diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index c9c3beb15..33630c56f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ jobs:
           [ $RUNNER_OS = 'Windows' ] && CONDA_EXE=$CONDA/Scripts/conda.exe
           [ $RUNNER_OS == macOS ] && export CONDA_PKGS_DIRS=~/.pkgs
           ${CONDA_EXE:-conda} create -p ../conda conda conda-build conda-verify
+
       - name: Build the package
         env:
           CODECOV_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
           # and upload them all to anaconda.org in a single job
           name: package-${{ github.sha }}
           path: ${{ runner.temp }}/conda-bld/*/*.tar.bz2
-      - name: Run examples and prepare artifacts
+      - name: Install local constructor
         run: |
           source ../conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
           CONDA_BLD_PATH="${{ runner.temp }}/conda-bld" \
@@ -69,6 +70,16 @@ jobs:
             echo "Installed constructor is not local!"
             exit 1
           fi
+      - name: Patch NSIS to use logging builds on Windows
+        if: startsWith(matrix.os, 'windows')
+        run: |
+          source ../conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
+          nsis_version=$(conda list nsis --json | jq -r ".[].version")
+          curl -sL "https://sourceforge.net/projects/nsis/files/NSIS%203/${nsis_version}/nsis-${nsis_version}-log.zip/download" -o "nsis-${nsis_version}-log.zip"
+          unzip "nsis-${nsis_version}-log.zip" -d "$CONDA_PREFIX/NSIS/"
+          echo "NSIS_USING_LOG_BUILD=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Run examples and prepare artifacts
+          source ../conda/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
           mkdir -p examples_artifacts/
           python scripts/run_examples.py --keep-artifacts=examples_artifacts/
       - name: Upload the example installers as artifacts
diff --git a/constructor/nsis/main.nsi.tmpl b/constructor/nsis/main.nsi.tmpl
index 83c37db98..c06ddfa5d 100644
--- a/constructor/nsis/main.nsi.tmpl
+++ b/constructor/nsis/main.nsi.tmpl
@@ -5,6 +5,24 @@
 
 Unicode "true"
 
+#if enable_debugging
+!define ENABLE_LOGGING
+
+!define LogSet "!insertmacro LogSetMacro"
+!macro LogSetMacro SETTING
+  !ifdef ENABLE_LOGGING
+    LogSet ${SETTING}
+  !endif
+!macroend
+
+!define LogText "!insertmacro LogTextMacro"
+!macro LogTextMacro INPUT_TEXT
+  !ifdef ENABLE_LOGGING
+    LogText ${INPUT_TEXT}
+  !endif
+!macroend
+#endif
+
 !include "WinMessages.nsh"
 !include "WordFunc.nsh"
 !include "LogicLib.nsh"
@@ -414,6 +432,7 @@ Function InstModePage_Leave
 FunctionEnd
 
 Function .onInit
+    ${LogSet} on
     Push $0
     Push $1
     Push $2
@@ -835,6 +854,7 @@ Function AbortRetryNSExecWait
         nsExec::ExecToLog $2
         pop $0
         ${If} $0 != "0"
+            DetailPrint "::error:: $1"
             MessageBox MB_ABORTRETRYIGNORE|MB_ICONEXCLAMATION|MB_DEFBUTTON3 \
                     $1 /SD IDIGNORE IDABORT abort IDRETRY retry
             ; IDIGNORE: Continue anyway
@@ -906,9 +926,13 @@ Section "Install"
         call AbortRetryNSExecWait
     ${EndIf}
 
-    push '"$INSTDIR\pythonw.exe" -E -s "$INSTDIR\Lib\_nsis.py" mkdirs'
-    push 'Failed to initialize Anaconda directories'
-    call AbortRetryNSExecWait
+    DetailPrint "Running mkdirs..."
+    nsExec::ExecToLog '"$INSTDIR\pythonw.exe" "$INSTDIR\Lib\_nsis.py" mkdirs'
+    Pop $0
+    ${If} $0 != "0"
+        push 'Failed to set directories!'
+        call AbortRetryNSExecWait
+    ${EndIf}
 
     ${If} $Ana_PostInstall_State = ${BST_CHECKED}
         DetailPrint "Running post install..."
diff --git a/constructor/winexe.py b/constructor/winexe.py
index a53fa03ae..cde447ff6 100644
--- a/constructor/winexe.py
+++ b/constructor/winexe.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def setup_envs_commands(info, dir_path):
         SetDetailsPrint both
         # List of packages to install
         SetOutPath "{env_txt_dir}"
-        File {env_txt_abspath}
+        File "{env_txt_abspath}"
         # A conda-meta\history file is required for a valid conda prefix
         SetOutPath "{conda_meta}"
         FileOpen $0 "history" w
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def setup_envs_commands(info, dir_path):
         # Restore shipped conda-meta\history for remapped
         # channels and retain only the first transaction
         SetOutPath "{conda_meta}"
-        File {history_abspath}
+        File "{history_abspath}"
         """
 
     lines = template.format(  # this one block is for the base environment
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ def make_nsi(info, dir_path, extra_files=()):
     ppd['keep_pkgs'] = info.get('keep_pkgs') or False
     ppd['post_install_exists'] = bool(info.get('post_install'))
     ppd['with_conclusion_text'] = bool(conclusion_text)
+    ppd["enable_debugging"] = bool(os.environ.get("NSIS_USING_LOG_BUILD"))
     data = preprocess(data, ppd)
     data = fill_template(data, replace)
     if info['_platform'].startswith("win") and sys.platform != 'win32':
diff --git a/scripts/run_examples.py b/scripts/run_examples.py
index 09eee5143..15e1b0421 100644
--- a/scripts/run_examples.py
+++ b/scripts/run_examples.py
@@ -102,6 +102,13 @@ def run_examples(keep_artifacts=None):
             elif ext == 'exe':
                 cmd = ['cmd.exe', '/c', 'start', '/wait', fpath, '/S', '/D=%s' % env_dir]
             test_errored = _execute(cmd)
+            if ext == 'exe' and os.environ.get("NSIS_USING_LOG_BUILD"):
+                test_errored = 0
+                with open(os.path.join(env_dir, "install.log")) as f:
+                    for line in f:
+                        if ":error:" in line:
+                            print(line)
+                            test_errored = 1
             errored += test_errored
             if keep_artifacts:
                 shutil.move(fpath, keep_artifacts)