diff --git a/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh b/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
index a0745b25ec..64f675226e 100644
--- a/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/ci_automation_common.sh
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ function update_and_push_version() {
 }
 # --
 
+function check_bincache_images_existence() {
+    case ${CIA_DEBUGIMAGESEXIST:-} in
+        'yes') return 0;;
+        'no' ) return 1;;
+        '') curl --head --fail --fail-early --silent --show-error --location "${@}" || return 1;;
+        *) echo "Invalid CIA_DEBUGIMAGESEXIST value (${CIA_DEBUGIMAGESEXIST@Q})" >&2; exit 1;;
+    esac
+}
+# --
+
 function copy_from_buildcache() {
     local what="$1"
     local where_to="$2"
diff --git a/ci-automation/packages-tag.sh b/ci-automation/packages-tag.sh
index 053f893546..8a6fe93769 100644
--- a/ci-automation/packages-tag.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/packages-tag.sh
@@ -66,14 +66,17 @@ function _packages_tag_impl() {
     source sdk_container/.repo/manifests/version.txt
     local sdk_version="${FLATCAR_SDK_VERSION}"
 
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        set -x
+    fi
     # Create new tag in scripts repo w/ updated versionfile
     # Also push the changes to the branch ONLY IF we're doing a nightly
     #   build of the 'flatcar-MAJOR' branch AND we're definitely ON the respective branch
     local target_branch=''
     # These variables are here to make it easier to test nightly
     # builds without messing with actual release branches.
-    local flatcar_branch_prefix='flatcar'
-    local nightly='nightly'
+    local flatcar_branch_prefix=${CIA_DEBUGFLATCARBRANCHPREFIX:-flatcar}
+    local nightly=${CIA_DEBUGNIGHTLY:-nightly}
     # Patterns used below.
     local nightly_pattern_1='^(stable|alpha|beta|lts)-[0-9.]+-'"${nightly}"'-[-0-9]+$'
     local nightly_pattern_2='^(stable|alpha|beta|lts)-[0-9.]+(|-'"${nightly}"'-[-0-9]+)$'
@@ -95,8 +98,9 @@ function _packages_tag_impl() {
           local ret=0
           git diff --exit-code "${existing_tag}" || ret=$?
           if [[ ret -eq 0 ]]; then
-            if curl --head --fail --silent --show-error --location "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/amd64/${FLATCAR_VERSION}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2" \
-              && curl --head --fail --silent --show-error --location "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/arm64/${FLATCAR_VERSION}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2"; then
+            if check_bincache_images_existence \
+                   "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/amd64/${FLATCAR_VERSION}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2" \
+                   "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/arm64/${FLATCAR_VERSION}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2"; then
                 touch ./skip-build
                 echo "Creating ./skip-build flag file, indicating that the build must not to continue because no new tag got created as there are no changes since tag ${existing_tag} and the Flatcar images exist" >&2
                 return 0
@@ -110,13 +114,22 @@ function _packages_tag_impl() {
           fi
         fi
     fi
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        set +x
+    fi
 
     # Create version file
     (
       source sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
       create_versionfile "$sdk_version" "$version"
     )
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        set -x
+    fi
     update_and_push_version "${version}" "${target_branch}"
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        exit 0
+    fi
     apply_local_patches
 }
 # --
diff --git a/ci-automation/sdk_bootstrap.sh b/ci-automation/sdk_bootstrap.sh
index 3540ec9023..708e5927b2 100644
--- a/ci-automation/sdk_bootstrap.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/sdk_bootstrap.sh
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ function _sdk_bootstrap_impl() {
 
     check_version_string "${version}"
 
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        set -x
+    fi
     # Create new tag in scripts repo w/ updated versionfile.
     # Also push the changes to the branch ONLY IF we're doing a nightly
     #   build of the 'main' branch AND we're definitely ON the main branch.
@@ -81,8 +84,8 @@ function _sdk_bootstrap_impl() {
     local target_branch=''
     # These variables are here to make it easier to test nightly
     # builds without messing with actual release branches.
-    local main_branch='main'
-    local nightly='nightly'
+    local main_branch=${CIA_DEBUGMAINBRANCH:-main}
+    local nightly=${CIA_DEBUGNIGHTLY:-nightly}
     # Patterns used below.
     local nightly_pattern_1='^main-[0-9.]+-'"${nightly}"'-[-0-9]+(-INTERMEDIATE)?$'
     local nightly_pattern_2='^main-[0-9.]+-'"${nightly}"'-[-0-9]+$'
@@ -115,9 +118,10 @@ function _sdk_bootstrap_impl() {
             local flatcar_version="${versions[1]}"
             local sdk_docker_vernum=""
             sdk_docker_vernum=$(vernum_to_docker_image_version "${flatcar_sdk_version}")
-            if curl --head --fail --silent --show-error --location "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/containers/${sdk_docker_vernum}/flatcar-sdk-all-${sdk_docker_vernum}.tar.zst" \
-              && curl --head --fail --silent --show-error --location "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/amd64/${flatcar_version}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2" \
-              && curl --head --fail --silent --show-error --location "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/arm64/${flatcar_version}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2"; then
+            if check_bincache_images_existence \
+                   "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/containers/${sdk_docker_vernum}/flatcar-sdk-all-${sdk_docker_vernum}.tar.zst" \
+                   "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/amd64/${flatcar_version}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2" \
+                   "https://${BUILDCACHE_SERVER}/images/arm64/${flatcar_version}/flatcar_production_image.bin.bz2"; then
                 echo "Stopping build because there are no changes since tag ${existing_tag}, the SDK container tar ball and the Flatcar images exist" >&2
                 return 0
             fi
@@ -130,6 +134,9 @@ function _sdk_bootstrap_impl() {
           fi
         fi
     fi
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        set +x
+    fi
 
     local vernum="${version#*-}" # remove alpha-,beta-,stable-,lts- version tag
     local git_vernum="${vernum}"
@@ -139,7 +146,13 @@ function _sdk_bootstrap_impl() {
       source sdk_lib/sdk_container_common.sh
       create_versionfile "${vernum}"
     )
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        set -x
+    fi
     update_and_push_version "${version}" "${target_branch}"
+    if [[ -n ${CIA_DEBUGTESTRUN:-} ]]; then
+        exit 0
+    fi
     apply_local_patches
 
     ./bootstrap_sdk_container -x ./ci-cleanup.sh "${seed_version}" "${vernum}"