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/child_a/child_b/child_b.tf
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 
+variable "v" {
+  description = "in child_b module"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 output "hello" {
   value = "Hello from child_b!"
 }
diff --git a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/root.tf b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/root.tf
index 1a6721b5d..3b4c6416d 100644
--- a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/root.tf
+++ b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/local-modules/root.tf
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 
+variable "v" {
+  description = "in root module"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 module "child_a" {
   source = "./child_a"
 }
diff --git a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/registry-modules/root.tf b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/registry-modules/root.tf
index 786966494..4b5ad1f1e 100644
--- a/configs/configload/test-fixtures/registry-modules/root.tf
+++ b/configs/configload/test-fixtures/registry-modules/root.tf
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
 #     853d03855b3290a3ca491d4c3a7684572dd42237
 # (this particular assumption is encoded in the tests that use this fixture)
 
+
+variable "v" {
+  description = "in local caller for registry-modules"
+  default     = ""
+}
+
 module "acctest_root" {
   source  = "hashicorp/module-installer-acctest/aws"
   version = "0.0.1"