diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 767a7848..edafaa9c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ The available options are:
                                        `//# sourceMappingURL`.
     --stats                     Display operations run time on STDERR.
     --toplevel                  Compress and/or mangle variables in toplevel scope.
+    --verbose                   Print informational/diagnostic messages.
     --wrap <name>               Embed everything in a big function, making the
                                 “exports” and “global” variables available. You
                                 need to pass an argument to this option to
@@ -126,7 +127,6 @@ TODOs:
                                 parsed, but the source map will adjust for its
                                 presence.
   --lint                        Display some scope warnings
-  -v, --verbose                 Verbose
   --reserved-file               File containing reserved names
   --reserve-domprops            Make (most?) DOM properties reserved for
                                 --mangle-props
diff --git a/bin/uglifyjs b/bin/uglifyjs
index 360461ed..b154c3eb 100755
--- a/bin/uglifyjs
+++ b/bin/uglifyjs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ program.option("--self", "Build UglifyJS2 as a library (implies --wrap UglifyJS)
 program.option("--source-map [options]", "Enable source map/specify source map options.", parseSourceMap());
 program.option("--stats", "Display operations run time on STDERR.")
 program.option("--toplevel", "Compress and/or mangle variables in toplevel scope.");
+program.option("--verbose", "Print informational/diagnostic messages.");
 program.option("--wrap <name>", "Embed everything as a function with “exports” corresponding to “name” globally.");
 program.arguments("[files...]").parseArgv(process.argv);
 if (program.configFile) {
@@ -79,6 +80,10 @@ if (program.parse) {
         options.parse = program.parse;
     }
 }
+if (program.verbose && options.compress) {
+    if (typeof options.compress != "object") options.compress = {};
+    options.compress.warnings = "verbose";
+}
 if (program.self) {
     if (program.args.length) {
         console.error("WARN: Ignoring input files since --self was passed");