diff --git a/man/mosh-client.1 b/man/mosh-client.1
index 7cf618a..e871892 100644
--- a/man/mosh-client.1
+++ b/man/mosh-client.1
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ mosh-client \- client-side helper for mosh
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 MOSH_KEY=KEY
 .B mosh-client 
+[\-v]
 IP PORT
 .br
 .B mosh-client 
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ directly.
 With the \-c option, \fBmosh-client\fP instead prints the number of colors
 of the terminal given by the TERM environment variable.
 
+The \-v option will print some debugging information on standard
+error.  More instances of this flag will result in more debugging
+information.  If standard error is not redirected from the terminal,
+the display will be corrupted and quickly become unusable.
+
 .SH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
 
 .TP
diff --git a/man/mosh-server.1 b/man/mosh-server.1
index 92bbe1a..b73eaa1 100644
--- a/man/mosh-server.1
+++ b/man/mosh-server.1
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ hosts)
 
 .TP
 .B \-v
-Print some debugging information even after detaching.
+Print some debugging information even after detaching.  More instances
+of this flag will result in more debugging information.
 
 .TP
 .B \-i \fIIP\fP
diff --git a/src/frontend/mosh-client.cc b/src/frontend/mosh-client.cc
index e934601..015109f 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mosh-client.cc
+++ b/src/frontend/mosh-client.cc
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ int mosh_main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 #endif
 {
+  unsigned int verbose = 0;
   /* For security, make sure we don't dump core */
   Crypto::disable_dumping_core();
 
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 
   /* Get arguments */
   int opt;
-  while ( (opt = getopt( argc, argv, "#:c" )) != -1 ) {
+  while ( (opt = getopt( argc, argv, "#:cv" )) != -1 ) {
     switch ( opt ) {
     case '#':
       // Ignore the original arguments to mosh wrapper
@@ -116,6 +117,9 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
       print_colorcount();
       exit( 0 );
       break;
+    case 'v':
+      verbose++;
+      break;
     default:
       usage( argv[ 0 ] );
       exit( 1 );
@@ -168,7 +172,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 
   bool success = false;
   try {
-    STMClient client( ip, desired_port, key, predict_mode );
+    STMClient client( ip, desired_port, key, predict_mode, verbose );
     client.init();
 
     try {
diff --git a/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc b/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc
index effe6ef..a2eaaa5 100644
--- a/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc
+++ b/src/frontend/mosh-server.cc
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ static void serve( int host_fd,
 
 static int run_server( const char *desired_ip, const char *desired_port,
 		       const string &command_path, char *command_argv[],
-		       const int colors, bool verbose, bool with_motd );
+		       const int colors, unsigned int verbose, bool with_motd );
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
   string command_path;
   char **command_argv = NULL;
   int colors = 0;
-  bool verbose = false; /* don't close stdin/stdout/stderr */
+  unsigned int verbose = 0; /* don't close stdin/stdout/stderr */
   /* Will cause mosh-server not to correctly detach on old versions of sshd. */
   list<string> locale_vars;
 
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 	}
 	break;
       case 'v':
-	verbose = true;
+	verbose++;
 	break;
       case 'l':
 	locale_vars.push_back( string( optarg ) );
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
 
 static int run_server( const char *desired_ip, const char *desired_port,
 		       const string &command_path, char *command_argv[],
-		       const int colors, bool verbose, bool with_motd ) {
+		       const int colors, unsigned int verbose, bool with_motd ) {
   /* get network idle timeout */
   long network_timeout = 0;
   char *timeout_envar = getenv( "MOSH_SERVER_NETWORK_TMOUT" );
@@ -403,9 +403,8 @@ static int run_server( const char *desired_ip, const char *desired_port,
   Network::UserStream blank;
   ServerConnection *network = new ServerConnection( terminal, blank, desired_ip, desired_port );
 
-  if ( verbose ) {
-    network->set_verbose();
-  }
+  network->set_verbose( verbose );
+  Select::set_verbose( verbose );
 
   /*
    * If mosh-server is run on a pty, then typeahead may echo and break mosh.pl's
@@ -456,7 +455,7 @@ static int run_server( const char *desired_ip, const char *desired_port,
   int master;
 
   /* close file descriptors */
-  if ( !verbose ) {
+  if ( verbose == 0 ) {
     /* Necessary to properly detach on old versions of sshd (e.g. RHEL/CentOS 5.0). */
     int nullfd;
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/stmclient.cc b/src/frontend/stmclient.cc
index c5dd2d4..d1f0f71 100644
--- a/src/frontend/stmclient.cc
+++ b/src/frontend/stmclient.cc
@@ -255,6 +255,10 @@ void STMClient::main_init( void )
 
   /* tell server the size of the terminal */
   network->get_current_state().push_back( Parser::Resize( window_size.ws_col, window_size.ws_row ) );
+
+  /* be noisy as necessary */
+  network->set_verbose( verbose );
+  Select::set_verbose( verbose );
 }
 
 void STMClient::output_new_frame( void )
diff --git a/src/frontend/stmclient.h b/src/frontend/stmclient.h
index 15cbfb4..7703bbb 100644
--- a/src/frontend/stmclient.h
+++ b/src/frontend/stmclient.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ private:
   std::wstring connecting_notification;
   bool repaint_requested, lf_entered, quit_sequence_started;
   bool clean_shutdown;
+  unsigned int verbose;
 
   void main_init( void );
   void process_network_input( void );
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ private:
   void resume( void ); /* restore state after SIGCONT */
 
 public:
-  STMClient( const char *s_ip, const char *s_port, const char *s_key, const char *predict_mode )
+  STMClient( const char *s_ip, const char *s_port, const char *s_key, const char *predict_mode, unsigned int s_verbose )
     : ip( s_ip ? s_ip : "" ), port( s_port ? s_port : "" ),
     key( s_key ? s_key : "" ),
     escape_key( 0x1E ), escape_pass_key( '^' ), escape_pass_key2( '^' ),
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ public:
       repaint_requested( false ),
       lf_entered( false ),
       quit_sequence_started( false ),
-      clean_shutdown( false )
+      clean_shutdown( false ),
+      verbose( s_verbose )
   {
     if ( predict_mode ) {
       if ( !strcmp( predict_mode, "always" ) ) {
diff --git a/src/network/networktransport-impl.h b/src/network/networktransport-impl.h
index f3e74e8..f6ec378 100644
--- a/src/network/networktransport-impl.h
+++ b/src/network/networktransport-impl.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Transport<MyState, RemoteState>::Transport( MyState &initial_state, RemoteState
     receiver_quench_timer( 0 ),
     last_receiver_state( initial_remote ),
     fragments(),
-    verbose( false )
+    verbose( 0 )
 {
   /* server */
 }
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Transport<MyState, RemoteState>::Transport( MyState &initial_state, RemoteState
     receiver_quench_timer( 0 ),
     last_receiver_state( initial_remote ),
     fragments(),
-    verbose( false )
+    verbose( 0 )
 {
   /* client */
 }
diff --git a/src/network/networktransport.h b/src/network/networktransport.h
index 6f3efd5..02d1a9b 100644
--- a/src/network/networktransport.h
+++ b/src/network/networktransport.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace Network {
     uint64_t receiver_quench_timer;
     RemoteState last_receiver_state; /* the state we were in when user last queried state */
     FragmentAssembly fragments;
-    bool verbose;
+    unsigned int verbose;
 
   public:
     Transport( MyState &initial_state, RemoteState &initial_remote,
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ namespace Network {
 
     const std::vector< int > fds( void ) const { return connection.fds(); }
 
-    void set_verbose( void ) { sender.set_verbose(); verbose = true; }
+    void set_verbose( unsigned int s_verbose ) { sender.set_verbose( s_verbose ); verbose = s_verbose; }
 
