diff --git a/scripts/build-setup.sh b/scripts/build-setup.sh
index c95056db..080b79af 100755
--- a/scripts/build-setup.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-setup.sh
@@ -111,22 +111,13 @@ fi
 
 # setup and install conda environment
 if run_step "1"; then
-    # note: lock file must end in .conda-lock.yml - see https://github.com/conda-incubator/conda-lock/issues/154
-    CONDA_REQS=$CYDIR/conda-reqs
-    CONDA_LOCK_REQS=$CONDA_REQS/conda-lock-reqs
-    # must match with the file generated by generate-conda-lockfile.sh
-    LOCKFILE=$CONDA_LOCK_REQS/conda-requirements-$TOOLCHAIN_TYPE-linux-64.conda-lock.yml
-
-    if [ "$USE_UNPINNED_DEPS" = true ]; then
-        # auto-gen the lockfiles
-        $CYDIR/scripts/generate-conda-lockfiles.sh
-    fi
-
-    # use conda-lock to create env
-    conda-lock install --conda $(which conda) -p $CYDIR/.conda-env $LOCKFILE
-
-    source $CYDIR/.conda-env/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
-    conda activate $CYDIR/.conda-env
+    try; (
+        source $CYDIR/scripts/build-step-init-conda-environment.sh
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 1: conda environment setup. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$FORCE_FLAG" ]; then
@@ -138,7 +129,13 @@ fi
 
 # initialize all submodules (without the toolchain submodules)
 if run_step "2"; then
-    $CYDIR/scripts/init-submodules-no-riscv-tools.sh $FORCE_FLAG
+    try; (
+        $CYDIR/scripts/init-submodules-no-riscv-tools.sh $FORCE_FLAG
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 2: submodule initialization. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 fi
 
 # build extra toolchain collateral (i.e. spike, pk, riscv-tests, libgloss)
@@ -152,58 +149,95 @@ if run_step "3"; then
         fi
         PREFIX=$RISCV
     fi
-    $CYDIR/scripts/build-toolchain-extra.sh $TOOLCHAIN_TYPE -p $PREFIX
+    try; (
+        $CYDIR/scripts/build-toolchain-extra.sh $TOOLCHAIN_TYPE -p $PREFIX
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 3: toolchain collateral. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 fi
 
 # run ctags for code navigation
 if run_step "4"; then
-    $CYDIR/scripts/gen-tags.sh
+    try; (
+        $CYDIR/scripts/gen-tags.sh
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 4: ctags generation. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 fi
 
 # precompile chipyard scala sources
 if run_step "5"; then
-    pushd $CYDIR/sims/verilator
-    make launch-sbt SBT_COMMAND=";project chipyard; compile"
-    make launch-sbt SBT_COMMAND=";project tapeout; compile"
-    popd
+    try; (
+        source $CYDIR/scripts/build-step-precompile-chipyard-scala.sh
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 5: chipyard pre-compile sources. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 fi
 
 # setup firesim
 if run_step "6"; then
-    $CYDIR/scripts/firesim-setup.sh
-    $CYDIR/sims/firesim/gen-tags.sh
+    try; (
+        $CYDIR/scripts/firesim-setup.sh &&
+        $CYDIR/sims/firesim/gen-tags.sh
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 6: firesim setup. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 
     # precompile firesim scala sources
     if run_step "7"; then
-        pushd $CYDIR/sims/firesim
-        (
-            echo $CYDIR
-            source sourceme-manager.sh --skip-ssh-setup
-            pushd sim
-            make sbt SBT_COMMAND="project {file:$CYDIR}firechip; compile" TARGET_PROJECT=firesim
-            popd
+        try; (
+            source $CYDIR/scripts/build-step-precompile-firesim-scala.sh
         )
-        popd
+        catch || {
+            echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 7: firesim pre-compile sources. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+            exit $?
+        }
     fi
 fi
 
 # setup firemarshal
 if run_step "8"; then
     pushd $CYDIR/software/firemarshal
-    ./init-submodules.sh
+    try; (
+        ./init-submodules.sh
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 8: firemarshal setup. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 
     # precompile firemarshal buildroot sources
     if run_step "9"; then
-        source $CYDIR/scripts/fix-open-files.sh
-        ./marshal $VERBOSE_FLAG build br-base.json
-        ./marshal $VERBOSE_FLAG clean br-base.json
+        try; (
+            source $CYDIR/scripts/fix-open-files.sh &&
+            ./marshal $VERBOSE_FLAG build br-base.json &&
+            ./marshal $VERBOSE_FLAG clean br-base.json
+        )
+        catch || {
+            echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 9: firemarshal pre-compile buildroot sources. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+            exit $?
+        }
     fi
     popd
 fi
 
 # do misc. cleanup for a "clean" git status
 if run_step "10"; then
-    $CYDIR/scripts/repo-clean.sh
+    try; (
+        $CYDIR/scripts/repo-clean.sh
+    )
+    catch || {
+        echo "Build script exited with exit code $? at step 10: repository cleanup. Check the above logs for more details on the error."
+        exit $?
+    }
 fi
 
 cat <<EOT >> env.sh
diff --git a/scripts/build-step-init-conda-environment.sh b/scripts/build-step-init-conda-environment.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..2ba4a344
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-step-init-conda-environment.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# This script is intended to be used as a sub-step of build-setup.sh.
+
+# note: lock file must end in .conda-lock.yml - see https://github.com/conda-incubator/conda-lock/issues/154
+set -e
+CONDA_REQS=$CYDIR/conda-reqs
+CONDA_LOCK_REQS=$CONDA_REQS/conda-lock-reqs
+# must match with the file generated by generate-conda-lockfile.sh
+LOCKFILE=$CONDA_LOCK_REQS/conda-requirements-$TOOLCHAIN_TYPE-linux-64.conda-lock.yml
+
+if [ "$USE_UNPINNED_DEPS" = true ]; then
+    # auto-gen the lockfiles
+    $CYDIR/scripts/generate-conda-lockfiles.sh
+fi
+
+# use conda-lock to create env
+conda-lock install --conda $(which conda) -p $CYDIR/.conda-env $LOCKFILE
+
+source $CYDIR/.conda-env/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
+conda activate $CYDIR/.conda-env
diff --git a/scripts/build-step-precompile-chipyard-scala.sh b/scripts/build-step-precompile-chipyard-scala.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..807b6d8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-step-precompile-chipyard-scala.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# This script is intended to be used as a sub-step of build-setup.sh.
+
+set -e
+pushd $CYDIR/sims/verilator
+make launch-sbt SBT_COMMAND=";project chipyard; compile"
+make launch-sbt SBT_COMMAND=";project tapeout; compile"
+popd
+
diff --git a/scripts/build-step-precompile-firesim-scala.sh b/scripts/build-step-precompile-firesim-scala.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4c9aeb33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-step-precompile-firesim-scala.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# This script is intended to be used as a sub-step of build-setup.sh.
+pushd $CYDIR/sims/firesim
+(
+    echo $CYDIR
+    source sourceme-manager.sh --skip-ssh-setup
+    pushd sim
+    make sbt SBT_COMMAND="project {file:$CYDIR}firechip; compile" TARGET_PROJECT=firesim
+    popd
+)
+popd
diff --git a/scripts/utils.sh b/scripts/utils.sh
index 30d3e092..6f0fc5f7 100755
--- a/scripts/utils.sh
+++ b/scripts/utils.sh
@@ -53,3 +53,24 @@ function restore_bash_options
 {
     set +vx; eval "$OLDSTATE"
 }
+
+#######################################
+# Basic try-catch block implementation
+# for bash scripts.
+# Usage: try; ( run commands )
+#  catch || { handle error }
+# Source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/25180186/5121242
+#######################################
+function try()
+{
+    [[ $- = *e* ]]; SAVED_OPT_E=$?
+    set +e
+}
+
+function catch()
+{
+    export ex_code=$?
+    (( $SAVED_OPT_E )) && set +e
+    return $ex_code
+}
+