diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index b9559d5ff..070e6c845 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -74,7 +74,14 @@ def load_env_vars
   filename = "#{ENV['KOKORO_GFILE_DIR']}/ruby_env_vars.json"
   raise "#{filename} is not a file" unless File.file? filename
   env_vars = JSON.parse File.read(filename)
-  env_vars.each { |k, v| ENV[k] ||= v }
+  env_vars.each do |k, v|
+    if ENV[k]
+      puts "Ignoring #{k} because it is already set"
+    else
+      puts "Setting #{k}"
+    end
+    ENV[k] ||= v
+  end
 end
 
 def header str, token = "#"
diff --git a/rakelib/releaser.rb b/rakelib/releaser.rb
index ec6fe232e..a0c40a2cc 100644
--- a/rakelib/releaser.rb
+++ b/rakelib/releaser.rb
@@ -37,9 +37,11 @@ class Releaser
 
   def publish_gem
     configure_rubygems_api_token
-    bundle_dir do
+    Dir.chdir(gem_dir) do
       FileUtils.rm_rf("pkg")
-      execute "bundle exec rake build"
+      isolate_bundle do
+        execute "bundle exec rake build"
+      end
       built_gem_path = "pkg/#{gem_name}-#{gem_version}.gem"
       raise "Failed to build #{built_gem_path}" unless File.file?(built_gem_path)
       if dry_run?
@@ -53,10 +55,12 @@ class Releaser
   end
 
   def publish_docs
-    bundle_dir do
+    Dir.chdir(gem_dir) do
       FileUtils.rm_rf("doc")
       FileUtils.rm_rf(".yardoc")
-      execute "bundle exec rake yard"
+      isolate_bundle do
+        execute "bundle exec rake yard"
+      end
       Dir.chdir("doc") do
         execute "python3 -m docuploader create-metadata" \
                 " --name #{gem_name}" \
@@ -117,25 +121,24 @@ class Releaser
       Gems.configure do |config|
         config.key = rubygems_api_token
       end
+      puts "Configured rubygems api token"
     end
   end
 
-  def bundle_dir
+  def isolate_bundle
     block = proc do
       execute "bundle update" unless @bundle_updated
       @bundle_updated = true
       yield
     end
-    Dir.chdir(gem_dir) do
-      if defined?(Bundler)
-        if Bundler.respond_to?(:with_unbundled_env)
-          Bundler.with_unbundled_env(&block)
-        else
-          Bundler.with_clean_env(&block)
-        end
+    if defined?(Bundler)
+      if Bundler.respond_to?(:with_unbundled_env)
+        Bundler.with_unbundled_env(&block)
       else
-        block.call
+        Bundler.with_clean_env(&block)
       end
+    else
+      block.call
     end
   end