diff --git a/commands/build.go b/commands/build.go
index 5943522a..9f84f091 100644
--- a/commands/build.go
+++ b/commands/build.go
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func runControllerBuild(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, options buil
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("Dockerfile or context from stdin is not supported with invoke")
 	}
 
-	c, err := controller.NewController(ctx, options.ControlOptions, dockerCli)
+	c, err := controller.NewController(ctx, options.ControlOptions, dockerCli, printer)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/commands/debug-shell.go b/commands/debug-shell.go
index 1a9cc6ac..0b091572 100644
--- a/commands/debug-shell.go
+++ b/commands/debug-shell.go
@@ -25,8 +25,13 @@ func debugShellCmd(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "debug-shell",
 		Short: "Start a monitor",
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			printer, err := progress.NewPrinter(context.TODO(), os.Stderr, os.Stderr, progressMode)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			ctx := context.TODO()
-			c, err := controller.NewController(ctx, options, dockerCli)
+			c, err := controller.NewController(ctx, options, dockerCli, printer)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -40,11 +45,6 @@ func debugShellCmd(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 				return errors.Errorf("failed to configure terminal: %v", err)
 			}
 
-			printer, err := progress.NewPrinter(context.TODO(), os.Stderr, os.Stderr, progressMode)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
 			err = monitor.RunMonitor(ctx, "", nil, controllerapi.InvokeConfig{
 				Tty: true,
 			}, c, os.Stdin, os.Stdout, os.Stderr, printer)
diff --git a/controller/controller.go b/controller/controller.go
index cc054338..635a7a23 100644
--- a/controller/controller.go
+++ b/controller/controller.go
@@ -2,26 +2,35 @@ package controller
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/docker/buildx/controller/control"
 	"github.com/docker/buildx/controller/local"
 	"github.com/docker/buildx/controller/remote"
+	"github.com/docker/buildx/util/progress"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-func NewController(ctx context.Context, opts control.ControlOptions, dockerCli command.Cli) (c control.BuildxController, err error) {
-	if !opts.Detach {
-		logrus.Infof("launching local buildx controller")
-		c = local.NewLocalBuildxController(ctx, dockerCli)
-		return c, nil
+func NewController(ctx context.Context, opts control.ControlOptions, dockerCli command.Cli, pw progress.Writer) (control.BuildxController, error) {
+	var name string
+	if opts.Detach {
+		name = "remote"
+	} else {
+		name = "local"
 	}
 
-	logrus.Infof("connecting to buildx server")
-	c, err = remote.NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx, dockerCli, opts)
+	var c control.BuildxController
+	err := progress.Wrap(fmt.Sprintf("[internal] connecting to %s controller", name), pw.Write, func(l progress.SubLogger) (err error) {
+		if opts.Detach {
+			c, err = remote.NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx, dockerCli, opts, l)
+		} else {
+			c = local.NewLocalBuildxController(ctx, dockerCli, l)
+		}
+		return err
+	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to use buildx server; use --detach=false")
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to start buildx controller")
 	}
 	return c, nil
 }
diff --git a/controller/local/controller.go b/controller/local/controller.go
index 2bce2b28..9d69412e 100644
--- a/controller/local/controller.go
+++ b/controller/local/controller.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
-func NewLocalBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli) control.BuildxController {
+func NewLocalBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, logger progress.SubLogger) control.BuildxController {
 	return &localController{
 		dockerCli: dockerCli,
 		ref:       "local",
diff --git a/controller/remote/controller.go b/controller/remote/controller.go
index 60aaa852..7d7c8496 100644
--- a/controller/remote/controller.go
+++ b/controller/remote/controller.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ type serverConfig struct {
 	LogFile string `toml:"log_file"`
 }
 
-func NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts control.ControlOptions) (control.BuildxController, error) {
+func NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts control.ControlOptions, logger progress.SubLogger) (control.BuildxController, error) {
 	rootDir := opts.Root
 	if rootDir == "" {
 		rootDir = rootDataDir(dockerCli)
@@ -74,27 +74,32 @@ func NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts
 	}
 
 	// start buildx server via subcommand
-	logrus.Info("no buildx server found; launching...")
-	launchFlags := []string{}
-	if opts.ServerConfig != "" {
-		launchFlags = append(launchFlags, "--config", opts.ServerConfig)
-	}
-	logFile, err := getLogFilePath(dockerCli, opts.ServerConfig)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	wait, err := launch(ctx, logFile, append([]string{serveCommandName}, launchFlags...)...)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	go wait()
+	err = logger.Wrap("no buildx server found; launching...", func() error {
+		launchFlags := []string{}
+		if opts.ServerConfig != "" {
+			launchFlags = append(launchFlags, "--config", opts.ServerConfig)
+		}
+		logFile, err := getLogFilePath(dockerCli, opts.ServerConfig)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		wait, err := launch(ctx, logFile, append([]string{serveCommandName}, launchFlags...)...)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		go wait()
 
-	// wait for buildx server to be ready
-	ctx2, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
-	c, err = newBuildxClientAndCheck(ctx2, filepath.Join(serverRoot, defaultSocketFilename))
-	cancel()
+		// wait for buildx server to be ready
+		ctx2, cancel = context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
+		c, err = newBuildxClientAndCheck(ctx2, filepath.Join(serverRoot, defaultSocketFilename))
+		cancel()
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "cannot connect to the buildx server")
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cannot connect to the buildx server")
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	return &buildxController{c, serverRoot}, nil
 }
diff --git a/controller/remote/controller_nolinux.go b/controller/remote/controller_nolinux.go
index fe5200f7..07c1c3b2 100644
--- a/controller/remote/controller_nolinux.go
+++ b/controller/remote/controller_nolinux.go
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"github.com/docker/buildx/controller/control"
+	"github.com/docker/buildx/util/progress"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
-func NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts control.ControlOptions) (control.BuildxController, error) {
+func NewRemoteBuildxController(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts control.ControlOptions, logger progress.SubLogger) (control.BuildxController, error) {
 	return nil, errors.New("remote buildx unsupported")
 }