diff --git a/reframe/core/logging.py b/reframe/core/logging.py
index 697502435f..b36843c78f 100644
--- a/reframe/core/logging.py
+++ b/reframe/core/logging.py
@@ -362,6 +362,14 @@ def setLevel(self, level):
         if self.logger:
             super().setLevel(level)
 
+    @property
+    def std_stream_handlers(self):
+        if self.logger:
+            return [h for h in self.logger.handlers
+                    if h.stream == sys.stdout or h.stream == sys.stderr]
+        else:
+            return []
+
     def _update_check_extras(self):
         """Return a dictionary with all the check-specific information."""
         if self.check is None:
@@ -431,6 +439,18 @@ def error(self, message, *args, **kwargs):
 
         super().error(message, *args, **kwargs)
 
+    def inc_verbosity(self, num_steps):
+        """Convenience function for increasing the verbosity
+        of the logger step-wise."""
+        log_levels = sorted(_log_level_names.keys())[1:]
+        for h in self.std_stream_handlers:
+            level_idx = log_levels.index(h.level)
+            if level_idx - num_steps < 0:
+                new_level = log_levels[0]
+            else:
+                new_level = log_levels[level_idx - num_steps]
+
+            h.setLevel(new_level)
 
 
 # A logger that doesn't log anything
diff --git a/reframe/frontend/cli.py b/reframe/frontend/cli.py
index 7c3047a9eb..77c09b4337 100644
--- a/reframe/frontend/cli.py
+++ b/reframe/frontend/cli.py
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ def main():
         '--save-log-files', action='store_true', default=False,
         help='Copy the log file from the work dir to the output dir at the '
              'end of the program')
+    output_options.add_argument(
+        '--verbose', '-v', action='count', default=0,
+        help='Increase verbosity level of output')
 
     # Check discovery options
     locate_options.add_argument(
@@ -262,6 +265,8 @@ def main():
     # Setup printer
     printer = PrettyPrinter()
     printer.colorize = options.colorize
+    if options.verbose:
+        printer.inc_verbosity(options.verbose)
 
     try:
         runtime.init_runtime(settings.site_configuration, options.system)
diff --git a/unittests/test_cli.py b/unittests/test_cli.py
index 21f9bb8537..cb644160a5 100644
--- a/unittests/test_cli.py
+++ b/unittests/test_cli.py
@@ -387,3 +387,13 @@ def test_show_env_config_unknown_env(self):
         self.assertNotIn('Traceback', stdout)
         self.assertNotIn('Traceback', stderr)
         self.assertEqual(1, returncode)
+
+    def test_verbosity(self):
+        self.more_options = ['-vvvvv']
+        self.system = 'testsys'
+        self.action = 'list'
+        returncode, stdout, stderr = self._run_reframe()
+        self.assertNotEqual('', stdout)
+        self.assertNotIn('Traceback', stdout)
+        self.assertNotIn('Traceback', stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(0, returncode)