diff --git a/tests/e2e/cluster_proxy_test.go b/tests/e2e/cluster_proxy_test.go
index 7a5740d14..47ac18f96 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/cluster_proxy_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/cluster_proxy_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3/expect"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
 type proxyEtcdProcess struct {
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ func (p *proxyEtcdProcess) WithStopSignal(sig os.Signal) os.Signal {
 }
 
 type proxyProc struct {
+	lg       *zap.Logger
 	execPath string
 	args     []string
 	ep       string
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ func (pp *proxyProc) start() error {
 	if pp.proc != nil {
 		panic("already started")
 	}
-	proc, err := spawnCmd(append([]string{pp.execPath}, pp.args...))
+	proc, err := spawnCmdWithLogger(pp.lg, append([]string{pp.execPath}, pp.args...))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -192,6 +194,7 @@ func newProxyV2Proc(cfg *etcdServerProcessConfig) *proxyV2Proc {
 	}
 	return &proxyV2Proc{
 		proxyProc{
+			lg:       cfg.lg,
 			execPath: cfg.execPath,
 			args:     append(args, cfg.tlsArgs...),
 			ep:       listenAddr,
@@ -276,6 +279,7 @@ func newProxyV3Proc(cfg *etcdServerProcessConfig) *proxyV3Proc {
 	}
 	return &proxyV3Proc{
 		proxyProc{
+			lg:       cfg.lg,
 			execPath: cfg.execPath,
 			args:     append(args, tlsArgs...),
 			ep:       listenAddr,
diff --git a/tests/e2e/cluster_test.go b/tests/e2e/cluster_test.go
index cc47121fa..f30d7db23 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/cluster_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/cluster_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/etcdserver"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/tests/v3/integration"
+	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
 )
 
 const etcdProcessBasePort = 20000
@@ -225,6 +226,8 @@ func (cfg *etcdProcessClusterConfig) peerScheme() string {
 }
 
 func (cfg *etcdProcessClusterConfig) etcdServerProcessConfigs(tb testing.TB) []*etcdServerProcessConfig {
+	lg := zaptest.NewLogger(tb)
+
 	if cfg.basePort == 0 {
 		cfg.basePort = etcdProcessBasePort
 	}
@@ -309,6 +312,7 @@ func (cfg *etcdProcessClusterConfig) etcdServerProcessConfigs(tb testing.TB) []*
 		}
 
 		etcdCfgs[i] = &etcdServerProcessConfig{
+			lg:           lg,
 			execPath:     cfg.execPath,
 			args:         args,
 			tlsArgs:      cfg.tlsArgs(),
diff --git a/tests/e2e/etcd_process.go b/tests/e2e/etcd_process.go
index 55f3494eb..aecd56ce3 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/etcd_process.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/etcd_process.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/client/pkg/v3/fileutil"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3/expect"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ type etcdServerProcess struct {
 }
 
 type etcdServerProcessConfig struct {
+	lg       *zap.Logger
 	execPath string
 	args     []string
 	tlsArgs  []string
@@ -88,7 +90,7 @@ func (ep *etcdServerProcess) Start() error {
 	if ep.proc != nil {
 		panic("already started")
 	}
-	proc, err := spawnCmd(append([]string{ep.cfg.execPath}, ep.cfg.args...))
+	proc, err := spawnCmdWithLogger(ep.cfg.lg, append([]string{ep.cfg.execPath}, ep.cfg.args...))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/etcd_spawn_nocov.go b/tests/e2e/etcd_spawn_nocov.go
index b70240496..e753a967f 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/etcd_spawn_nocov.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/etcd_spawn_nocov.go
@@ -21,14 +21,25 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/pkg/v3/expect"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
 const noOutputLineCount = 0 // regular binaries emit no extra lines
 
 func spawnCmd(args []string) (*expect.ExpectProcess, error) {
+	return spawnCmdWithLogger(zap.NewNop(), args)
+}
+
+func spawnCmdWithLogger(lg *zap.Logger, args []string) (*expect.ExpectProcess, error) {
+	wd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	if args[0] == ctlBinPath+"3" {
 		env := append(os.Environ(), "ETCDCTL_API=3")
+		lg.Info("spawning process with ETCDCTL_API=3", zap.Strings("args", args), zap.String("working-dir", wd))
 		return expect.NewExpectWithEnv(ctlBinPath, args[1:], env)
 	}
+	lg.Info("spawning process", zap.Strings("args", args), zap.String("working-dir", wd))
 	return expect.NewExpect(args[0], args[1:]...)
 }