diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index a9557a83e1..83909a00e6 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -803,9 +803,13 @@ include_plugins_debian12_task:
   sync_submodules_script: git submodule update --recursive --init
   fetch_external_plugins_script:
     - cd /zeek/testing/builtin-plugins/external && git clone https://github.com/zeek/zeek-perf-support.git
+    - cd zeek-perf-support && echo "Cloned $(git rev-parse HEAD) for $(basename $(pwd))"
     - cd /zeek/testing/builtin-plugins/external && git clone https://github.com/zeek/zeek-more-hashes.git
+    - cd zeek-more-hashes && echo "Cloned $(git rev-parse HEAD) for $(basename $(pwd))"
     - cd /zeek/testing/builtin-plugins/external && git clone https://github.com/zeek/zeek-cluster-backend-nats.git
+    - cd zeek-cluster-backend-nats && echo "Cloned $(git rev-parse HEAD) for $(basename $(pwd))"
     - cd /zeek/testing/builtin-plugins/external && git clone https://github.com/SeisoLLC/zeek-kafka.git
+    - cd zeek-kafka && echo "Cloned $(git rev-parse HEAD) for $(basename $(pwd))"
   always:
     ccache_cache:
       folder: /tmp/ccache
diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index f02a65a49c..69bf8b09f1 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+8.0.0-dev.705 | 2025-07-23 08:20:30 -0700
+
+  * Output more information when cloning repos for include_plugins CI task (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
+
 8.0.0-dev.703 | 2025-07-23 13:37:56 +0200
 
   * Type/RecordType: Make table returned by GetRecordFieldsVal() ordered (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index a5dd37fdf1..9cfa06b4f0 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8.0.0-dev.703
+8.0.0-dev.705