diff --git a/build-scripts/bootstrap-tarballs b/build-scripts/bootstrap-tarballs
index f9ba45f91..bb24fd9bd 100755
--- a/build-scripts/bootstrap-tarballs
+++ b/build-scripts/bootstrap-tarballs
@@ -1,106 +1,169 @@
-#!/bin/bash -x
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# This script is supposed generate tarballs from the core & masterfiles
+# repositories. We also use these tarballs later in the build process to make
+# sure that they actually work.
+#
+# Currently this script also fetches pull request info and installs PHP and
+# javascript dependencies. This core really does not belong here. Created a
+# ticket move it (see ENT-13064).
+#
+# You will first need to run the autogen script. E.g.:
+#   PROJECT=community ./buildscripts/build-scripts/autogen
+# Then you can run it like this:
+#   BUILD_TYPE=DEBUG ./buildscripts/build-scripts/bootstrap-tarballs
+#
+# The script expects the following repositories to be side by side:
+# .
+# ├── buildscripts
+# ├── core
+# ├── enterprise
+# ├── nova
+# ├── mission-portal
+# ├── libntech
+# └── masterfiles
+#
 
 _dir=$(readlink -e "$(dirname "$0")")
 # refactored a few functions into single file scripts for easier development/debugging, see ENT-12741 and ENT-12595
 # Easier to add a path to a script than source a file of functions.
 export PATH="$_dir"/bin:$PATH
-. `dirname "$0"`/functions
+. "$(dirname "$0")"/functions
 . detect-environment
 . compile-options
 . version
 
-mkdir -p $BASEDIR/output/tarballs
+mkdir -p "$BASEDIR"/output/tarballs
 
 # the first part of the script is not really critical
 set +e
 
-# Get information about PRs among the used revisions.
-# These PRs will have to be notified of build progress.
+# Get information about PRs among the used revisions. These PRs will have to be
+# notified of build progress.
+#
+# Variables such as MISSION_PORTAL_REV may be set by the CI (Jenkins) to build
+# and test multiple PR's together. The variables typically hold a branch name
+# or a pull request ID. PR IDs are preceded by 'pull' or 'origin/pull'. E.g.:
+#  - MISSION_PORTAL_REV=pull/1755
+#  - MISSION_PORTAL_REV=origin/pull/1755
+# where the trailing number is the pull request ID.
+#
+# This loop fetches information about the PRs if the respective variable is set.
+#
 for repo_spec in cfengine/buildscripts cfengine/core cfengine/masterfiles cfengine/enterprise cfengine/nova cfengine/mission-portal NorthernTechHQ/libntech; do
   # remove organization/ from start of repo_spec
+  # E.g. 'cfengine/mission-portal' -> 'mission-portal'
   repo="${repo_spec#*/}"
-  rev_param_name="$(echo $repo | tr '[:lower:]-' '[:upper:]_')_REV"
-  revision="$(echo ${!rev_param_name})" || continue   # dereference
+
+  # Convert to uppercase, swap hyphens with underscore and append '_REV'
+  # E.g. 'mission-portal' -> 'MISSION_PORTAL_REV'
+  rev_param_name="$(echo "$repo" | tr '[:lower:]-' '[:upper:]_')_REV"
+
+  # Try to dereference the result from above and skip the rest of the loop
+  # unless the variable is defined.
+  revision="${!rev_param_name}" || continue
 
   # remove "origin/" (if any)
   revision="${revision##origin/}"
+
+  # Check to see if the resolved variable starts with 'pull/'
   if expr "$revision" : "pull/" >/dev/null; then
-    pr_nr="$(echo $revision | cut -d/ -f2)"
-    get-github-pull-request-info "$repo_spec" "$pr_nr" >> $BASEDIR/output/PRs
+    # Extract the revision number. E.g. 'pull/1755' -> '1755'
+    pr_nr="$(echo "$revision" | cut -d/ -f2)"
+
+    get-github-pull-request-info "$repo_spec" "$pr_nr" >> "$BASEDIR"/output/PRs
   fi
 done
 
 # now script failures should fail the script
 set -e
 
-cd $BASEDIR/core
-rm cfengine-3.*.tar.gz || true
-git rev-parse HEAD > $BASEDIR/output/core-commitID
+# Build tarball from core repository
+cd "$BASEDIR"/core
+rm -f cfengine-3.*.tar.gz
+git rev-parse HEAD > "$BASEDIR"/output/core-commitID
 # Configure in order to run "make dist", deleted later.
-./configure -C
-make dist
-mv cfengine-3.*.tar.gz $BASEDIR/output/tarballs/
-make distclean
-
-cd $BASEDIR/masterfiles
-rm cfengine-masterfiles*.tar.gz || true
-git rev-parse HEAD > $BASEDIR/output/masterfiles-commitID
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running configure on core repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure ./configure -C
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running make dist on core repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure make dist
+mv cfengine-3.*.tar.gz "$BASEDIR"/output/tarballs/
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running make distclean on core repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure make distclean
+
+# Build tarballs from masterfiles repository
+cd "$BASEDIR"/masterfiles
+rm -f cfengine-masterfiles*.tar.gz
+git rev-parse HEAD > "$BASEDIR"/output/masterfiles-commitID
 # Configure in order to run "make dist", deleted later.
-./configure
-make dist                                               # source tarball
-make tar-package                                       # package tarball
-mv cfengine-masterfiles*.tar.gz $BASEDIR/output/tarballs/
-make distclean
-
-cd $BASEDIR/output/tarballs
-sha256sum *.tar.gz > sha256sums.txt
-CKSUM=`sum sha256sums.txt | cut -d ' ' -f 1`
-mv sha256sums.txt sha256sums.$CKSUM.txt
-
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running configure on masterfiles repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure ./configure
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running make dist on masterfiles repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure make dist         # source tarball
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running make tar-package on masterfiles repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure make tar-package  # package tarball (containing all
+                                           # files as if they were installed
+                                           # under "prefix".)
+mv cfengine-masterfiles*.tar.gz "$BASEDIR"/output/tarballs/
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Running make distclean on masterfiles repository..."
+run_and_print_on_failure make distclean
+
+# Compute a checksum list that can be used to verify the integrity of the
+# tarballs
+cd "$BASEDIR"/output/tarballs
+sha256sum -- *.tar.gz > sha256sums.txt
+# Add the BSD (16-bit) checksum of the checksum list to it's filename. This way
+# you can verify the integrity of the checksum list itself.
+CKSUM=$(sum sha256sums.txt | cut -d ' ' -f 1)
+mv sha256sums.txt sha256sums."$CKSUM".txt
+
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Installing javascript dependencies..."
 (
-if test -f "$BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/scripts/package.json"; then
-  cd $BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/scripts
+if test -f "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/scripts/package.json; then
+  cd "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/scripts
   # display node & npm versions
   npm --version
   node --version
   # install dependencies from npmjs
-  npm ci --prefix $BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/scripts/
+  run_and_print_on_failure npm ci --prefix "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/scripts/
   # build react components
-  npm run build --prefix $BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/scripts/
+  run_and_print_on_failure npm run build --prefix "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/scripts/
   # remove the packages specified in devDependencies
-  npm prune --omit=dev --prefix $BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/scripts/
-
+  run_and_print_on_failure npm prune --omit=dev --prefix "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/scripts/
 fi
 )
 
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Installing PHP dependencies from mission-portal repository..."
 (
-if test -f "$BASEDIR/mission-portal/composer.json"; then
-  cd $BASEDIR/mission-portal
+if test -f "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/composer.json; then
+  cd "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal
   # install PHP dependencies from composer
-  php /usr/bin/composer.phar install --no-dev
+  run_and_print_on_failure php /usr/bin/composer.phar install --no-dev
 fi
 )
 
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Installing PHP dependencies from nova repository..."
 (
-if test -f "$BASEDIR/nova/api/http/composer.json"; then
-  cd $BASEDIR/nova/api/http
+if test -f "$BASEDIR"/nova/api/http/composer.json; then
+  cd "$BASEDIR"/nova/api/http
   # install PHP dependencies from composer
-  php /usr/bin/composer.phar install --no-dev --ignore-platform-reqs
+  run_and_print_on_failure php /usr/bin/composer.phar install --no-dev --ignore-platform-reqs
 fi
 )
 
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Compiling Mission Portal styles..."
 (
-if test -f "$BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/themes/default/bootstrap/cfengine_theme.less"; then
-  cd $BASEDIR/mission-portal/public/themes/default/bootstrap
-  npx -p less lessc --compress ./cfengine_theme.less ./compiled/css/cfengine.less.css
+if test -f "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/themes/default/bootstrap/cfengine_theme.less; then
+  cd "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/public/themes/default/bootstrap
+  run_and_print_on_failure npx -p less lessc --compress ./cfengine_theme.less ./compiled/css/cfengine.less.css
 fi
 )
 
+echo "$(basename "$0"): Debug: Installing LDAP API dependencies..."
 (
-if test -f "$BASEDIR/mission-portal/ldap/composer.json"; then
-  cd $BASEDIR/mission-portal/ldap
+if test -f "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/ldap/composer.json; then
+  cd "$BASEDIR"/mission-portal/ldap
   # install PHP dependencies from composer
-  php /usr/bin/composer.phar install --no-dev
+  run_and_print_on_failure php /usr/bin/composer.phar install --no-dev
 fi
 )
-