diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/assets/scripts/wsl-init b/pkg/rancher-desktop/assets/scripts/wsl-init
index 2bbdbd629d3..a6049b15b85 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/assets/scripts/wsl-init
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/assets/scripts/wsl-init
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ if [ $$ -ne "1" ]; then
     # from WSL.
     exec /usr/local/bin/network-setup --logfile "$NETWORK_SETUP_LOG" \
     --vm-switch-path /usr/local/bin/vm-switch --vm-switch-logfile \
-    "$VM_SWITCH_LOG" --unshare-arg "${0}"
+    "$VM_SWITCH_LOG" ${RD_DEBUG:+-debug} --unshare-arg "${0}"
 fi
 
 # Mark directories that we will need to bind mount as shared mounts.
diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/wsl.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/wsl.ts
index 6706a577ed4..aae9164a9fd 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/wsl.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/wsl.ts
@@ -1041,15 +1041,20 @@ export default class WSLBackend extends events.EventEmitter implements VMBackend
 
     // The process should already be gone by this point, but make sure.
     this.process?.kill('SIGTERM');
+    const env: Record<string, string> = {
+      ...process.env,
+      WSLENV:           `${ process.env.WSLENV }:DISTRO_DATA_DIRS:LOG_DIR/p:RD_DEBUG`,
+      DISTRO_DATA_DIRS: DISTRO_DATA_DIRS.join(':'),
+      LOG_DIR:          paths.logs,
+    };
+
+    if (this.debug) {
+      env.RD_DEBUG = '1';
+    }
     this.process = childProcess.spawn('wsl.exe',
       ['--distribution', INSTANCE_NAME, '--exec', '/usr/local/bin/wsl-init'],
       {
-        env: {
-          ...process.env,
-          WSLENV:           `${ process.env.WSLENV }:DISTRO_DATA_DIRS:LOG_DIR/p`,
-          DISTRO_DATA_DIRS: DISTRO_DATA_DIRS.join(':'),
-          LOG_DIR:          paths.logs,
-        },
+        env,
         stdio:       ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
         windowsHide: true,
       });
diff --git a/src/go/networking/cmd/network/setup_linux.go b/src/go/networking/cmd/network/setup_linux.go
index 5a7c636bb0d..e5eb08c7072 100644
--- a/src/go/networking/cmd/network/setup_linux.go
+++ b/src/go/networking/cmd/network/setup_linux.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
+	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/linuxkit/virtsock/pkg/vsock"
@@ -88,6 +89,11 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	logrus.Debugf("successful connection to host on CID: %v and Port: %d: connection: %+v", vsock.CIDHost, vsockDialPort, vsockConn)
 
+	// Ensure we stay on the same OS thread so that we don't switch namespaces
+	// accidentally.
+	runtime.LockOSThread()
+	defer runtime.UnlockOSThread()
+
 	originNS, err := netns.Get()
 	if err != nil {
 		logrus.Errorf("failed getting a handle to the current namespace: %v", err)
@@ -151,7 +157,7 @@ func main() {
 		logrus.Errorf("failed to close original NS, ignoring error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	logrus.Trace("Network setup complete, waiting for vm-switch")
+	logrus.Debug("Network setup complete, waiting for vm-switch")
 
 	if err := vmSwitchCmd.Wait(); err != nil {
 		logrus.Errorf("vm-switch exited with error: %v", err)
@@ -250,7 +256,7 @@ func cleanupVethLink(originNS netns.NsHandle) {
 func configureVethPair(vethName, ipAddr string) error {
 	veth, err := netlink.LinkByName(vethName)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get link %s: %w", vethName, err)
 	}
 
 	vethIP := net.IPNet{
@@ -260,11 +266,11 @@ func configureVethPair(vethName, ipAddr string) error {
 
 	addr := &netlink.Addr{IPNet: &vethIP, Label: ""}
 	if err := netlink.AddrAdd(veth, addr); err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to add addr %s to %s: %w", addr, vethName, err)
 	}
 
 	if err := netlink.LinkSetUp(veth); err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set up link %s: %w", vethName, err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }