diff --git a/coreutils/Config.src b/coreutils/Config.src
index 33defa4db..68c717883 100644
--- a/coreutils/Config.src
+++ b/coreutils/Config.src
@@ -739,6 +739,16 @@ config YES
 	  yes is used to repeatedly output a specific string, or
 	  the default string `y'.
 
+comment "Common options"
+
+config FEATURE_VERBOSE
+	bool "Support verbose options (usually -v) for various applets"
+	default y
+	help
+	  Enable cp -v, rm -v and similar messages.
+	  Also enables long option (--verbose) if it exists.
+	  Without this option, -v is accepted but ignored.
+
 comment "Common options for cp and mv"
 	depends on CP || MV
 
diff --git a/coreutils/cp.c b/coreutils/cp.c
index de2e512be..247ed0fda 100644
--- a/coreutils/cp.c
+++ b/coreutils/cp.c
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		"parents\0"        No_argument "\xff"
 		;
 #endif
-	// -v (--verbose) is ignored
 	flags = getopt32(argv, FILEUTILS_CP_OPTSTR "arPv");
 	/* Options of cp from GNU coreutils 6.10:
 	 * -a, --archive
diff --git a/coreutils/install.c b/coreutils/install.c
index 445497f9a..6c88ae11c 100644
--- a/coreutils/install.c
+++ b/coreutils/install.c
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 
 #if ENABLE_FEATURE_INSTALL_LONG_OPTIONS
 static const char install_longopts[] ALIGN1 =
+	IF_FEATURE_VERBOSE(
+	"verbose\0"             No_argument       "v"
+	)
 	"directory\0"           No_argument       "d"
 	"preserve-timestamps\0" No_argument       "p"
 	"strip\0"               No_argument       "s"
@@ -89,6 +92,7 @@ int install_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	const char *gid_str;
 	const char *uid_str;
 	const char *mode_str;
+	int mkdir_flags = FILEUTILS_RECUR;
 	int copy_flags = FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE | FILEUTILS_FORCE;
 	int opts;
 	int min_args = 1;
@@ -120,7 +124,6 @@ int install_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #endif
 	opt_complementary = "s--d:d--s" IF_FEATURE_INSTALL_LONG_OPTIONS(IF_SELINUX(":Z--\xff:\xff--Z"));
 	/* -c exists for backwards compatibility, it's needed */
-	/* -v is ignored ("print name of each created directory") */
 	/* -b is ignored ("make a backup of each existing destination file") */
 	opts = getopt32(argv, "cvb" "Ddpsg:m:o:" IF_SELINUX("Z:"),
 			&gid_str, &mode_str, &uid_str IF_SELINUX(, &scontext));
@@ -141,6 +144,11 @@ int install_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 #endif
 
+	if ((opts & OPT_v) && FILEUTILS_VERBOSE) {
+		mkdir_flags |= FILEUTILS_VERBOSE;
+		copy_flags |= FILEUTILS_VERBOSE;
+	}
+
 	/* preserve access and modification time, this is GNU behaviour,
 	 * BSD only preserves modification time */
 	if (opts & OPT_PRESERVE_TIME) {
@@ -171,14 +179,14 @@ int install_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			/* GNU coreutils 6.9 does not set uid:gid
 			 * on intermediate created directories
 			 * (only on last one) */
-			if (bb_make_directory(dest, 0755, FILEUTILS_RECUR)) {
+			if (bb_make_directory(dest, 0755, mkdir_flags)) {
 				ret = EXIT_FAILURE;
 				goto next;
 			}
 		} else {
 			if (opts & OPT_MKDIR_LEADING) {
 				char *ddir = xstrdup(dest);
-				bb_make_directory(dirname(ddir), 0755, FILEUTILS_RECUR);
+				bb_make_directory(dirname(ddir), 0755, mkdir_flags);
 				/* errors are not checked. copy_file
 				 * will fail if dir is not created. */
 				free(ddir);
diff --git a/coreutils/mkdir.c b/coreutils/mkdir.c
index 4a8e43e43..864edfb0a 100644
--- a/coreutils/mkdir.c
+++ b/coreutils/mkdir.c
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ static const char mkdir_longopts[] ALIGN1 =
 #if ENABLE_SELINUX
 	"context\0" Required_argument "Z"
 #endif
+#if ENABLE_FEATURE_VERBOSE
 	"verbose\0" No_argument       "v"
+#endif
 	;
 #endif
 
