diff --git a/src/nimble.nim b/src/nimble.nim
index e923eec..d7e011e 100644
--- a/src/nimble.nim
+++ b/src/nimble.nim
@@ -251,10 +251,14 @@ proc buildFromDir(
     if not existsDir(outputDir):
       createDir(outputDir)
 
+    let input = realDir / bin.changeFileExt("nim")
+    # `quoteShell` would be more robust than `\"` (and avoid quoting when
+    # un-necessary) but would require changing `extractBin`
+    let cmd = "\"$#\" $# --noNimblePath $# $# $# \"$#\"" %
+            [getNimBin(), pkgInfo.backend, nimblePkgVersion,
+             join(args, " "), outputOpt, input]
     try:
-      doCmd("\"" & getNimBin() & "\" $# --noNimblePath $# $# $# \"$#\"" %
-            [pkgInfo.backend, nimblePkgVersion, join(args, " "), outputOpt,
-             realDir / bin.changeFileExt("nim")])
+      doCmd(cmd, showCmd = true)
       binariesBuilt.inc()
     except NimbleError:
       let currentExc = (ref NimbleError)(getCurrentException())
@@ -382,7 +386,7 @@ proc installFromDir(dir: string, requestedVer: VersionRange, options: Options,
                   options.action.passNimFlags
                 else:
                   @[]
-    buildFromDir(pkgInfo, paths, flags & "-d:release", options)
+    buildFromDir(pkgInfo, paths, "-d:release" & flags, options)
 
   let pkgDestDir = pkgInfo.getPkgDest(options)
   if existsDir(pkgDestDir) and existsFile(pkgDestDir / "nimblemeta.json"):
diff --git a/src/nimblepkg/tools.nim b/src/nimblepkg/tools.nim
index b39fea7..a0e6a0e 100644
--- a/src/nimblepkg/tools.nim
+++ b/src/nimblepkg/tools.nim
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ proc extractBin(cmd: string): string =
   else:
     return cmd.split(' ')[0]
 
-proc doCmd*(cmd: string, showOutput = false) =
+proc doCmd*(cmd: string, showOutput = false, showCmd = false) =
   let bin = extractBin(cmd)
   if findExe(bin) == "":
     raise newException(NimbleError, "'" & bin & "' not in PATH.")
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ proc doCmd*(cmd: string, showOutput = false) =
   stdout.flushFile()
   stderr.flushFile()
 
-  displayDebug("Executing", cmd)
+  if showCmd:
+    display("Executing", cmd, priority = MediumPriority)
+  else:
+    displayDebug("Executing", cmd)
   if showOutput:
     let exitCode = execCmd(cmd)
     displayDebug("Finished", "with exit code " & $exitCode)
diff --git a/tests/nimbleVersionDefine/src/nimbleVersionDefine b/tests/nimbleVersionDefine/src/nimbleVersionDefine
index 7aa3ee8..af3cc22 100755
Binary files a/tests/nimbleVersionDefine/src/nimbleVersionDefine and b/tests/nimbleVersionDefine/src/nimbleVersionDefine differ