diff --git a/scripts/evaluate.jl b/scripts/evaluate.jl
index e21e2a89..b68cf345 100644
--- a/scripts/evaluate.jl
+++ b/scripts/evaluate.jl
@@ -40,24 +40,22 @@ if config.rr == RREnabled
 end
 
 if !isempty(deps)
-    # we install PkgEval dependencies in a separate environment
-    Pkg.activate("pkgeval"; shared=true)
-
     io = IOBuffer()
     Pkg.DEFAULT_IO[] = io
     try
-        println("Installing PkgEval dependencies...")
+        println("Installing PkgEval dependencies (", join(deps, ", "), ")...")
+
+        # we install PkgEval dependencies in a separate environment
+        Pkg.activate("pkgeval"; shared=true)
         Pkg.add(deps)
-        println()
     catch
         # something went wrong installing PkgEval's dependencies
         println(String(take!(io)))
         rethrow()
     finally
+        Pkg.activate()
         Pkg.DEFAULT_IO[] = nothing
     end
-
-    Pkg.activate()
 end
 
 # generating package images is really expensive, without much benefit (for PkgEval)
@@ -97,7 +95,9 @@ print("\n\n", '#'^80, "\n# Installation\n#\n\n")
 
 t0 = cpu_time()
 try
-    Pkg.add(convert(Pkg.Types.PackageSpec, pkg))
+    spec = convert(Pkg.Types.PackageSpec, pkg)
+    println("Installing $(spec.name)...")
+    Pkg.add(spec)
 
     println("\nInstallation completed after $(elapsed(t0))")
     write("/output/installed", repr(true))
diff --git a/scripts/precompile.jl b/scripts/precompile.jl
index 2f036eac..9a18f9ef 100644
--- a/scripts/precompile.jl
+++ b/scripts/precompile.jl
@@ -3,9 +3,14 @@ include("common.jl")
 config = eval(Meta.parse(ARGS[1]))
 pkg = eval(Meta.parse(ARGS[2]))
 
-Pkg.activate("pkgeval"; shared=true)
+try
+    Pkg.DEFAULT_IO[] = devnull
+    Pkg.activate("pkgeval"; shared=true)
+finally
+    Pkg.DEFAULT_IO[] = nothing
+end
 
-# precompile PkgEval run-time dependencies (notably BugReporting.jl)
+# precompile PkgEval run-time dependencies
 println("Precompiling PkgEval dependencies...")
 Pkg.precompile()
 println()
@@ -14,13 +19,15 @@ if config.goal === :test
     # try to use TestEnv to precompile the package test dependencies
     try
         using TestEnv
+        Pkg.DEFAULT_IO[] = devnull
         Pkg.activate()
         TestEnv.activate(pkg.name)
     catch err
         @error "Failed to use TestEnv.jl; test dependencies will not be precompiled" exception=(err, catch_backtrace())
         Pkg.activate()
+        Pkg.DEFAULT_IO[] = nothing
     end
 end
 
-println("Precompiling $(pkg.name) dependencies...")
+println("Precompiling package dependencies...")
 Pkg.precompile()