diff --git a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
index d835760..dca6c4b 100644
--- a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
+++ b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def update(opts, conf, path):
         if opts['safe'] and not LOG.ask(msg):
             return False
         else:
-            run(cmd, raw=False)
+            run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'])
             LOG.log('\"{}\" updated from \"{}\".'.format(src, path))
     return True
 
@@ -283,14 +283,14 @@ def importer(opts, conf, paths):
             if opts['dry']:
                 LOG.dry('would run: {}'.format(' '.join(cmd)))
             else:
-                run(cmd, raw=False)
+                run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'])
             cmd = ['cp', '-R', '-L', dst, srcf]
             if opts['dry']:
                 LOG.dry('would run: {}'.format(' '.join(cmd)))
                 if opts['link']:
                     LOG.dry('would symlink {} to {}'.format(srcf, dst))
             else:
-                run(cmd, raw=False)
+                run(cmd, raw=False, debug=opts['debug'])
                 if opts['link']:
                     remove(dst)
                     os.symlink(srcf, dst)
diff --git a/dotdrop/installer.py b/dotdrop/installer.py
index 540c3cc..135445f 100644
--- a/dotdrop/installer.py
+++ b/dotdrop/installer.py
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ class Installer:
     def _handle_dir(self, templater, profile, src, dst):
         """install src to dst when is a directory"""
         ret = []
+        self._create_dirs(dst)
+        # handle all files in dir
         for entry in os.listdir(src):
             f = os.path.join(src, entry)
             if not os.path.isdir(f):
@@ -161,6 +163,9 @@ class Installer:
             return False
         if os.path.exists(directory):
             return True
+        if self.dry:
+            self.log.dry('would mkdir -p {}'.format(directory))
+            return True
         self.log.dbg('mkdir -p {}'.format(directory))
         os.makedirs(directory)
         return os.path.exists(directory)
diff --git a/dotdrop/templategen.py b/dotdrop/templategen.py
index f53d794..1809c93 100644
--- a/dotdrop/templategen.py
+++ b/dotdrop/templategen.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class Templategen:
 
     def __init__(self, base='.', debug=False):
         self.base = base.rstrip(os.sep)
+        self.debug = debug
         loader = FileSystemLoader(self.base)
         self.env = Environment(loader=loader,
                                trim_blocks=True, lstrip_blocks=True,
@@ -43,7 +44,8 @@ class Templategen:
 
     def _handle_file(self, src, profile):
         """generate the file content from template"""
-        filetype = utils.run(['file', '-b', src], raw=False).strip()
+        filetype = utils.run(['file', '-b', src], raw=False, debug=self.debug)
+        filetype = filetype.strip()
         self.log.dbg('\"{}\" filetype: {}'.format(src, filetype))
         istext = 'text' in filetype
         self.log.dbg('\"{}\" is text: {}'.format(src, istext))
diff --git a/dotdrop/utils.py b/dotdrop/utils.py
index 5a39c22..0038626 100644
--- a/dotdrop/utils.py
+++ b/dotdrop/utils.py
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@ from shutil import rmtree
 # local import
 from dotdrop.logger import Logger
 
+LOG = Logger()
 
-def run(cmd, raw=True):
+
+def run(cmd, raw=True, debug=False):
     """run a command in the shell (expects a list)"""
+    if debug:
+        LOG.dbg('exec: {}'.format(' '.join(cmd)))
     p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=False,
                          stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
     if raw: