diff --git a/lib/ceedling/configurator.rb b/lib/ceedling/configurator.rb
index 85c3b0d7..5671da3e 100644
--- a/lib/ceedling/configurator.rb
+++ b/lib/ceedling/configurator.rb
@@ -187,28 +187,38 @@ def merge_ceedling_runtime_config(config, runtime_config)
     config.deep_merge( runtime_config )
   end
 
+  def populate_with_defaults( config_hash, defaults_hash )
+    msg = @reportinator.generate_progress( 'Populating project configuration with collected default values' )
+    @loginator.log( msg, Verbosity::OBNOXIOUS )    
+
+    @configurator_builder.populate_with_defaults( config_hash, defaults_hash )
+  end
+
 
   def populate_unity_config(config)
     msg = @reportinator.generate_progress( 'Processing Unity configuration' )
     @loginator.log( msg, Verbosity::OBNOXIOUS )
 
-    # :unity is not guaranteed to exist in a user configuration before populating it.
-
     if config[:unity][:use_param_tests]
       config[:unity][:defines] << 'UNITY_SUPPORT_TEST_CASES'
       config[:unity][:defines] << 'UNITY_SUPPORT_VARIADIC_MACROS'
     end
+
+    @loginator.log( "Unity configuration >> #{config[:unity]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )    
   end
 
 
   def populate_cmock_config(config)
-    # :unity is not guaranteed to exist in a user configuration before populating it.
+    # Save CMock config reference
+    @cmock_config = config[:cmock]
 
-    # Populate config with CMock config
-    cmock = config[:cmock] || {}
-    @cmock_config = cmock
+    cmock = config[:cmock]
 
-    return if !config[:project][:use_mocks]
+    # Do no more prep if we're not using mocks
+    if !config[:project][:use_mocks]
+      @loginator.log( "CMock configuration >> #{cmock}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
+      return
+    end
 
     msg = @reportinator.generate_progress( 'Processing CMock configuration' )
     @loginator.log( msg, Verbosity::OBNOXIOUS )
@@ -217,11 +227,6 @@ def populate_cmock_config(config)
     cmock[:plugins].map! { |plugin| plugin.to_sym() }
     cmock[:plugins].uniq!
 
-    # CMock includes safe defaults
-    cmock[:includes] = [] if (cmock[:includes].nil?)
-
-    # Default to empty array if cmock[:unity_helper_path] not provided
-    cmock[:unity_helper_path] = [] if cmock[:unity_helper_path].nil?
     # Reformulate CMock helper path value as array of one element if it's a string in config
     cmock[:unity_helper_path] = [cmock[:unity_helper_path]] if cmock[:unity_helper_path].is_a?( String )
 
@@ -231,14 +236,8 @@ def populate_cmock_config(config)
     end
 
     cmock[:includes].uniq!
-  end
-
-
-  def populate_with_defaults( config_hash, defaults_hash )
-    msg = @reportinator.generate_progress( 'Populating project configuration with collected default values' )
-    @loginator.log( msg, Verbosity::OBNOXIOUS )    
 
-    @configurator_builder.populate_with_defaults( config_hash, defaults_hash )
+    @loginator.log( "CMock configuration >> #{cmock}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
   end
 
 
@@ -263,6 +262,8 @@ def populate_test_runner_generation_config(config)
     config[:test_runner][:use_param_tests] = config[:unity][:use_param_tests]
 
     @runner_config = config[:test_runner]
+
+    @loginator.log( "Test Runner configuration >> #{config[:test_runner]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
   end
 
 
@@ -274,6 +275,8 @@ def populate_exceptions_config(config)
 
       config[:project][:use_exceptions] = true
     end
+
+    @loginator.log( "CException configuration >> #{config[:cexception]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
   end
 
 
diff --git a/lib/ceedling/setupinator.rb b/lib/ceedling/setupinator.rb
index 56cdde1b..8e954ddc 100644
--- a/lib/ceedling/setupinator.rb
+++ b/lib/ceedling/setupinator.rb
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def do_setup( app_cfg )
     ## 2. Handle basic configuration
     ##
 
-    log_step( 'Project Configuration Handling' )
+    log_step( 'Base configuration handling', heading:false )
 
     # Evaluate environment vars before plugin configurations that might reference with inline Ruby string expansion
     @configurator.eval_environment_variables( config_hash )
@@ -77,12 +77,6 @@ def do_setup( app_cfg )
     # Standardize paths and add to Ruby load paths
     plugins_paths_hash = @configurator.prepare_plugins_load_paths( app_cfg[:ceedling_plugins_path], config_hash )
 
-    # Populate Unity configuration with values to tie vendor tool configurations together
-    @configurator.populate_unity_config( config_hash )
-
-    # Populate CMock configuration with values to tie vendor tool configurations together
-    @configurator.populate_cmock_config( config_hash )
-
     ##
     ## 3. Plugin Handling
     ##
@@ -115,14 +109,15 @@ def do_setup( app_cfg )
 
     log_step( 'Completing Project Configuration' )
 
+    # Populate Unity configuration with values to tie vendor tool configurations together
+    @configurator.populate_unity_config( config_hash )
+
+    # Populate CMock configuration with values to tie vendor tool configurations together
+    @configurator.populate_cmock_config( config_hash )
+
     # Configure test runner generation
     @configurator.populate_test_runner_generation_config( config_hash )
 
-    @loginator.log( "Unity configuration >> #{config_hash[:unity]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
-    @loginator.log( "CMock configuration >> #{config_hash[:cmock]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
-    @loginator.log( "Test Runner configuration >> #{config_hash[:test_runner]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
-    @loginator.log( "CException configuration >> #{config_hash[:cexception]}", Verbosity::DEBUG )
-
     # Automagically enable use of exceptions based on CMock settings
     @configurator.populate_exceptions_config( config_hash )