diff --git a/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_fetcher.rb b/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_fetcher.rb
index 5dacfd983e..5f6a84b034 100644
--- a/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_fetcher.rb
+++ b/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_fetcher.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def fetch_files
           credentials: credentials
         )
 
+        NativeDiscoveryJsonReader.debug_report_discovery_files(error_if_missing: false)
         discovery_json_reader.dependency_file_paths.map do |p|
           relative_path = Pathname.new(p).relative_path_from(directory).to_path
           fetch_file_from_host(relative_path)
diff --git a/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_parser.rb b/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_parser.rb
index 5663c777b4..334f18622a 100644
--- a/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_parser.rb
+++ b/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/file_parser.rb
@@ -26,10 +26,16 @@ def parse
 
       sig { returns(T::Array[Dependabot::Dependency]) }
       def dependencies
-        @dependencies ||= T.let(NativeDiscoveryJsonReader.load_discovery_for_directory(
-          repo_contents_path: T.must(repo_contents_path),
-          directory: source&.directory || "/"
-        ).dependency_set.dependencies, T.nilable(T::Array[Dependabot::Dependency]))
+        @dependencies ||= T.let(begin
+          NativeDiscoveryJsonReader.debug_report_discovery_files(error_if_missing: true)
+          directory = source&.directory || "/"
+          discovery_json_reader = NativeDiscoveryJsonReader.run_discovery_in_directory(
+            repo_contents_path: T.must(repo_contents_path),
+            directory: directory,
+            credentials: credentials
+          )
+          discovery_json_reader.dependency_set.dependencies
+        end, T.nilable(T::Array[Dependabot::Dependency]))
       end
 
       sig { override.void }
diff --git a/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/native_discovery/native_discovery_json_reader.rb b/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/native_discovery/native_discovery_json_reader.rb
index 7bcaadb865..2dd7ebff0b 100644
--- a/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/native_discovery/native_discovery_json_reader.rb
+++ b/nuget/lib/dependabot/nuget/native_discovery/native_discovery_json_reader.rb
@@ -41,6 +41,17 @@ def self.testonly_clear_discovery_files
         FileUtils.rm_rf(discovery_directory)
       end
 
+      sig { params(error_if_missing: T::Boolean).void }
+      def self.debug_report_discovery_files(error_if_missing:)
+        if File.exist?(discovery_map_file_path)
+          Dependabot.logger.info("Discovery map file (#{discovery_map_file_path}) contents: " \
+                                 "#{File.read(discovery_map_file_path)}")
+          Dependabot.logger.info("Discovery files: #{Dir.glob(File.join(discovery_directory, '*'))}")
+        elsif error_if_missing
+          Dependabot.logger.error("discovery map file missing")
+        end
+      end
+
       # Runs NuGet dependency discovery in the given directory and returns a new instance of NativeDiscoveryJsonReader.
       # The location of the resultant JSON file is saved.
       sig do
diff --git a/nuget/script/run b/nuget/script/run
index eaea942642..ea09331823 100644
--- a/nuget/script/run
+++ b/nuget/script/run
@@ -7,5 +7,19 @@ echo "NuGet native updater experiment value: $nuget_experiment_value"
 if echo "$nuget_experiment_value" | grep -q 'true'; then
     pwsh "$DEPENDABOT_HOME/dependabot-updater/bin/main.ps1" $*
 else
+    operation=$1
+    dot_dependabot_directory="$DEPENDABOT_HOME/.dependabot"
+    discovery_map_path="$dot_dependabot_directory/discovery_map.json"
+
+    # ensure discovery file exists before running update
+    if [[ "$operation" == "update_files" && ! -f $discovery_map_path ]]; then
+        echo "ERROR running update_files without discovery_map.json"
+    fi
+
     "$DEPENDABOT_HOME/dependabot-updater/bin/run-original" $*
+
+    # ensure discovery file exists after running fetch
+    if [[ "$operation" == "fetch_files" && ! -f $discovery_map_path ]]; then
+        echo "ERROR ran fetch_files without producing discovery_map.json"
+    fi
 fi