diff --git a/ui/build/dumpvars.go b/ui/build/dumpvars.go
index 1e3e54764..a9c298f57 100644
--- a/ui/build/dumpvars.go
+++ b/ui/build/dumpvars.go
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ func dumpMakeVars(ctx Context, config Config, goals, vars []string, write_soong_
 	ctx.BeginTrace(metrics.RunKati, "dumpvars")
 	defer ctx.EndTrace()
 
+	tool := ctx.Status.StartTool()
+	if write_soong_vars {
+		// only print this when write_soong_vars is true so that it's not printed when using
+		// the get_build_var command.
+		tool.Status("Running product configuration...")
+	}
+	defer tool.Finish()
+
 	cmd := Command(ctx, config, "dumpvars",
 		config.PrebuiltBuildTool("ckati"),
 		"-f", "build/make/core/config.mk",
@@ -108,7 +116,7 @@ func dumpMakeVars(ctx Context, config Config, goals, vars []string, write_soong_
 	}
 	cmd.StartOrFatal()
 	// TODO: error out when Stderr contains any content
-	status.KatiReader(ctx.Status.StartTool(), pipe)
+	status.KatiReader(tool, pipe)
 	cmd.WaitOrFatal()
 
 	ret := make(map[string]string, len(vars))
diff --git a/ui/build/rbe.go b/ui/build/rbe.go
index 3c844c105..1d1721623 100644
--- a/ui/build/rbe.go
+++ b/ui/build/rbe.go
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ func startRBE(ctx Context, config Config) {
 	ctx.BeginTrace(metrics.RunSetupTool, "rbe_bootstrap")
 	defer ctx.EndTrace()
 
+	ctx.Status.Status("Starting rbe...")
+
 	if u := ulimitOrFatal(ctx, config, "-u"); u < rbeLeastNProcs {
 		ctx.Fatalf("max user processes is insufficient: %d; want >= %d.\n", u, rbeLeastNProcs)
 	}
@@ -180,6 +182,8 @@ func DumpRBEMetrics(ctx Context, config Config, filename string) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	ctx.Status.Status("Dumping rbe metrics...")
+
 	outputDir := config.rbeProxyLogsDir()
 	if outputDir == "" {
 		ctx.Fatal("RBE output dir variable not defined. Aborting metrics dumping.")