diff --git a/src/agentmgr.js b/src/agentmgr.js
index 452e49a..e12e9f7 100644
--- a/src/agentmgr.js
+++ b/src/agentmgr.js
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const sleep = require('util').promisify(setTimeout);
 const debug = require('./debug');
-const prettyBytes = require('pretty-bytes');
 const clone = require('clone');
 
 function getAnnotation(action, key) {
@@ -118,10 +117,12 @@
             try {
                 const backup = await getWskActionWithoutCode(this.wsk, backupName);
 
-                if (isAgent(backup)) {
+                if (!backup) {
                     // backup is also an agent (should not happen)
-                    // backup is useless, delete it
-                    // await this.wsk.actions.delete(backupName);
+                    throw new Error(`Dang! Agent is already installed and action backup is missing.\n\nPlease redeploy your action first before running wskdebug again.`);
+
+                } else if (isAgent(backup)) {
+                    // backup is also an agent (should not happen)
                     throw new Error(`Dang! Agent is already installed and action backup is broken (${backupName}).\n\nPlease redeploy your action first before running wskdebug again.`);
 
                 } else {
@@ -157,8 +158,6 @@
             this.actionWithCode = await this.restoreAction();
         } else {
             this.actionWithCode = await this.wsk.actions.get(this.actionName);
-            debug(`fetched action code from openwhisk (${prettyBytes(this.actionWithCode.exec.code.length)})`);
-
         }
         // extra sanity check
         if (isAgent(this.actionWithCode)) {
@@ -168,7 +167,7 @@
         return this.actionWithCode;
     }
 
-    async installAgent(invoker) {
+    async installAgent(invoker, debugTask) {
         this.agentInstalled = true;
 
         let agentName;
@@ -190,7 +189,7 @@
             // agent using ngrok for forwarding
             agentName = "ngrok";
             agentCode = await this.ngrokAgent.getAgent(agentAction);
-            debug("started local ngrok proxy");
+            debugTask("started local ngrok proxy");
 
         } else {
             this.concurrency = await this.openwhiskSupports("concurrency");
@@ -216,11 +215,13 @@
         // create copy in case wskdebug gets killed hard
         // do async as this can be slow for larger actions and this is part of the critical startup path
         this.createBackup = (async () => {
+            const debugTask = debug.task();
+
             await this.wsk.actions.update({
                 name: backupName,
                 action: agentAction
             });
-            debug(`created action backup ${backupName}`);
+            debugTask(`created action backup ${backupName}`);
         })();
 
         if (this.argv.verbose) {
@@ -245,7 +246,7 @@
                 await this.pushAgent(agentAction, agentCode, backupName);
             }
         }
-        debug(`installed agent (${agentName}) in place of ${this.actionName}`);
+        debugTask(`installed agent '${agentName}' in place of ${this.actionName}`);
 
         if (this.argv.verbose) {
             console.log(`Agent installed.`);
diff --git a/src/debug.js b/src/debug.js
index 6e4cc49..bbe46f8 100644
--- a/src/debug.js
+++ b/src/debug.js
@@ -19,3 +19,13 @@
 
 // common debug() instance for shared time spent measurments (+millis)
 module.exports = require('debug')('wskdebug');
+
+// start a sub debug instance for logging times in parallel promises
+module.exports.task = () => {
+    const debug = require('debug')('wskdebug')
+    // trick to start time measurement from now on without logging an extra line
+    debug.log = () => {};
+    debug();
+    delete debug.log;
+    return debug;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/debugger.js b/src/debugger.js
index 91d8d79..2cce15f 100644
--- a/src/debugger.js
+++ b/src/debugger.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
 const sleep = require('util').promisify(setTimeout);
 const debug = require('./debug');
+const prettyBytes = require('pretty-bytes');
 const prettyMilliseconds = require('pretty-ms');
 
 /**
@@ -74,26 +75,57 @@
         this.invoker = new OpenWhiskInvoker(this.actionName, actionMetadata, this.argv, this.wskProps, this.wsk);
 
         try {
-            // run build initially (would be required by starting container)
-            if (this.argv.onBuild) {
-                console.info("=> Build:", this.argv.onBuild);
-                spawnSync(this.argv.onBuild, {shell: true, stdio: "inherit"});
-            }
+            // parallelize slower work using promises
 
-            // start container - get it up fast for VSCode to connect within its 10 seconds timeout
-            await this.invoker.startContainer();
+            // task 1 - start local container
+            const containerTask = (async () => {
+                const debugTask = debug.task();
+                // run build initially (would be required by starting container)
+                if (this.argv.onBuild) {
+                    console.info("=> Build:", this.argv.onBuild);
+                    spawnSync(this.argv.onBuild, {shell: true, stdio: "inherit"});
+                }
 
-            debug(`started container: ${this.invoker.name()}`);
+                // start container - get it up fast for VSCode to connect within its 10 seconds timeout
+                await this.invoker.startContainer();
 
-            // get code and /init local container
-            const actionWithCode = await this.agentMgr.readActionWithCode();
+                debugTask(`started container: ${this.invoker.name()}`);
+            })();
 
-            await this.invoker.init(actionWithCode);
+            // task 2 - fetch action code from openwhisk
+            const openwhiskTask = (async () => {
+                const debugTask = debug.task();
+                const actionWithCode = await this.agentMgr.readActionWithCode();
 
-            debug("installed action on container (/init)");
+                debugTask(`got action code (${prettyBytes(actionWithCode.exec.code.length)})`);
+                return actionWithCode;
+            })();
 
-            // setup agent in openwhisk
-            await this.agentMgr.installAgent(this.invoker);
+            // wait for both tasks 1 & 2
+            const results = await Promise.all([containerTask, openwhiskTask]);
+            const actionWithCode = results[1];
+
+            // parallelize slower work using promises again
+
+            // task 3 - initialize local container with code
+            const initTask = (async () => {
+                const debugTask = debug.task();
+
+                // /init local container
+                await this.invoker.init(actionWithCode);
+
+                debugTask("installed action on container");
+            })();
+
+            // task 4 - install agent in openwhisk
+            const agentTask = (async () => {
+                const debugTask = debug.task();
+
+                // setup agent in openwhisk
+                await this.agentMgr.installAgent(this.invoker, debugTask);
+            })();
+
+            await Promise.all([initTask, agentTask]);
 
             if (this.argv.onStart) {
                 console.log("On start:", this.argv.onStart);
@@ -115,9 +147,8 @@
             if (this.argv.condition) {
                 console.info(`Condition  : ${this.argv.condition}`);
             }
-            console.info(`Startup    : ${prettyMilliseconds(Date.now() - this.startTime)}`)
             console.log();
-            console.info(`Ready, waiting for activations! Use CTRL+C to exit`);
+            console.info(`Ready for activations. Started in ${prettyMilliseconds(Date.now() - this.startTime)}. Use CTRL+C to exit`);
 
             this.ready = true;