diff --git a/py/emitglue.c b/py/emitglue.c
index 231e32ac2c..ed3b385d9f 100644
--- a/py/emitglue.c
+++ b/py/emitglue.c
@@ -96,9 +96,11 @@ void mp_emit_glue_assign_byte_code(mp_raw_code_t *rc, byte *code, uint len, uint
         DEBUG_printf(" %02x", code[i]);
     }
     DEBUG_printf("\n");
-#if MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTERS
-    mp_byte_code_print(code, len);
 #endif
+#if MICROPY_DEBUG_PRINTERS
+    if (mp_verbose_flag > 0) {
+        mp_byte_code_print(code, len);
+    }
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/py/misc.h b/py/misc.h
index 0c8161d100..5eb6624095 100644
--- a/py/misc.h
+++ b/py/misc.h
@@ -156,4 +156,6 @@ void vstr_vprintf(vstr_t *vstr, const char *fmt, va_list ap);
 // Debugging helpers
 int DEBUG_printf(const char *fmt, ...);
 
+extern uint mp_verbose_flag;
+
 #endif // _INCLUDED_MINILIB_H
diff --git a/unix/main.c b/unix/main.c
index d66a68d780..a7e4a907e3 100644
--- a/unix/main.c
+++ b/unix/main.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 // Command line options, with their defaults
 bool compile_only = false;
 uint emit_opt = MP_EMIT_OPT_NONE;
+uint mp_verbose_flag;
 
 #if MICROPY_ENABLE_GC
 // Heap size of GC heap (if enabled)
@@ -205,7 +206,9 @@ STATIC void do_str(const char *str) {
 
 int usage(char **argv) {
     printf(
-"usage: %s [-X <opt>] [-c <command>] [<filename>]\n"
+"usage: %s [<opts>] [-X <implopt>] [-c <command>] [<filename>]\n"
+"Options:\n"
+"-v : verbose (trace various operations); can be multiple\n"
 "\n"
 "Implementation specific options:\n", argv[0]
 );
@@ -371,6 +374,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
                 a += 1;
             } else if (strcmp(argv[a], "-X") == 0) {
                 a += 1;
+            } else if (strcmp(argv[a], "-v") == 0) {
+                mp_verbose_flag++;
             } else {
                 return usage(argv);
             }