     void set_send_delay( int new_delay ) { sender.set_send_delay( new_delay ); }
 
diff --git a/src/network/transportsender-impl.h b/src/network/transportsender-impl.h
index 9d5b54d..328bf10 100644
--- a/src/network/transportsender-impl.h
+++ b/src/network/transportsender-impl.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ TransportSender<MyState>::TransportSender( Connection *s_connection, MyState &in
     fragmenter(),
     next_ack_time( timestamp() ),
     next_send_time( timestamp() ),
-    verbose( false ),
+    verbose( 0 ),
     shutdown_in_progress( false ),
     shutdown_tries( 0 ),
     shutdown_start( -1 ),
diff --git a/src/network/transportsender.h b/src/network/transportsender.h
index ba9423c..30d4db7 100644
--- a/src/network/transportsender.h
+++ b/src/network/transportsender.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ namespace Network {
 
     void calculate_timers( void );
 
-    bool verbose;
+    unsigned int verbose;
     bool shutdown_in_progress;
     int shutdown_tries;
     uint64_t shutdown_start;
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ namespace Network {
       current_state = x;
       current_state.reset_input();
     }
-    void set_verbose( void ) { verbose = true; }
+    void set_verbose( unsigned int s_verbose ) { verbose = s_verbose; }
 
     bool get_shutdown_in_progress( void ) const { return shutdown_in_progress; }
     bool get_shutdown_acknowledged( void ) const { return sent_states.front().num == uint64_t(-1); }
diff --git a/src/tests/e2e-test b/src/tests/e2e-test
index 96ee8fb..b6ca353 100755
--- a/src/tests/e2e-test
+++ b/src/tests/e2e-test
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ mosh_server()
 	test_error "mosh_server: variables missing\n"
     fi
     exec 2> "${MOSH_E2E_TEST}.server.stderr"
-    exec "$MOSH_SERVER" new -v $MOSH_SERVER_ARGS -@ "$@"
+    exec "$MOSH_SERVER" new -vv $MOSH_SERVER_ARGS -@ "$@"
 }
 
 # main
diff --git a/src/util/select.cc b/src/util/select.cc
index 8ac1fa0..8fae0c2 100644
--- a/src/util/select.cc
+++ b/src/util/select.cc
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ fd_set Select::dummy_fd_set;
 
 sigset_t Select::dummy_sigset;
 
+unsigned int Select::verbose = 0;
+
 void Select::handle_signal( int signum )
 {
   fatal_assert( signum >= 0 );
diff --git a/src/util/select.h b/src/util/select.h
index defb53d..0403fcc 100644
--- a/src/util/select.h
+++ b/src/util/select.h
@@ -122,13 +122,16 @@ public:
     clear_got_signal();
 
     /* Rate-limit and warn about polls. */
+    if ( verbose > 1 && timeout == 0 ) {
+      fprintf( stderr, "%s: got poll (timeout 0)\n", __func__ );
+    }
     if ( timeout == 0 && ++consecutive_polls >= MAX_POLLS ) {
-      if ( consecutive_polls == MAX_POLLS ) {
+      if ( verbose > 1 && consecutive_polls == MAX_POLLS ) {
 	fprintf( stderr, "%s: got %d polls, rate limiting.\n", __func__, MAX_POLLS );
       }
       timeout = 1;
     } else if ( timeout != 0 && consecutive_polls ) {
-      if ( consecutive_polls >= MAX_POLLS ) {
+      if ( verbose > 1 && consecutive_polls >= MAX_POLLS ) {
 	fprintf( stderr, "%s: got %d consecutive polls\n", __func__, consecutive_polls );
       }
       consecutive_polls = 0;
@@ -212,6 +215,8 @@ public:
     return rv;
   }
 
+  static void set_verbose( unsigned int s_verbose ) { verbose = s_verbose; }
+
 private:
   static const int MAX_SIGNAL_NUMBER = 64;
   /* Number of 0-timeout selects after which we begin to think
@@ -233,6 +238,7 @@ private:
   static fd_set dummy_fd_set;
   static sigset_t dummy_sigset;
   int consecutive_polls;
+  static unsigned int verbose;
 };
 
 #endif