diff --git a/salt/template.py b/salt/template.py
index a33449809d..f6f2ab7ec7 100644
--- a/salt/template.py
+++ b/salt/template.py
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ def compile_template(template,
     derived from the template.
     '''
 
+    # if any error occurs, we return an empty dictionary
+    ret = {}
+
+    log.debug('compile template: {0}'.format(template))
     # We "map" env to the same as saltenv until Boron is out in order to follow the same deprecation path
     kwargs.setdefault('env', saltenv)
     salt.utils.warn_until(
@@ -48,13 +52,16 @@ def compile_template(template,
 
     # Template was specified incorrectly
     if not isinstance(template, string_types):
-        return {}
+        log.error('Template was specified incorrectly: {0}'.format(template))
+        return ret
     # Template does not exists
     if not os.path.isfile(template):
-        return {}
+        log.error('Template does not exists: {0}'.format(template))
+        return ret
     # Template is an empty file
     if salt.utils.is_empty(template):
-        return {}
+        log.error('Template is an empty file: {0}'.format(template))
+        return ret
 
     # Get the list of render funcs in the render pipe line.
     render_pipe = template_shebang(template, renderers, default)
@@ -64,14 +71,16 @@ def compile_template(template,
         input_data = ifile.read()
         if not input_data.strip():
             # Template is nothing but whitespace
-            return {}
+            log.error('Template is nothing but whitespace: {0}'.format(template))
+            return ret
 
     input_data = string_io(input_data)
     for render, argline in render_pipe:
         try:
             input_data.seek(0)
-        except Exception:
-            pass
+        except Exception as exp:
+            log.error('error: {0}:\n{1}'.format(exp))
+
         render_kwargs = dict(renderers=renderers, tmplpath=template)
         render_kwargs.update(kwargs)
         if argline:
@@ -88,8 +97,8 @@ def compile_template(template,
                     template,
                     ret.read()))
                 ret.seek(0)
-            except Exception:
-                pass
+            except Exception as exp:
+                log.error('error: {0}'.format(exp))
     return ret
 
 
diff --git a/salt/utils/templates.py b/salt/utils/templates.py
index fb390dc699..5caec361cd 100644
--- a/salt/utils/templates.py
+++ b/salt/utils/templates.py
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ def wrap_tmpl_func(render_str):
                 output = os.linesep.join(output.splitlines())
 
         except SaltRenderError as exc:
+            log.error("Rendering exception occured :{0}".format(exc))
             #return dict(result=False, data=str(exc))
             raise
         except Exception:
@@ -290,6 +291,11 @@ def render_jinja_tmpl(tmplstr, context, tmplpath=None):
         template.globals.update(unicode_context)
         output = template.render(**unicode_context)
     except jinja2.exceptions.TemplateSyntaxError as exc:
+        print exc
+        print out
+        print line
+        print tmplstr
+
         trace = traceback.extract_tb(sys.exc_info()[2])
         line, out = _get_jinja_error(trace, context=unicode_context)
         if not line:
@@ -325,6 +331,13 @@ def render_jinja_tmpl(tmplstr, context, tmplpath=None):
             tmplstr = ''
         else:
             tmplstr += '\n{0}'.format(tracestr)
+        log.debug("Jinja Error")
+        log.debug("Exception: {0}".format(exc))
+        log.debug("Out: {0}".format(out))
+        log.debug("Line: {0}".format(line))
+        log.debug("TmplStr: {0}".format(tmplstr))
+        log.debug("TraceStr: {0}".format(tracestr))
+
         raise SaltRenderError('Jinja error: {0}{1}'.format(exc, out),
                               line,
                               tmplstr,