diff --git a/scripts/build-appveyor.bat b/scripts/build-appveyor.bat
index 40018710c..0bc382004 100644
--- a/scripts/build-appveyor.bat
+++ b/scripts/build-appveyor.bat
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ SET BUILD_ON_APPVEYOR=0
 for /F "tokens=1 usebackq" %%i in (`powershell .\scripts\parse-commit-message.ps1 '[build appveyor]'`) DO SET BUILD_ON_APPVEYOR=%%i
 IF %BUILD_ON_APPVEYOR% EQU 0 ECHO not building, commit with [build appveyor] && GOTO DONE
 
+ECHO configuration^: %configuration%
+ECHO platform^: %platform%
+ECHO msvs_toolset^: %msvs_toolset%
 SET BUILD_TYPE=%configuration%
 SET BUILDPLATFORM=%platform%
 SET TOOLS_VERSION=%msvs_toolset%.0
@@ -48,8 +51,11 @@ IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
 CALL "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" amd64
 IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
 
+SET AV_MAPNIK_GYP_STARTTIME=%TIME%
 ECHO calling build.bat of mapnik-gyp && CALL build.bat
 IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 GOTO ERROR
+ECHO %AV_MAPNIK_GYP_STARTTIME% started mapnik-gyp build.bat
+ECHO %TIME% finished mapnik-gyp build.bat
 
 GOTO DONE
 
diff --git a/scripts/build-local.bat b/scripts/build-local.bat
index 0941dacef..6732665b9 100644
--- a/scripts/build-local.bat
+++ b/scripts/build-local.bat
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ SET EL=0
 
 ECHO =========== %~f0 ===========
 
-SET APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT_MESSAGE=das ist ein test
+SET APPVEYOR_REPO_COMMIT_MESSAGE=this is a [build appveyor] test
+SET APPVEYOR=true
 
 SET MAPNIK_GIT=3.0.5
 SET BOOST_VERSION=58
 SET FASTBUILD=1
+SET configuration=Release
 SET msvs_toolset=14
 SET platform=x64
 SET APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER=%CD%