diff --git a/cmd/restic/global.go b/cmd/restic/global.go
index 0c3d805b2..627e4c8f9 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/global.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/global.go
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ type GlobalOptions struct {
 	Repo          string
 	PasswordFile  string
 	Quiet         bool
+	Verbose       bool
+	Debug         bool
 	NoLock        bool
 	JSON          bool
 	CacheDir      string
@@ -59,6 +61,13 @@ type GlobalOptions struct {
 	stdout   io.Writer
 	stderr   io.Writer
 
+	// verbosity is set as follows:
+	//  0 means: don't print any messages except errors, this is used when --quiet is specified
+	//  1 is the default: print essential messages
+	//  2 means: print more messages, report minor things, this is used when --verbose is specified
+	//  3 means: print very detailed debug messages, this is used when --debug is specified
+	verbosity uint
+
 	Options []string
 
 	extended options.Options
@@ -81,6 +90,8 @@ func init() {
 	f.StringVarP(&globalOptions.Repo, "repo", "r", os.Getenv("RESTIC_REPOSITORY"), "repository to backup to or restore from (default: $RESTIC_REPOSITORY)")
 	f.StringVarP(&globalOptions.PasswordFile, "password-file", "p", os.Getenv("RESTIC_PASSWORD_FILE"), "read the repository password from a file (default: $RESTIC_PASSWORD_FILE)")
 	f.BoolVarP(&globalOptions.Quiet, "quiet", "q", false, "do not output comprehensive progress report")
+	f.BoolVarP(&globalOptions.Verbose, "verbose", "v", false, "be verbose")
+	f.BoolVar(&globalOptions.Debug, "debug", false, "be very verbose")
 	f.BoolVar(&globalOptions.NoLock, "no-lock", false, "do not lock the repo, this allows some operations on read-only repos")
 	f.BoolVarP(&globalOptions.JSON, "json", "", false, "set output mode to JSON for commands that support it")
 	f.StringVar(&globalOptions.CacheDir, "cache-dir", "", "set the cache directory")
@@ -173,11 +184,9 @@ func Printf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
 
 // Verbosef calls Printf to write the message when the verbose flag is set.
 func Verbosef(format string, args ...interface{}) {
-	if globalOptions.Quiet {
-		return
+	if globalOptions.verbosity >= 1 {
+		Printf(format, args...)
 	}
-
-	Printf(format, args...)
 }
 
 // PrintProgress wraps fmt.Printf to handle the difference in writing progress
diff --git a/cmd/restic/main.go b/cmd/restic/main.go
index ca1067cda..c1a42bd90 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/main.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/main.go
@@ -30,6 +30,21 @@ directories in an encrypted repository stored on different backends.
 	DisableAutoGenTag: true,
 
 	PersistentPreRunE: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		// set verbosity
+		globalOptions.verbosity = 1
+		if globalOptions.Quiet && (globalOptions.Verbose || globalOptions.Debug) {
+			return errors.Fatal("--quiet and --verbose or --debug cannot be specified at the same time")
+		}
+
+		switch {
+		case globalOptions.Quiet:
+			globalOptions.verbosity = 0
+		case globalOptions.Verbose:
+			globalOptions.verbosity = 2
+		case globalOptions.Debug:
+			globalOptions.verbosity = 3
+		}
+
 		// parse extended options
 		opts, err := options.Parse(globalOptions.Options)
 		if err != nil {