diff --git a/spread.yaml b/spread.yaml
index e38d852ec8ef3125b14262d7fc4a87771725e925..d4551278b0ee70b0ba3bd9e6000df87f2dfda1a3 100644
--- a/spread.yaml
+++ b/spread.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ environment:
     TEST_RAUC_FAKE_SYSTEM_DIR: /var/tmp/rauc-fake-system
 
 prepare: |
+    echo "Commencing $SPREAD_PROJECT prepare" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
     # Install build dependencies if missing.
     test -n "$(command -v go)" && test -f /usr/include/z.mk && test -f /lib/systemd/system/rauc.service && test -n "$(command -v mksquashfs)" && test -n "$(command -v jq)" && test -n "$(command -v mandb)" && test -n "$(command -v strace)" || (
         apt-get update && apt-get install -y golang-go zmk rauc-service squashfs-tools jq man-db strace
@@ -68,16 +70,26 @@ prepare: |
 
     "$SPREAD_PATH"/tests/lib/rauc.sh prepare
 
+    echo "Finished $SPREAD_PROJECT prepare" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
 prepare-each: |
+    echo "Commencing $SPREAD_PROJECT prepare-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
     "$SPREAD_PATH"/tests/lib/rauc.sh prepare-each
 
+    echo "Finished $SPREAD_PROJECT prepare-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
 restore: |
+    echo "Commencing $SPREAD_PROJECT restore" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
     systemctl disable --now sysotad.service
     make uninstall
     systemctl daemon-reload
 
     "$SPREAD_PATH"/tests/lib/rauc.sh restore
 
+    echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE restore" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
 debug: |
     systemctl status sysotad.service
     "$SPREAD_PATH"/tests/lib/rauc.sh debug
@@ -86,8 +98,14 @@ suites:
     cmd/sysotad/spread.suite/:
         summary: integration tests for sysotad (service)
         prepare-each: |
+            echo "Commencing $SPREAD_SUITE prepare-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
             mkdir -p /etc/sysota
+
+            echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE prepare-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
         restore-each: |
+            echo "Commencing $SPREAD_SUITE restore-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
             # Remove any configuration changes.
             rm -f /etc/sysota/sysotad.conf
             rmdir /etc/sysota
@@ -102,6 +120,8 @@ suites:
             # making sure to reset the restart counter incremented by each test.
             systemctl reset-failed sysotad.service
             systemctl restart sysotad.service
+
+            echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE restore-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
     boot/piboot/spread.suite/:
         summary: integration tests for the piboot package
         environment:
@@ -110,6 +130,8 @@ suites:
             MOCK_REBOOT_LOG: /var/tmp/reboot.log
             PATH: $PATH:$SPREAD_PATH/tests/bin:$SPREAD_PATH/boot/piboot/spread.suite/bin
         prepare: |
+            echo "Commencing $SPREAD_SUITE prepare" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
             # Prepare sysotad.conf file that forces the use of pi-boot and sets
             # the location of the boot directory to SYSOTA_BOOT_DIR.
             mkdir -p /etc/sysota
@@ -213,7 +235,11 @@ suites:
             chmod +x /var/tmp/systemctl.fake
             mount --bind /var/tmp/systemctl.fake "$(command -v systemctl)"
 
+            echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE prepare" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
         debug-each: |
+            echo "Commencing $SPREAD_SUITE debug-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
             systemctl status sysotad.service
             ls -l "$SYSOTA_BOOT_DIR"
             ls -l /etc/sysota
@@ -221,7 +247,11 @@ suites:
             test -e "$SYSOTA_BOOT_DIR"/tryboot.txt && cat "$SYSOTA_BOOT_DIR"/tryboot.txt
             test -e /etc/sysota/sysotad.conf && cat /etc/sysota/sysotad.conf
 
+            echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE debug-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
         restore-each: |
+            echo "Commencing $SPREAD_SUITE restore-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
             rm -f "$MOCK_REBOOT_LOG"
 
             # Restore bootloader configuration to vanilla state.
@@ -234,13 +264,19 @@ suites:
             systemctl reset-failed sysotad.service
             systemctl restart sysotad.service
 
+            echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE restore-each" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
         restore: |
+            echo "Commencing $SPREAD_SUITE restore" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
+
             umount "$(command -v systemctl)"
             umount /var/tmp/systemctl.real
             rm -f /var/tmp/systemctl.fake
             rm -f /var/tmp/systemctl.real
             rm -rf "$SYSOTA_BOOT_DIR"
             rm -rf /etc/sysota
+
+            echo "Finished $SPREAD_SUITE restore" | systemd-cat -p info -t spread
     man/spread.suite/:
         summary: tests for manual pages
     rauc/spread.suite/: