diff --git a/lib/functions/configuration/change-tracking.sh b/lib/functions/configuration/change-tracking.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2592eb94a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/functions/configuration/change-tracking.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Hint for GitHub Copilot: # Think carefully. Work step by step. # Use modern bash (v5+) features to make it easier to read and maintain.
+
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+# Copyright (c) 2023 Ricardo Pardini <ricardo@pardini.net>
+# This file is a part of the Armbian Build Framework https://github.com/armbian/build/
+#
+
+declare -g -A STORED_CONFIG_VARS=()
+function track_config_variables() {
+	declare when="${1}"
+	shift
+
+	declare -a vars=("${@}")
+	declare var_name
+	for var_name in "${vars[@]}"; do
+		declare var_value var_previous_value was_text value_text
+
+		# if the var is an array...
+		if [[ "${array_values:-"no"}" == "yes" ]]; then
+			eval "var_value=\"\${${var_name}[@]}\"" # sorry
+			value_text="${blue_color:-}(${bright_blue_color:-}${var_value}${blue_color:-})"
+		else
+			var_value="${!var_name}"
+			value_text="${blue_color:-}'${bright_blue_color:-}${var_value}${blue_color:-}'"
+		fi
+
+		var_previous_value="${STORED_CONFIG_VARS["${var_name}"]}"
+		if [[ "${var_value}" == "${var_previous_value}" ]]; then
+			continue
+		fi
+		was_text=""
+		if [[ -n "${var_previous_value}" ]]; then
+			was_text="  ${tool_color:-}# (was: '${var_previous_value}')"
+		fi
+		if [[ "${silent:-"no"}" != "yes" ]]; then
+			display_alert "change-tracking: ${when}" "${bright_blue_color:-}${var_name}${normal_color:-}=${value_text}${was_text}" "change-tracking"
+		fi
+		STORED_CONFIG_VARS["${var_name}"]="${var_value}"
+	done
+}
+
+function track_general_config_variables() {
+	track_config_variables "${1}" BOARDFAMILY KERNELSOURCE KERNEL_MAJOR_MINOR KERNELBRANCH LINUXFAMILY LINUXCONFIG KERNELPATCHDIR KERNEL_PATCH_ARCHIVE_BASE
+	array_values="yes" track_config_variables "${1}" KERNEL_DRIVERS_SKIP
+	track_config_variables "${1}" BOOTSOURCE BOOTBRANCH BOOTPATCHDIR BOOTDIR BOOTCONFIG BOOTBRANCH_BOARD BOOTPATCHDIR_BOARD
+}
diff --git a/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh b/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh
index 0cc9a3e4d6..65138a1469 100644
--- a/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ function do_main_configuration() {
 		Since the family can override values from the user configuration and the board configuration,
 		it is often used to in turn override those.
 	POST_FAMILY_CONFIG
+	track_general_config_variables "after post_family_config hooks"
 
 	# A secondary post_family_config hook, this time with the BRANCH in the name, lowercase.
 	call_extension_method "post_family_config_branch_${BRANCH,,}" <<- 'POST_FAMILY_CONFIG_PER_BRANCH'
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ function do_main_configuration() {
 		The sole purpose of this is to avoid "case ... esac for $BRANCH" in the board configuration,
 		allowing separate functions for different branches. You're welcome.
 	POST_FAMILY_CONFIG_PER_BRANCH
+	track_general_config_variables "after post_family_config_branch hooks"
 
 	# Lets make some variables readonly.
 	# We don't want anything changing them, it's exclusively for family config.
@@ -355,6 +357,7 @@ function do_extra_configuration() {
 	if [[ -f $USERPATCHES_PATH/lib.config ]]; then
 		display_alert "Using user configuration override" "$USERPATCHES_PATH/lib.config" "info"
 		source "$USERPATCHES_PATH"/lib.config
+		track_general_config_variables "after sourcing lib.config"
 	fi
 
 	# Prepare array for extensions to fill in.
@@ -367,6 +370,7 @@ function do_extra_configuration() {
 		It is called after sourcing the `lib.config` file if it exists,
 		but before assembling any package lists.
 	USER_CONFIG
+	track_general_config_variables "after user_config hooks"
 
 	display_alert "Extensions: prepare configuration" "extension_prepare_config" "debug"
 	call_extension_method "extension_prepare_config" <<- 'EXTENSION_PREPARE_CONFIG'
@@ -374,6 +378,7 @@ function do_extra_configuration() {
 		Implementors should preserve variable values pre-set, but can default values an/or validate them.
 		This runs *after* user_config. Don't change anything not coming from other variables or meant to be configured by the user.
 	EXTENSION_PREPARE_CONFIG
+	track_general_config_variables "after extension_prepare_config hooks"
 
 	error_if_lib_tag_set # make sure users are not thrown off by using old parameter which does nothing anymore
 
@@ -492,15 +497,19 @@ function source_family_config_and_arch() {
 		fi
 	fi
 
+	track_general_config_variables "after sourcing family config"
+
 	# load "all-around common arch defaults" common.conf
 	display_alert "Sourcing common arch configuration" "common.conf" "debug"
 	# shellcheck source=config/sources/common.conf
 	source "${SRC}/config/sources/common.conf"
+	track_general_config_variables "after sourcing common arch"
 
 	# load architecture defaults
 	display_alert "Sourcing arch configuration" "${ARCH}.conf" "info"
 	# shellcheck source=/dev/null
 	source "${SRC}/config/sources/${ARCH}.conf"
+	track_general_config_variables "after sourcing ${ARCH} arch"
 
 	return 0
 }
diff --git a/lib/functions/logging/display-alert.sh b/lib/functions/logging/display-alert.sh
index abfa46dd44..120b12cba0 100644
--- a/lib/functions/logging/display-alert.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/logging/display-alert.sh
@@ -140,10 +140,15 @@ function display_alert() {
 			;;
 
 		ext)
-			level_indicator="✨" # or ✅ ?
+			level_indicator="✨"
 			inline_logs_color="\e[1;32m"
 			;;
 
+		change-tracking)
+			level_indicator="✅"
+			inline_logs_color="\e[1;36m" # cyan
+			;;
+
 		*)
 			level="${level:-info}" # for file logging.
 			level_indicator="🌿"
diff --git a/lib/functions/main/config-prepare.sh b/lib/functions/main/config-prepare.sh
index 91b437f893..dbd97e5e88 100644
--- a/lib/functions/main/config-prepare.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/main/config-prepare.sh
@@ -129,11 +129,14 @@ function config_source_board_file() {
 	# Otherwise publish it as readonly global
 	declare -g -r SOURCED_BOARD_CONFIGS_FILENAME_LIST="${sourced_board_configs[*]}"
 
+	track_general_config_variables "after sourcing board"
+
 	# this is (100%?) rewritten by family config!
 	# answer: this defaults LINUXFAMILY to BOARDFAMILY. that... shouldn't happen, extensions might change it too.
 	# @TODO: better to check for empty after sourcing family config and running extensions, *warning about it*, and only then default to BOARDFAMILY.
 	# this sourced the board config. do_main_configuration will source the (BOARDFAMILY) family file.
 	LINUXFAMILY="${BOARDFAMILY}"
+	track_general_config_variables "after defaulting LINUXFAMILY to BOARDFAMILY"
 
 	# Lets make some variables readonly after sourcing the board file.
 	# We don't want anything changing them, it's exclusively for board config.
@@ -162,6 +165,8 @@ function config_early_init() {
 
 	declare -g -a KERNEL_DRIVERS_SKIP=() # Prepare array to be filled in by board/family/extensions
 
+	silent="yes" track_general_config_variables "after config_early_init" # don't log anything, just init the change tracking
+
 	return 0 # protect against eventual shortcircuit above
 }
 
@@ -225,6 +230,7 @@ function config_post_main() {
 		call_extension_method "late_family_config" <<- 'LATE_FAMILY_CONFIG'
 			*late defaults/overrides, main hook point for KERNELSOURCE/BRANCH and BOOTSOURCE/BRANCH etc*
 		LATE_FAMILY_CONFIG
+		track_general_config_variables "after late_family_config hooks"
 
 		if [[ "${KERNELSOURCE}" != 'none' ]]; then
 			if [[ "x${KERNEL_MAJOR_MINOR}x" == "xx" ]]; then
diff --git a/lib/library-functions.sh b/lib/library-functions.sh
index 4d04894367..4a1ee7f603 100644
--- a/lib/library-functions.sh
+++ b/lib/library-functions.sh
@@ -550,6 +550,15 @@ set -o errexit  ## set -e : exit the script if any statement returns a non-true
 # shellcheck source=lib/functions/configuration/aggregation.sh
 source "${SRC}"/lib/functions/configuration/aggregation.sh
 
+# no errors tolerated. invoked before each sourced file to make sure.
+#set -o pipefail  # trace ERR through pipes - will be enabled "soon"
+#set -o nounset   ## set -u : exit the script if you try to use an uninitialised variable - one day will be enabled
+set -o errtrace # trace ERR through - enabled
+set -o errexit  ## set -e : exit the script if any statement returns a non-true return value - enabled
+### lib/functions/configuration/change-tracking.sh
+# shellcheck source=lib/functions/configuration/change-tracking.sh
+source "${SRC}"/lib/functions/configuration/change-tracking.sh
+
 # no errors tolerated. invoked before each sourced file to make sure.
 #set -o pipefail  # trace ERR through pipes - will be enabled "soon"
 #set -o nounset   ## set -u : exit the script if you try to use an uninitialised variable - one day will be enabled