diff --git a/cmd/helm/helm.go b/cmd/helm/helm.go
index d0aab5c18..afd9ab384 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/helm.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/helm.go
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ func debug(format string, v ...interface{}) {
 	}
 }
 
+func verbose(format string, v ...interface{}) {
+	if settings.Verbose {
+		format = fmt.Sprintf("%s\n", format)
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stdout, format, v...)
+	}
+}
 func warning(format string, v ...interface{}) {
 	format = fmt.Sprintf("WARNING: %s\n", format)
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, format, v...)
@@ -69,7 +75,11 @@ func main() {
 	// run when each command's execute method is called
 	cobra.OnInitialize(func() {
 		helmDriver := os.Getenv("HELM_DRIVER")
-		if err := actionConfig.Init(settings.RESTClientGetter(), settings.Namespace(), helmDriver, debug); err != nil {
+		logger := debug
+		if settings.Verbose {
+			logger = verbose
+		}
+		if err := actionConfig.Init(settings.RESTClientGetter(), settings.Namespace(), helmDriver, logger); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		if helmDriver == "memory" {
diff --git a/cmd/helm/testdata/output/env-comp.txt b/cmd/helm/testdata/output/env-comp.txt
index b7befd69e..91984d8d1 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/testdata/output/env-comp.txt
+++ b/cmd/helm/testdata/output/env-comp.txt
@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@ HELM_PLUGINS
 HELM_REGISTRY_CONFIG
 HELM_REPOSITORY_CACHE
 HELM_REPOSITORY_CONFIG
+HELM_VERBOSE
 :4
 Completion ended with directive: ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp
diff --git a/pkg/action/history.go b/pkg/action/history.go
index 0430aaf7a..4b2dc199a 100644
--- a/pkg/action/history.go
+++ b/pkg/action/history.go
@@ -53,6 +53,6 @@ func (h *History) Run(name string) ([]*release.Release, error) {
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("release name is invalid: %s", name)
 	}
 
-	h.cfg.Log("getting history for release %s", name)
+	h.cfg.Log("Getting history for release %s", name)
 	return h.cfg.Releases.History(name)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/action/rollback.go b/pkg/action/rollback.go
index f3f958f3d..763b89de0 100644
--- a/pkg/action/rollback.go
+++ b/pkg/action/rollback.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func (r *Rollback) Run(name string) error {
 	}
 
 	if !r.DryRun {
-		r.cfg.Log("updating status for rolled back release for %s", name)
+		r.cfg.Log("Updating status for rolled back release for %s", name)
 		if err := r.cfg.Releases.Update(targetRelease); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/action/upgrade.go b/pkg/action/upgrade.go
index b0f294cae..fc1283fe5 100644
--- a/pkg/action/upgrade.go
+++ b/pkg/action/upgrade.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func (u *Upgrade) Run(name string, chart *chart.Chart, vals map[string]interface
 	if err := chartutil.ValidateReleaseName(name); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("release name is invalid: %s", name)
 	}
-	u.cfg.Log("preparing upgrade for %s", name)
+	u.cfg.Log("Preparing upgrade for %s", name)
 	currentRelease, upgradedRelease, err := u.prepareUpgrade(name, chart, vals)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -128,14 +128,14 @@ func (u *Upgrade) Run(name string, chart *chart.Chart, vals map[string]interface
 
 	u.cfg.Releases.MaxHistory = u.MaxHistory
 
-	u.cfg.Log("performing update for %s", name)
+	u.cfg.Log("Performing update for %s", name)
 	res, err := u.performUpgrade(currentRelease, upgradedRelease)
 	if err != nil {
 		return res, err
 	}
 
 	if !u.DryRun {
-		u.cfg.Log("updating status for upgraded release for %s", name)
+		u.cfg.Log("Updating status for upgraded release for %s", name)
 		if err := u.cfg.Releases.Update(upgradedRelease); err != nil {
 			return res, err
 		}
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ func (u *Upgrade) performUpgrade(originalRelease, upgradedRelease *release.Relea
 		return upgradedRelease, nil
 	}
 
-	u.cfg.Log("creating upgraded release for %s", upgradedRelease.Name)
+	u.cfg.Log("Creating upgraded release for %s", upgradedRelease.Name)
 	if err := u.cfg.Releases.Create(upgradedRelease); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cli/environment.go b/pkg/cli/environment.go
index ee60d981f..83d905340 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/environment.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/environment.go
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ type EnvSettings struct {
 	KubeCaFile string
 	// Debug indicates whether or not Helm is running in Debug mode.
 	Debug bool
+	// Verbose indicates whether or not Helm is running in Verbose mode.
+	Verbose bool
 	// RegistryConfig is the path to the registry config file.
 	RegistryConfig string
 	// RepositoryConfig is the path to the repositories file.
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ func New() *EnvSettings {
 		RepositoryCache:  envOr("HELM_REPOSITORY_CACHE", helmpath.CachePath("repository")),
 	}
 	env.Debug, _ = strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("HELM_DEBUG"))
-
+	env.Verbose, _ = strconv.ParseBool(os.Getenv("HELM_VERBOSE"))
 	// bind to kubernetes config flags
 	env.config = &genericclioptions.ConfigFlags{
 		Namespace:        &env.namespace,
@@ -111,7 +113,8 @@ func (s *EnvSettings) AddFlags(fs *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	fs.StringArrayVar(&s.KubeAsGroups, "kube-as-group", s.KubeAsGroups, "group to impersonate for the operation, this flag can be repeated to specify multiple groups.")
 	fs.StringVar(&s.KubeAPIServer, "kube-apiserver", s.KubeAPIServer, "the address and the port for the Kubernetes API server")
 	fs.StringVar(&s.KubeCaFile, "kube-ca-file", s.KubeCaFile, "the certificate authority file for the Kubernetes API server connection")
-	fs.BoolVar(&s.Debug, "debug", s.Debug, "enable verbose output")
+	fs.BoolVar(&s.Debug, "debug", s.Debug, "enable debug output")
+	fs.BoolVar(&s.Verbose, "verbose", s.Verbose, "enable verbose output")
 	fs.StringVar(&s.RegistryConfig, "registry-config", s.RegistryConfig, "path to the registry config file")
 	fs.StringVar(&s.RepositoryConfig, "repository-config", s.RepositoryConfig, "path to the file containing repository names and URLs")
 	fs.StringVar(&s.RepositoryCache, "repository-cache", s.RepositoryCache, "path to the file containing cached repository indexes")
@@ -151,6 +154,7 @@ func (s *EnvSettings) EnvVars() map[string]string {
 		"HELM_CONFIG_HOME":       helmpath.ConfigPath(""),
 		"HELM_DATA_HOME":         helmpath.DataPath(""),
 		"HELM_DEBUG":             fmt.Sprint(s.Debug),
+		"HELM_VERBOSE":           fmt.Sprint(s.Verbose),
 		"HELM_PLUGINS":           s.PluginsDirectory,
 		"HELM_REGISTRY_CONFIG":   s.RegistryConfig,
 		"HELM_REPOSITORY_CACHE":  s.RepositoryCache,
diff --git a/pkg/cli/environment_test.go b/pkg/cli/environment_test.go
index 31ba7a237..fffff2fa3 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/environment_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/environment_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ func TestEnvSettings(t *testing.T) {
 		// expected values
 		ns, kcontext string
 		debug        bool
+		verbose      bool
 		maxhistory   int
 		kAsUser      string
 		kAsGroups    []string
@@ -48,9 +49,10 @@ func TestEnvSettings(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name:       "with flags set",
-			args:       "--debug --namespace=myns --kube-as-user=poro --kube-as-group=admins --kube-as-group=teatime --kube-as-group=snackeaters --kube-ca-file=/tmp/ca.crt",
+			args:       "--debug --verbose --namespace=myns --kube-as-user=poro --kube-as-group=admins --kube-as-group=teatime --kube-as-group=snackeaters --kube-ca-file=/tmp/ca.crt",
 			ns:         "myns",
 			debug:      true,
+			verbose:    true,
 			maxhistory: defaultMaxHistory,
 			kAsUser:    "poro",
 			kAsGroups:  []string{"admins", "teatime", "snackeaters"},
@@ -96,6 +98,9 @@ func TestEnvSettings(t *testing.T) {
 			if settings.Debug != tt.debug {
 				t.Errorf("expected debug %t, got %t", tt.debug, settings.Debug)
 			}
+			if settings.Verbose != tt.verbose {
+				t.Errorf("expected verbose %t, got %t", tt.verbose, settings.Verbose)
+			}
 			if settings.Namespace() != tt.ns {
 				t.Errorf("expected namespace %q, got %q", tt.ns, settings.Namespace())
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/kube/client.go b/pkg/kube/client.go
index 34079e7a0..69d544be2 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/client.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/client.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func New(getter genericclioptions.RESTClientGetter) *Client {
 	}
 }
 
-var nopLogger = func(_ string, _ ...interface{}) {}
+var nopLogger = func(s string, i ...interface{}) {}
 
 // getKubeClient get or create a new KubernetesClientSet
 func (c *Client) getKubeClient() (*kubernetes.Clientset, error) {
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ func (c *Client) Update(original, target ResourceList, force bool) (*Result, err
 	updateErrors := []string{}
 	res := &Result{}
 
-	c.Log("checking %d resources for changes", len(target))
+	c.Log("Checking %d resources for changes", len(target))
 	err := target.Visit(func(info *resource.Info, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -219,7 +219,12 @@ func (c *Client) Update(original, target ResourceList, force bool) (*Result, err
 			}
 
 			kind := info.Mapping.GroupVersionKind.Kind
-			c.Log("Created a new %s called %q in %s\n", kind, info.Name, info.Namespace)
+			if info.Namespace == "" {
+				// Cluster wide resource doesn't have a namespace defined
+				c.Log("Created a new %s called %q\n", kind, info.Name)
+			} else {
+				c.Log("Created a new %s called %q in %s\n", kind, info.Name, info.Namespace)
+			}
 			return nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/kube/wait.go b/pkg/kube/wait.go
index 40f7b7a6e..6fb66b181 100644
--- a/pkg/kube/wait.go
+++ b/pkg/kube/wait.go
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ type waiter struct {
 // waitForResources polls to get the current status of all pods, PVCs, Services and
 // Jobs(optional) until all are ready or a timeout is reached
 func (w *waiter) waitForResources(created ResourceList, waitForJobsEnabled bool) error {
-	w.log("beginning wait for %d resources with timeout of %v", len(created), w.timeout)
+
+	w.log("Beginning wait for %d resources with timeout of %v", len(created), w.timeout)
 
 	return wait.Poll(2*time.Second, w.timeout, func() (bool, error) {
 		for _, v := range created {