diff --git a/lib/build_runner.zig b/lib/build_runner.zig
index 6ba583c59d..c1af3798ff 100644
--- a/lib/build_runner.zig
+++ b/lib/build_runner.zig
@@ -243,14 +243,22 @@ pub fn main() !void {
         }
     }
 
+    var progress: std.Progress = .{};
+    const main_progress_node = progress.start("", 0);
+    defer main_progress_node.end();
+
     builder.debug_log_scopes = debug_log_scopes.items;
     builder.resolveInstallPrefix(install_prefix, dir_list);
-    try builder.runBuild(root);
+    {
+        var prog_node = main_progress_node.start("user build.zig logic", 0);
+        defer prog_node.end();
+        try builder.runBuild(root);
+    }
 
     if (builder.validateUserInputDidItFail())
         usageAndErr(builder, true, stderr_stream);
 
-    runStepNames(builder, targets.items) catch |err| {
+    runStepNames(builder, targets.items, main_progress_node) catch |err| {
         switch (err) {
             error.UncleanExit => process.exit(1),
             else => return err,
@@ -258,7 +266,11 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     };
 }
 
-fn runStepNames(b: *std.Build, step_names: []const []const u8) !void {
+fn runStepNames(
+    b: *std.Build,
+    step_names: []const []const u8,
+    parent_prog_node: *std.Progress.Node,
+) !void {
     var step_stack = ArrayList(*Step).init(b.allocator);
     defer step_stack.deinit();
 
@@ -289,6 +301,9 @@ fn runStepNames(b: *std.Build, step_names: []const []const u8) !void {
     defer thread_pool.deinit();
 
     {
+        var step_prog = parent_prog_node.start("run steps", step_stack.items.len);
+        defer step_prog.end();
+
         var wait_group: std.Thread.WaitGroup = .{};
         defer wait_group.wait();
 
@@ -301,8 +316,9 @@ fn runStepNames(b: *std.Build, step_names: []const []const u8) !void {
             const step = step_stack.items[i];
 
             wait_group.start();
-            thread_pool.spawn(workerMakeOneStep, .{ &wait_group, &thread_pool, b, step }) catch
-                @panic("OOM");
+            thread_pool.spawn(workerMakeOneStep, .{
+                &wait_group, &thread_pool, b, step, &step_prog,
+            }) catch @panic("OOM");
         }
     }
 
@@ -312,14 +328,18 @@ fn runStepNames(b: *std.Build, step_names: []const []const u8) !void {
         switch (s.state) {
             .precheck_unstarted => unreachable,
             .precheck_started => unreachable,
-            .precheck_done => unreachable,
             .running => unreachable,
-            .dependency_failure => continue,
+            // precheck_done is equivalent to dependency_failure in the case of
+            // transitive dependencies. For example:
+            // A -> B -> C (failure)
+            // B will be marked as dependency_failure, while A may never be queued, and thus
+            // remain in the initial state of precheck_done.
+            .dependency_failure, .precheck_done => continue,
             .success => continue,
             .failure => {
                 any_failed = true;
-                std.debug.print("{s}: {s}\n{s}", .{
-                    s.name, @errorName(s.result.err_code), s.result.stderr,
+                std.debug.print("{s}: {s}\n", .{
+                    s.name, @errorName(s.result.err_code),
                 });
             },
         }
@@ -371,6 +391,7 @@ fn workerMakeOneStep(
     thread_pool: *std.Thread.Pool,
     b: *std.Build,
     s: *Step,
+    prog_node: *std.Progress.Node,
 ) void {
     defer wg.finish();
 
@@ -399,6 +420,10 @@ fn workerMakeOneStep(
         return;
     }
 
+    var sub_prog_node = prog_node.start(s.name, 0);
+    sub_prog_node.activate();
+    defer sub_prog_node.end();
+
     // I suspect we will want to pass `b` to make() in a future modification.
     // For example, CompileStep does some sus things with modifying the saved
     // *Build object in install header steps that might be able to be removed
@@ -406,6 +431,13 @@ fn workerMakeOneStep(
     s.make() catch |err| {
         s.result.err_code = err;
         @atomicStore(Step.State, &s.state, .failure, .SeqCst);
+
+        sub_prog_node.context.lock_stderr();
+        defer sub_prog_node.context.unlock_stderr();
+
+        for (s.result.error_msgs.items) |msg| {
+            std.io.getStdErr().writeAll(msg) catch return;
+        }
         return;
     };
 
@@ -414,7 +446,9 @@ fn workerMakeOneStep(
     // Successful completion of a step, so we queue up its dependants as well.
     for (s.dependants.items) |dep| {
         wg.start();
-        thread_pool.spawn(workerMakeOneStep, .{ wg, thread_pool, b, dep }) catch @panic("OOM");
+        thread_pool.spawn(workerMakeOneStep, .{
+            wg, thread_pool, b, dep, prog_node,
+        }) catch @panic("OOM");
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/std/Build.zig b/lib/std/Build.zig
index 75fa7ec1dd..92ace4e60b 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build.zig
@@ -1417,59 +1417,43 @@ pub fn execFromStep(b: *Build, argv: []const []const u8, s: *Step) ![]u8 {
     }
 
     if (!process.can_spawn) {
-        s.result.stderr = b.fmt("Unable to spawn the following command: cannot spawn child processes\n{s}", .{
+        try s.result.error_msgs.append(b.allocator, b.fmt("Unable to spawn the following command: cannot spawn child processes\n{s}", .{
             try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
-        });
+        }));
         return error.CannotSpawnProcesses;
     }
 
-    var code: u8 = undefined;
-    const result = unwrapExecResult(&code, std.ChildProcess.exec(.{
+    const result = std.ChildProcess.exec(.{
         .allocator = b.allocator,
         .argv = argv,
         .env_map = b.env_map,
         .max_output_bytes = 10 * 1024 * 1024,
-    })) catch |err| switch (err) {
-        error.FileNotFound => {
-            s.result.stderr = b.fmt("unable to spawn the following command: file not found\n{s}", .{
-                try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
-            });
-            return error.ExecFailed;
-        },
-        error.ExitCodeFailure => {
-            s.result.stderr = b.fmt("the following command exited with error code {d}:\n{s}", .{
-                code, try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
-            });
-            return error.ExecFailed;
-        },
-        error.ProcessTerminated => {
-            s.result.stderr = b.fmt("the following command terminated unexpectedly:\n{s}", .{
-                try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
-            });
-            return error.ExecFailed;
-        },
-        else => |e| return e,
+    }) catch |err| {
+        try s.result.error_msgs.append(b.allocator, b.fmt("unable to spawn the following command: {s}\n{s}", .{
+            @errorName(err), try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
+        }));
+        return error.ExecFailed;
     };
 
-    s.result.stderr = result.stderr;
-    return result.stdout;
-}
+    if (result.stderr.len != 0) {
+        try s.result.error_msgs.append(b.allocator, result.stderr);
+    }
 
-fn unwrapExecResult(
-    code_ptr: *u8,
-    wrapped: std.ChildProcess.ExecError!std.ChildProcess.ExecResult,
-) !std.ChildProcess.ExecResult {
-    const result = try wrapped;
     switch (result.term) {
         .Exited => |code| {
-            code_ptr.* = code;
             if (code != 0) {
+                try s.result.error_msgs.append(b.allocator, b.fmt("the following command exited with error code {d}:\n{s}", .{
+                    code, try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
+                }));
                 return error.ExitCodeFailure;
             }
-            return result;
+            return result.stdout;
         },
         .Signal, .Stopped, .Unknown => |code| {
             _ = code;
+            try s.result.error_msgs.append(b.allocator, b.fmt("the following command terminated unexpectedly:\n{s}", .{
+                try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
+            }));
             return error.ProcessTerminated;
         },
     }
diff --git a/lib/std/Build/Step.zig b/lib/std/Build/Step.zig
index 7bab2d9ae4..42698f2190 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/Step.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/Step.zig
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ state: State,
 /// Populated only if state is success.
 result: struct {
     err_code: anyerror,
-    stderr: []u8,
+    error_msgs: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8),
 },
 /// The return addresss associated with creation of this step that can be useful
 /// to print along with debugging messages.
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ pub fn init(allocator: Allocator, options: Options) Step {
         .state = .precheck_unstarted,
         .result = .{
             .err_code = undefined,
-            .stderr = &.{},
+            .error_msgs = .{},
         },
         .debug_stack_trace = addresses,
     };
@@ -133,6 +133,28 @@ pub fn cast(step: *Step, comptime T: type) ?*T {
     return null;
 }
 
+/// For debugging purposes, prints identifying information about this Step.
+pub fn dump(step: *Step) void {
+    std.debug.getStderrMutex().lock();
+    defer std.debug.getStderrMutex().unlock();
+
+    const stderr = std.io.getStdErr();
+    const w = stderr.writer();
+    const tty_config = std.debug.detectTTYConfig(stderr);
+    const debug_info = std.debug.getSelfDebugInfo() catch |err| {
+        w.print("Unable to dump stack trace: Unable to open debug info: {s}\n", .{
+            @errorName(err),
+        }) catch {};
+        return;
+    };
+    const ally = debug_info.allocator;
+    w.print("name: '{s}'. creation stack trace:\n", .{step.name}) catch {};
+    std.debug.writeStackTrace(step.getStackTrace(), w, ally, debug_info, tty_config) catch |err| {
+        stderr.writer().print("Unable to dump stack trace: {s}\n", .{@errorName(err)}) catch {};
+        return;
+    };
+}
+
 const Step = @This();
 const std = @import("../std.zig");
 const Build = std.Build;