diff --git a/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx b/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx
index 019e4615dd..d7732e0565 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx
+++ b/ppremake/ppCommandFile.cxx
@@ -1500,6 +1500,7 @@ handle_defer_command() {
   def = _scope->expand_self_reference(def, varname);
   _scope->define_variable(varname, def);
 
+  if (verbose>=2) cerr<<"#defer "<<varname<<" = "<<_params.substr(p)<<endl;
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -1529,6 +1530,7 @@ handle_define_command() {
   string def = _scope->expand_string(_params.substr(p));
   _scope->define_variable(varname, def);
 
+  if (verbose>=2) cerr<<"#define "<<varname<<" = "<<_params.substr(p)<<"\n          \""<<def<<"\""<<endl;
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/ppremake/ppremake.cxx b/ppremake/ppremake.cxx
index ab695ab958..76eab81c0b 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppremake.cxx
+++ b/ppremake/ppremake.cxx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ bool unix_platform = false;
 bool windows_platform = false;
 bool dry_run = false;
 bool verbose_dry_run = false;
-bool verbose = false;
+int verbose = 0;
 
 static void
 usage() {
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ usage() {
     "  -h           Display this page.\n"
     "  -V           Report the version of ppremake, and exit.\n"
     "  -v           Turn on verbose output (may help in debugging .pp files).\n"
+    "  -vv          Be very verbose (if you're getting desperate).\n"
     "  -P           Report the current platform name, and exit.\n\n"
     "  -D pp.dep    Examine the given dependency file, and re-run ppremake\n"
     "               only if the dependency file is stale.\n\n"
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       break;
 
     case 'v':
-      verbose=true;
+      ++verbose;
       break;
 
     case 'P':
diff --git a/ppremake/ppremake.h b/ppremake/ppremake.h
index d781e99b09..6d88ca8363 100644
--- a/ppremake/ppremake.h
+++ b/ppremake/ppremake.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ extern bool windows_platform;
 /* This is a command-line global parameter. */
 extern bool dry_run;
 extern bool verbose_dry_run;
-extern bool verbose;
+extern int verbose; // 0..9 to set verbose level.  0 == off.
 #endif
 
 /* These are defined so that we may build Filename, DSearchPath, and