diff --git a/core/src/graph/actions.ts b/core/src/graph/actions.ts
index b8426fd9bd..aaa6b3f39e 100644
--- a/core/src/graph/actions.ts
+++ b/core/src/graph/actions.ts
@@ -171,7 +171,8 @@ export const actionConfigsToGraph = profileAsync(async function actionConfigsToG
   const preprocessActions = async (predicate: (config: ActionConfig) => boolean = () => true) => {
     let batchNo = 1
     for (const batch of sliceToBatches(configsByKey, processingBatchSize)) {
-      log.debug(`Preprocessing actions batch #${batchNo} (${batch.length} items)`)
+      log.silly(`Preprocessing actions batch #${batchNo} (${batch.length} items)`)
+      const startTime = new Date().getTime()
       await Promise.all(
         batch.map(async ([key, config]) => {
           if (!predicate(config)) {
@@ -196,6 +197,8 @@ export const actionConfigsToGraph = profileAsync(async function actionConfigsToG
         })
       )
       batchNo++
+      const endTime = new Date().getTime()
+      log.silly(`Preprocessed actions batch #${batchNo} (${batch.length} items in ${endTime - startTime}ms`)
     }
   }
 
@@ -291,7 +294,6 @@ export const actionConfigsToGraph = profileAsync(async function actionConfigsToG
   const minimalRoots = await garden.vcs.getMinimalRoots(log, allPaths)
   log.debug(`Found minimal roots for ${allPaths.size} paths`)
 
-  // TODO: Maybe we could optimize resolving tree versions, avoid parallel scanning of the same directory etc.
   const graph = new MutableConfigGraph({
     environmentName: garden.environmentName,
     actions: [],
@@ -303,7 +305,8 @@ export const actionConfigsToGraph = profileAsync(async function actionConfigsToG
   log.debug(`Processing ${actionConfigCount} action configs...`)
   let batchNo = 1
   for (const batch of sliceToBatches(preprocessResults, 100)) {
-    log.debug(`Processing actions batch #${batchNo} (${batch.length} items)`)
+    log.silly(`Processing actions batch #${batchNo} (${batch.length} items)`)
+    const startTime = new Date().getTime()
     await Promise.all(
       batch.map(async ([key, res]) => {
         const { config, linkedSource, remoteSourcePath, supportedModes, dependencies } = res
@@ -348,6 +351,8 @@ export const actionConfigsToGraph = profileAsync(async function actionConfigsToG
       })
     )
     batchNo++
+    const endTime = new Date().getTime()
+    log.silly(`Processed actions batch #${batchNo} (${batch.length} items in ${endTime - startTime}ms`)
   }
   log.debug(`Processed ${actionConfigCount} action configs`)
 
@@ -740,22 +745,25 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
   definition: MaybeUndefined<ActionTypeDefinition<any>>
   actionTypes: ActionDefinitionMap
 }): Promise<PreprocessActionResult> {
+  const actionStart = new Date().getTime()
   const actionKey = actionReferenceToString(config)
-  log.debug(`Preprocessing action ${actionKey}...`)
 
   const description = describeActionConfig(config)
   const templateName = config.internal.templateName
 
   // in pre-processing, only use varfiles that are not template strings
   const resolvedVarFiles = config.varfiles?.filter((f) => !maybeTemplateString(getVarfileData(f).path))
-  log.debug(`Merging variables...`)
+  const mergeVarsStart = new Date().getTime()
   const variables = await mergeVariables({
     basePath: config.internal.basePath,
     variables: config.variables,
     varfiles: resolvedVarFiles,
   })
+  const mergeVarsEnd = new Date().getTime()
+  const varfilesDesc =
+    resolvedVarFiles && resolvedVarFiles.length > 0 ? `with varfiles: \n${resolvedVarFiles.join("\n")}` : ""
+  log.silly(`Merged variables for action ${actionKey} in ${mergeVarsEnd - mergeVarsStart}ms ${varfilesDesc}`)
 
-  log.debug(`Resolving variables (partially)...`)
   const resolvedVariables = resolveTemplateStrings({
     value: variables,
     context: new ActionConfigContext({
@@ -773,7 +781,6 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
   })
 
   if (templateName) {
-    log.debug(`Resolving inputs (partially)...`)
     // Partially resolve inputs
     const partiallyResolvedInputs = resolveTemplateStrings({
       value: config.internal.inputs || {},
@@ -871,12 +878,9 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
     config = { ...config, ...resolvedOther }
   }
 
-  log.debug(`Resolving templates...`)
   resolveTemplates()
 
-  log.debug(`Configuring action...`)
   const configureActionResult = await router.configureAction({ config, log })
-  log.debug(`Action configured`)
 
   const { config: updatedConfig } = configureActionResult
 
@@ -913,7 +917,6 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
 
   // -> Resolve templates again after configure handler
   // TODO: avoid this if nothing changed in the configure handler
-  log.debug(`Resolving templates again (for configured action)...`)
   try {
     resolveTemplates()
   } catch (error) {
@@ -936,7 +939,6 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
       remoteSourcePath = config.internal.remoteClonePath
     } else {
       const key = actionReferenceToString(config)
-      log.debug(`Resolving external sources...`)
       remoteSourcePath = await garden.resolveExtSourcePath({
         name: key,
         sourceType: "action",
@@ -952,7 +954,6 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
     }
   }
 
-  log.debug(`Collecting dependencies...`)
   const dependencies = dependenciesFromActionConfig({
     log,
     config,
@@ -962,7 +963,9 @@ export const preprocessActionConfig = profileAsync(async function preprocessActi
     actionTypes,
   })
 
-  log.debug(`Preprocessed action ${actionKey}...`)
+  const actionEnd = new Date().getTime()
+  log.silly(`Preprocessed action ${actionKey} in ${actionEnd - actionStart}ms`)
+
   return {
     config,
     dependencies,