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ int mkdir_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 #if ENABLE_FEATURE_MKDIR_LONG_OPTIONS
 	applet_long_options = mkdir_longopts;
 #endif
-	opt = getopt32(argv, "m:p" IF_SELINUX("Z:") "v", &smode IF_SELINUX(,&scontext));
+	opt = getopt32(argv, "m:pv" IF_SELINUX("Z:"), &smode IF_SELINUX(,&scontext));
 	if (opt & 1) {
 		mode_t mmode = 0777;
 		if (!bb_parse_mode(smode, &mmode)) {
@@ -77,8 +79,10 @@ int mkdir_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 	}
 	if (opt & 2)
 		flags |= FILEUTILS_RECUR;
+	if ((opt & 4) && FILEUTILS_VERBOSE)
+		flags |= FILEUTILS_VERBOSE;
 #if ENABLE_SELINUX
-	if (opt & 4) {
+	if (opt & 8) {
 		selinux_or_die();
 		setfscreatecon_or_die(scontext);
 	}
diff --git a/coreutils/mv.c b/coreutils/mv.c
index f127dfabd..50571755b 100644
--- a/coreutils/mv.c
+++ b/coreutils/mv.c
@@ -33,13 +33,17 @@ static const char mv_longopts[] ALIGN1 =
 	"interactive\0" No_argument "i"
 	"force\0"       No_argument "f"
 	"no-clobber\0"  No_argument "n"
+	IF_FEATURE_VERBOSE(
 	"verbose\0"     No_argument "v"
+	)
 	;
 #endif
 
 #define OPT_FORCE       (1 << 0)
 #define OPT_INTERACTIVE (1 << 1)
 #define OPT_NOCLOBBER   (1 << 2)
+#define OPT_VERBOSE     ((1 << 3) * ENABLE_FEATURE_VERBOSE)
+
 
 int mv_main(int argc, char **argv) MAIN_EXTERNALLY_VISIBLE;
 int mv_main(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -58,7 +62,6 @@ int mv_main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* Need at least two arguments.
 	 * If more than one of -f, -i, -n is specified , only the final one
 	 * takes effect (it unsets previous options).
-	 * -v is accepted but ignored.
 	 */
 	opt_complementary = "-2:f-in:i-fn:n-fi";
 	flags = getopt32(argv, "finv");
@@ -148,6 +151,9 @@ int mv_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			status = 1;
 		}
  RET_0:
+		if (flags & OPT_VERBOSE) {
+			printf("'%s' -> '%s'\n", *argv, dest);
+		}
 		if (dest != last) {
 			free((void *) dest);
 		}
diff --git a/coreutils/rm.c b/coreutils/rm.c
index 042fba162..d0ad81dfc 100644
--- a/coreutils/rm.c
+++ b/coreutils/rm.c
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ int rm_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 	unsigned opt;
 
 	opt_complementary = "f-i:i-f";
-	/* -v (verbose) is ignored */
 	opt = getopt32(argv, "fiRrv");
 	argv += optind;
 	if (opt & 1)
@@ -47,6 +46,8 @@ int rm_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		flags |= FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE;
 	if (opt & (8|4))
 		flags |= FILEUTILS_RECUR;
+	if ((opt & 16) && FILEUTILS_VERBOSE)
+		flags |= FILEUTILS_VERBOSE;
 
 	if (*argv != NULL) {
 		do {
diff --git a/coreutils/rmdir.c b/coreutils/rmdir.c
index cc2dea010..0792a1c8e 100644
--- a/coreutils/rmdir.c
+++ b/coreutils/rmdir.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 
 #define PARENTS          (1 << 0)
-//efine VERBOSE          (1 << 1) //accepted but ignored
+#define VERBOSE          ((1 << 1) * ENABLE_FEATURE_VERBOSE)
 #define IGNORE_NON_EMPTY (1 << 2)
 
 int rmdir_main(int argc, char **argv) MAIN_EXTERNALLY_VISIBLE;
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@ int rmdir_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 #if ENABLE_FEATURE_RMDIR_LONG_OPTIONS
 	static const char rmdir_longopts[] ALIGN1 =
 		"parents\0"                  No_argument "p"
-		"verbose\0"                  No_argument "v"
 		/* Debian etch: many packages fail to be purged or installed
 		 * because they desperately want this option: */
 		"ignore-fail-on-non-empty\0" No_argument "\xff"
+		IF_FEATURE_VERBOSE(
+		"verbose\0"                  No_argument "v"
+		)
 		;
 	applet_long_options = rmdir_longopts;
 #endif
@@ -62,6 +64,10 @@ int rmdir_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		path = *argv;
 
 		while (1) {
+			if (flags & VERBOSE) {
+				printf("rmdir: removing directory, '%s'\n", path);
+			}
+
 			if (rmdir(path) < 0) {
 #if ENABLE_FEATURE_RMDIR_LONG_OPTIONS
 				if ((flags & IGNORE_NON_EMPTY) && errno == ENOTEMPTY)
diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index afdee38c4..a1a0dc18c 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -334,6 +334,8 @@ enum {	/* DO NOT CHANGE THESE VALUES!  cp.c, mv.c, install.c depend on them. */
 	FILEUTILS_SET_SECURITY_CONTEXT = 1 << 10,
 #endif
 	FILEUTILS_IGNORE_CHMOD_ERR = 1 << 11,
+	/* -v */
+	FILEUTILS_VERBOSE         = (1 << 12) * ENABLE_FEATURE_VERBOSE,
 };
 #define FILEUTILS_CP_OPTSTR "pdRfilsLH" IF_SELINUX("c")
 extern int remove_file(const char *path, int flags) FAST_FUNC;
diff --git a/libbb/copy_file.c b/libbb/copy_file.c
index 9333a8d49..a4be875d2 100644
--- a/libbb/copy_file.c
+++ b/libbb/copy_file.c
@@ -389,5 +389,9 @@ int FAST_FUNC copy_file(const char *source, const char *dest, int flags)
 			bb_perror_msg("can't preserve %s of '%s'", "permissions", dest);
 	}
 
+	if (flags & FILEUTILS_VERBOSE) {
+		printf("'%s' -> '%s'\n", source, dest);
+	}
+
 	return retval;
 }
diff --git a/libbb/make_directory.c b/libbb/make_directory.c
index 7826b90f5..89352ca1f 100644
--- a/libbb/make_directory.c
+++ b/libbb/make_directory.c
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ int FAST_FUNC bb_make_directory(char *path, long mode, int flags)
 			if (!c) {
 				goto ret0;
 			}
+		} else {
+			if (flags & FILEUTILS_VERBOSE) {
+				printf("created directory: '%s'\n", path);
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (!c) {
diff --git a/libbb/remove_file.c b/libbb/remove_file.c
index 5b75f7f30..eaca293d9 100644
--- a/libbb/remove_file.c
+++ b/libbb/remove_file.c
@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ int FAST_FUNC remove_file(const char *path, int flags)
 			return -1;
 		}
 
+		if (flags & FILEUTILS_VERBOSE) {
+			printf("removed directory: '%s'\n", path);
+		}
+
 		return status;
 	}
 
@@ -98,5 +102,9 @@ int FAST_FUNC remove_file(const char *path, int flags)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (flags & FILEUTILS_VERBOSE) {
+		printf("removed '%s'\n", path);
+	}
+
 	return 0;
 }