diff --git a/scripts/e2e.js b/scripts/e2e.js
index c39be07d00..0d1d1f269d 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e.js
+++ b/scripts/e2e.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const path = require('path');
 const Paths = require('./paths');
 const { satisfies } = require('semver');
+const { createHash } = require('crypto');
 
 const npmVersion = spawnSync('npm', ['-s', '--version'])
   .stdout.toString()
@@ -22,23 +23,38 @@ function getDirectories(rootDir) {
   });
 }
 
+function sha1(...data) {
+  const hash = createHash('sha1');
+  data.forEach(item => hash.update(item));
+  return hash.digest('base64').toString();
+}
+
+function log(...msg) {
+  console.log(`[e2e]`, ...msg);
+}
+
 function setupE2e() {
   // this will trigger the build as well (not using yarn since yarn pack is bugy)
   // keep on to so that the build is triggered beforehand (pack => prepublish => clean-build => build)
   // Except that on npm < 4.0.0 the prepare doesn't exists
   if (!npmHasPrepare) {
-    spawnSync('npm', ['-s', 'run', 'build'], {
-      cwd: Paths.rootDir,
-      stdio: 'inherit',
-    });
+    log('building ts-jest');
+    spawnSync('npm', ['-s', 'run', 'build'], { cwd: Paths.rootDir });
   }
+  log('creating bundle');
   const res = spawnSync('npm', ['-s', 'pack'], { cwd: Paths.rootDir });
   const bundle = path.join(Paths.rootDir, res.stdout.toString().trim());
+  log('bundle create at ', bundle);
+
+  // get the hash of the bundle (to know if we should install it again or not)
+  const bundleHash = sha1(fs.readFileSync(bundle));
+  log('bundle SHA1: ', bundleHash);
 
   // ensure directory exists before copying over
   fs.mkdirpSync(Paths.e2eWorkTemplatesDir);
 
   // create the template packages from which node_modules will be originally copied from
+  log('copying templates to the work directory');
   fs.copySync(
     path.join(Paths.e2eTemplatesDir),
     path.join(Paths.e2eWorkTemplatesDir)
@@ -47,30 +63,77 @@ function setupE2e() {
   // link locally so we could find it easily
   if (!fs.existsSync(Paths.e2eWotkDirLink)) {
     fs.symlinkSync(Paths.e2eWorkDir, Paths.e2eWotkDirLink, 'dir');
+    log(
+      'symbolic link to the work directory created at: ',
+      Paths.e2eWotkDirLink
+    );
   }
 
   // install with `npm ci` in each template, this is the fastest but needs a package lock file,
   // that is why we end with the npm install of our bundle
-  getDirectories(Paths.e2eWorkTemplatesDir).forEach(tmplDir => {
-    const dir = path.join(Paths.e2eWorkTemplatesDir, tmplDir);
+  getDirectories(Paths.e2eWorkTemplatesDir).forEach(name => {
+    log('checking temlate ', name);
+    const dir = path.join(Paths.e2eWorkTemplatesDir, name);
+    const nodeModulesDir = path.join(dir, 'node_modules');
+    const pkgLockFile = path.join(
+      Paths.e2eTemplatesDir,
+      name,
+      'package-lock.json'
+    );
+    const e2eFile = path.join(nodeModulesDir, '.ts-jest-e2e.json');
 
     // no package-lock.json => this template doesn't provide any package-set
-    if (!fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, 'package-lock.json'))) return;
+    if (!fs.existsSync(pkgLockFile)) {
+      log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'not a package-set template, nothing to do');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const pkgLockHash = sha1(fs.readFileSync(pkgLockFile));
 
     // TODO: create a hash of package-lock.json as well as the bundle, and test it over one copied in each
     // template dir, to know if we should re-install or not
-    if (fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, 'node_modules'))) return;
+    const e2eData = fs.existsSync(e2eFile) ? fs.readJsonSync(e2eFile) : {};
+    let bundleOk = e2eData.bundleHash === bundleHash;
+    let packagesOk = e2eData.packageLockHash === pkgLockHash;
+
+    if (fs.existsSync(nodeModulesDir)) {
+      log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'manifest: ', JSON.stringify(e2eData));
+      log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'bundle: ', bundleOk ? 'HIT' : 'MISS');
+      log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'packages: ', packagesOk ? 'HIT' : 'MISS');
+      if (bundleOk && packagesOk) {
+        log(
+          `  [template: ${name}]`,
+          'bundle and packages unchanged, nothing to do'
+        );
+        return;
+      }
+    }
 
-    if (npmHasCiCommand) {
-      spawnSync('npm', ['ci'], { cwd: dir, stdio: 'inherit' });
-    } else {
-      spawnSync('npm', ['i'], { cwd: dir, stdio: 'inherit' });
+    if (!packagesOk) {
+      if (npmHasCiCommand) {
+        log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'installing packages using "npm ci"');
+        spawnSync('npm', ['ci'], { cwd: dir });
+      } else {
+        log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'installing packages using "npm install"');
+        spawnSync('npm', ['i'], { cwd: dir });
+      }
+      bundleOk = false;
     }
-    spawnSync('npm', ['i', '-D', bundle], { cwd: dir, stdio: 'inherit' });
+    if (!bundleOk) {
+      log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'installing bundle');
+      spawnSync('npm', ['i', '-D', bundle], { cwd: dir });
+    }
+
+    // write our data
+    e2eData.bundleHash = bundleHash;
+    e2eData.packageLockHash = pkgLockHash;
+    log(`  [template: ${name}]`, 'writing manifest: ', JSON.stringify(e2eData));
+    fs.outputJsonSync(e2eFile, e2eData, { space: 2 });
   });
 }
 
 setupE2e();
 
+log('templates are ready, running tests', '\n\n');
 const argv = process.argv.slice(2);
 jest.run(argv);