diff --git a/src/apps/packageinstaller/PackageItem.cpp b/src/apps/packageinstaller/PackageItem.cpp
index eec65655c48..71dfe842632 100644
--- a/src/apps/packageinstaller/PackageItem.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/packageinstaller/PackageItem.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ enum {
 static const uint32 kDefaultMode = 0777;
 static const uint8 padding[7] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };
 
+extern bool gVerbose;
+
 enum {
 	P_DATA = 0,
 	P_ATTRIBUTE
@@ -175,17 +177,20 @@ PackageItem::InitPath(const char* path, BPath* destination)
 	status_t ret = B_OK;
 
 	if (fPathType == P_INSTALL_PATH) {
-//		printf("InitPath - relative: %s + %s\n", path, fPath.String());
+		if (gVerbose)
+			printf("InitPath - relative: %s + %s\n", path, fPath.String());
 		if (path == NULL) {
 			parser_debug("InitPath path is NULL\n");
 			return B_ERROR;
 		}
 		ret = destination->SetTo(path, fPath.String());
 	} else if (fPathType == P_SYSTEM_PATH) {
-//		printf("InitPath - absolute: %s\n", fPath.String());
+		if (gVerbose)
+			printf("InitPath - absolute: %s\n", fPath.String());
 		ret = destination->SetTo(fPath.String());
 	} else {
-//		printf("InitPath - volume: %s + %s\n", path, fPath.String());
+		if (gVerbose)
+			printf("InitPath - volume: %s + %s\n", path, fPath.String());
 		if (path == NULL) {
 			parser_debug("InitPath path is NULL\n");
 			return B_ERROR;
@@ -237,7 +242,8 @@ PackageItem::InitPath(const char* path, BPath* destination)
 		}
 
 		if (wasRewritten) {
-//			printf("rewritten: %s\n", pathString.String());
+			if (gVerbose)
+				printf("rewritten: %s\n", pathString.String());
 			destination->SetTo(pathString.String());
 		}
 	}
@@ -620,7 +626,8 @@ PackageScript::DoInstall(const char* path, ItemState* state)
 						// that's more fragile... but a common source for
 						// the rewriting of BeOS paths is needed.
 
-//						printf("%s\n", script.String());
+						if (gVerbose)
+							printf("%s\n", script.String());
 
 						BPath workingDirectory;
 						if (path != NULL)
diff --git a/src/apps/packageinstaller/main.cpp b/src/apps/packageinstaller/main.cpp
index 6fc9128ff9b..4bafeb8e522 100644
--- a/src/apps/packageinstaller/main.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/packageinstaller/main.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 #define B_TRANSLATION_CONTEXT "Packageinstaller main"
 
 
+bool gVerbose = false;
+
+
 class PackageInstaller : public BApplication {
 public:
 								PackageInstaller();
@@ -84,6 +87,11 @@ void
 PackageInstaller::ArgvReceived(int32 argc, char** argv)
 {
 	for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+		if (strcmp("--verbose", argv[i]) == 0 || strcmp("-v", argv[i]) == 0) {
+			gVerbose = true;
+			continue;
+		}
+		
 		BPath path;
 		if (path.SetTo(argv[i]) != B_OK) {
 			fprintf(stderr, B_TRANSLATE("Error! \"%s\" is not a valid path.\n"),