diff --git a/pyexecplugins/Ansible.py b/pyexecplugins/Ansible.py
index 3a5c9d1..eb1f9ec 100644
--- a/pyexecplugins/Ansible.py
+++ b/pyexecplugins/Ansible.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from pyexecplugins.pyexecplugins import PyExecPlugin
 import json
+import sys, os, traceback
 import shutil
 import logging
 import ansible.constants as C
@@ -57,17 +58,20 @@ class Ansible(PyExecPlugin):
         self.hosts = self.data.get("hosts", ["localhost"])
         self.connection = self.data.get("connection","local")
         self.verbosity = self.data.get("verbosity", 0)
-        self.extra_vars = [self.data.get("extra_vars", None)]
+        self.extra_vars = [self.data.get("extra_vars")] if self.data.get("extra_vars") else [] 
         self.gather_facts = self.data.get("gather_facts", False)
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Hosts: %s\n Connection: %s\n Verbosity: %s\n Extra vars: %s\n Gather facts: %s\n", self.hosts, self.connection, self.verbosity, self.extra_vars, self.gather_facts)
+
 
     def execute(self):
         
         # since the API is constructed for CLI it expects certain options to always be set in the context object
         context.CLIARGS = ImmutableDict(connection=self.connection, forks=10, become=False, become_method="sudo", become_user=None, check=False, diff=False, verbosity=self.verbosity, extra_vars = self.extra_vars)
+        
         # required for
         # https://github.com/ansible/ansible/blob/devel/lib/ansible/inventory/manager.py#L204
         
-        if self.extra_vars[0].get("ansible_host"):
+        if (len(self.extra_vars) > 0) and self.extra_vars[0].get("ansible_host"):
             sources = self.extra_vars[0].get("ansible_host")
         else:
             sources = ','.join(self.hosts)
@@ -75,6 +79,8 @@ class Ansible(PyExecPlugin):
         if len(self.hosts) == 1:
             sources += ','
 
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Sources are %s", sources)
+
         # initialize needed objects
         loader = DataLoader()  # Takes care of finding and reading yaml, json and ini files
         passwords = dict()
@@ -86,11 +92,20 @@ class Ansible(PyExecPlugin):
         inventory = InventoryManager(loader=loader, sources=sources)
 
         # variable manager takes care of merging all the different sources to give you a unified view of variables available in each context
-        variable_manager = VariableManager(loader=loader, inventory=inventory)
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Instiantiating VarableManager %s %s", loader, inventory)
+        try:
+            variable_manager = VariableManager(loader=loader, inventory=inventory)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            exc_type, exc_obj, exc_tb = sys.exc_info()
+            traceback.print_exc(file=sys.stdout)
+            fname = os.path.split(exc_tb.tb_frame.f_code.co_filename)[1]
+            logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("%s %s %s", exc_type, fname, exc_tb.tb_lineno)
+            logging.getLogger("pyexec").error("%s", str(exc))
 
         # instantiate task queue manager, which takes care of forking and setting up all objects to iterate over host list and tasks
         # IMPORTANT: This also adds library dirs paths to the module loader
         # IMPORTANT: and so it must be initialized before calling `Play.load()`.
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Creating TaskQueueManager")
         tqm = TaskQueueManager(
             inventory=inventory,
             variable_manager=variable_manager,
@@ -100,7 +115,9 @@ class Ansible(PyExecPlugin):
         )
 
         # create data structure that represents our play
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Loading playbook %s", self.playbook)
         play_sources = loader.load(self.playbook)
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Play sources loaded %s", play_sources)
         for play_source in play_sources:
             logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Executing playsource: %s",play_source)
             play_source["gather_facts"] = self.gather_facts
diff --git a/pyexecplugins/Packer.py b/pyexecplugins/Packer.py
index 76df738..4efe485 100644
--- a/pyexecplugins/Packer.py
+++ b/pyexecplugins/Packer.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 from pyexecplugins.pyexecplugins import PyExecPlugin
 import tempfile
 import json
+import logging
 import subprocess
+from subprocess import PIPE
 
 class Plugin(PyExecPlugin):
     name = "Packer"
@@ -21,10 +23,19 @@ class Plugin(PyExecPlugin):
         self.command = data.get("command", "build")
 
     def execute(self):
-        fp = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", delete=False)
-        fp.write(json.dumps(self.template))
+        fp = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", delete=False, encoding='utf-8')
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Going to %s template %s", self.command, self.data)
+        json.dump(self.template, fp)
         fp.close()
-        completed = subprocess.run(["packer", self.command, fp.name], capture_output=True, text=True)
+        cmd = ["packer", self.command, fp.name]
+
+        try:
+            completed = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
+        except Exception as e:
+            completed = subprocess.run(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
+
+        logging.getLogger("pyexec").debug("Packer outcome is %s", completed)
+
         if(completed.returncode != 0):
             raise Exception("packer.io failed: {} - out:{} - err:{}".format(
                 completed.returncode, 
@@ -35,8 +46,8 @@ class Plugin(PyExecPlugin):
             'results' : [
                 {
                     'returncode' : completed.returncode, 
-                    'stdout' : completed.stdout, 
-                    'stderr': completed.stderr
+                    'stdout' : str(completed.stdout), 
+                    'stderr': str(completed.stderr)
                 }
             ]
         }