diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 0c37dd2..460229f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ matrix:
   - env: SET=test01
     compiler: clang
 
+  - env: VV="" SET=test01
+
 #  - env: SET=test01 EXTRA="CMD_CXXFLAGS=-std=c++11"
 
 #  - env: SET=test01 EXTRA="CMD_CXXFLAGS=-std=c++11"
diff --git a/travis-test.sh b/travis-test.sh
index d54c44f..d4484fc 100755
--- a/travis-test.sh
+++ b/travis-test.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 # SET=test00 in .travis.yml runs the tests in this script
 # all other jobs are started as compile jobs
 
-set -x
+# Set VV empty in .travis.yml to make scripts terse
+[ "${VV:-1}" ] && set -x
 
 [ "$SET" != "test00" ] && exec ./travis/build.sh
 
diff --git a/travis/.travis.yml.example-full b/travis/.travis.yml.example-full
index 18eed45..4d14de3 100644
--- a/travis/.travis.yml.example-full
+++ b/travis/.travis.yml.example-full
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ script:
 # EXTRA    content will be added to make command line
 # STATIC   set to YES for static build (default: NO)
 # TEST     set to NO to skip running the tests (default: YES)
+# VV       set to make build scripts verbose (default: unset)
 
 matrix:
   include:
diff --git a/travis/build.sh b/travis/build.sh
index b366eea..a1b5d89 100755
--- a/travis/build.sh
+++ b/travis/build.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-set -e -x
+set -e
+
+# Set VV in .travis.yml to make scripts verbose
+[ "$VV" ] && set -x
 
 make -j2 $EXTRA
 
diff --git a/travis/prepare.sh b/travis/prepare.sh
index aaae8c2..260f79f 100755
--- a/travis/prepare.sh
+++ b/travis/prepare.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-set -e -x
+set -e
+
+# Set VV in .travis.yml to make scripts verbose
+[ "$VV" ] && set -x
 
 # Perl version of "readlink -f" (which MacOS does not provide)
 readlinkf() { perl -MCwd -e 'print Cwd::abs_path shift' "$1"; }
@@ -156,11 +159,13 @@ fold_end set.up.compiler
 
 fold_start build.dependencies "Rebuild missing dependencies"
 
+[ "$VV" ] && silent="-s" || silent=
+
 for module in ${modules_to_compile}
 do
   name=$(basename $module)
   fold_start build.$name "Build $name"
-  make -j2 -C $module $EXTRA
+  make -j2 $silent -C $module $EXTRA
   fold_end build.$name
 done