diff --git a/k8s-e2e-external-storage.groovy b/k8s-e2e-external-storage.groovy
index d998cc177..76c02e125 100644
--- a/k8s-e2e-external-storage.groovy
+++ b/k8s-e2e-external-storage.groovy
@@ -181,6 +181,12 @@ node('cico-workspace') {
 		}
 	}
 
+	catch (err) {
+		stage('log system status') {
+			ssh './system-status.sh'
+		}
+	}
+
 	finally {
 		stage('return bare-metal machine') {
 			sh 'cico node done ${CICO_SSID}'
diff --git a/mini-e2e-helm.groovy b/mini-e2e-helm.groovy
index babb86719..1a2f0599d 100644
--- a/mini-e2e-helm.groovy
+++ b/mini-e2e-helm.groovy
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@ node('cico-workspace') {
 		}
 	}
 
+	catch (err) {
+		stage('log system status') {
+			ssh './system-status.sh'
+		}
+	}
+
 	finally {
 		stage('return bare-metal machine') {
 			sh 'cico node done ${CICO_SSID}'
diff --git a/mini-e2e.groovy b/mini-e2e.groovy
index 0c3d85497..06c838312 100644
--- a/mini-e2e.groovy
+++ b/mini-e2e.groovy
@@ -171,6 +171,12 @@ node('cico-workspace') {
 		}
 	}
 
+	catch (err) {
+		stage('log system status') {
+			ssh './system-status.sh'
+		}
+	}
+
 	finally {
 		stage('return bare-metal machine') {
 			sh 'cico node done ${CICO_SSID}'
diff --git a/system-status.sh b/system-status.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..319ac245d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/system-status.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Run this script to gather details about the environment where the CI job is
+# running. This can be helpful to identify issues why minikube failed to
+# deploy, or tests encounter problems while running.
+#
+
+function minikube_ssh() {
+    ssh \
+        -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no \
+        -l docker -i "$(minikube ssh-key)" \
+        "$(minikube ip)" "${*}"
+}
+
+function log() {
+    echo "###"
+    echo "### going to execute: ${*}"
+    echo "###"
+    "${@}"
+    echo "###"
+    echo "### execution finished: ${*}"
+    echo "###"
+}
+
+# get the status of the VM in libvirt
+log virsh list
+
+# status of the minikube Kubernetes cluster
+log minikube status
+log minikube logs
+
+# get the status of processes in the VM
+log minikube_ssh top -b -c -n1
+
+# get the logs from the VM
+log minikube_ssh journalctl --boot
+
+# filesystem status for host and VM
+log df -h
+log minikube_ssh df -h
diff --git a/upgrade-tests.groovy b/upgrade-tests.groovy
index 9b4464ec7..419036d7b 100644
--- a/upgrade-tests.groovy
+++ b/upgrade-tests.groovy
@@ -175,6 +175,12 @@ node('cico-workspace') {
 		}
 	}
 
+	catch (err) {
+		stage('log system status') {
+			ssh './system-status.sh'
+		}
+	}
+
 	finally {
 		stage('return bare-metal machine') {
 			sh 'cico node done ${CICO_SSID}'