diff --git a/pip/util.py b/pip/util.py
index 833a7adcc7a..7a9657c2de3 100644
--- a/pip/util.py
+++ b/pip/util.py
@@ -266,8 +266,11 @@ def renames(old, new):
     head, tail = os.path.split(old)
     if head and tail:
         try:
+            logger.notify("trying to remove: " +head)
             os.removedirs(head)
+            logger.notify("succeeded removing: " +head)
         except OSError:
+            logger.notify(str(os.listdir(head)))
             pass
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_pip.py b/tests/test_pip.py
index 8612232cf80..b84044ad77a 100644
--- a/tests/test_pip.py
+++ b/tests/test_pip.py
@@ -642,7 +642,8 @@ def assert_all_changes(start_state, end_state, expected_changes):
     diff = diff_states(start_files, end_files, ignore=expected_changes)
     if list(diff.values()) != [{}, {}, {}]:
         raise TestFailure('Unexpected changes:\n' + '\n'.join(
-            [k + ': ' + ', '.join(v.keys()) for k, v in diff.items()]))
+            [k + ': ' + ', '.join(v.keys()) for k, v in diff.items()])
+                          + '\n\nstdout:\n' + end_state.stdout)
 
     # Don't throw away this potentially useful information
     return diff