diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics.ts
index 806afff2d2b4..31619a0f6ddc 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics.ts
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ function _createPromptProvider(): schema.PromptProvider {
   };
 }
 
+// eslint-disable-next-line max-lines-per-function
 export async function main({
   args,
   stdout = process.stdout,
@@ -141,8 +142,10 @@ export async function main({
   const isLocalCollection = collectionName.startsWith('.') || collectionName.startsWith('/');
 
   /** Gather the arguments for later use. */
-  const debug: boolean = argv.debug === null ? isLocalCollection : argv.debug;
-  const dryRun: boolean = argv['dry-run'] === null ? debug : argv['dry-run'];
+  const debugPresent = argv['debug'] !== null;
+  const debug = debugPresent ? !!argv['debug'] : isLocalCollection;
+  const dryRunPresent = argv['dry-run'] !== null;
+  const dryRun = dryRunPresent ? !!argv['dry-run'] : debug;
   const force = argv['force'];
   const allowPrivate = argv['allow-private'];
 
@@ -165,6 +168,12 @@ export async function main({
     return 1;
   }
 
+  if (debug) {
+    logger.info(
+      `Debug mode enabled${isLocalCollection ? ' by default for local collections' : ''}.`,
+    );
+  }
+
   // Indicate to the user when nothing has been done. This is automatically set to off when there's
   // a new DryRunEvent.
   let nothingDone = true;
@@ -285,6 +294,12 @@ export async function main({
 
     if (nothingDone) {
       logger.info('Nothing to be done.');
+    } else if (dryRun) {
+      logger.info(
+        `Dry run enabled${
+          dryRunPresent ? '' : ' by default in debug mode'
+        }. No files written to disk.`,
+      );
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics_spec.ts b/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics_spec.ts
index 3c71096915c6..2055d474333e 100644
--- a/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/angular_devkit/schematics_cli/bin/schematics_spec.ts
@@ -50,16 +50,19 @@ describe('schematics-cli binary', () => {
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/.gitignore/);
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/src\/foo\/index.ts/);
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/src\/foo\/index_spec.ts/);
+    expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/Dry run enabled./);
     expect(res).toEqual(0);
   });
 
   it('dry-run is default when debug mode', async () => {
     const args = ['blank', 'foo', '--debug'];
     const res = await main({ args, stdout, stderr });
+    expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/Debug mode enabled./);
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/README.md/);
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/.gitignore/);
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/src\/foo\/index.ts/);
     expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/CREATE foo\/src\/foo\/index_spec.ts/);
+    expect(stdout.lines).toMatch(/Dry run enabled by default in debug mode./);
     expect(res).toEqual(0);
   });