diff --git a/fission/common.go b/fission/common.go
index 8937ab57..40a9d90b 100644
--- a/fission/common.go
+++ b/fission/common.go
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ import (
 	storageSvcClient "github.com/fission/fission/storagesvc/client"
 )
 
+var (
+	// global verbosity of our CLI
+	verbosity int
+)
+
 func fatal(msg string) {
 	os.Stderr.WriteString(msg + "\n")
 	os.Exit(1)
@@ -49,10 +54,16 @@ func warn(msg string) {
 	os.Stderr.WriteString(msg + "\n")
 }
 
-func getClient(serverUrl string) *client.Client {
+func verbose(msglevel int, format string, args ...interface{}) {
+	if verbosity >= msglevel {
+		fmt.Printf(format+"\n", args...)
+	}
+}
 
+func getClient(serverUrl string) *client.Client {
 	if len(serverUrl) == 0 {
-		fatal("Need --server or FISSION_URL set to your fission server.")
+		// starts local portforwarder etc.
+		serverUrl = getServerUrl()
 	}
 
 	isHTTPS := strings.Index(serverUrl, "https://") == 0
diff --git a/fission/main.go b/fission/main.go
index 94194e30..87c813da 100644
--- a/fission/main.go
+++ b/fission/main.go
@@ -60,29 +60,38 @@ func getFissionAPIVersion(apiUrl string) (string, error) {
 	return strings.TrimRight(string(body), "\n"), nil
 }
 
-func main() {
-	app := cli.NewApp()
-	app.Name = "fission"
-	app.Usage = "Serverless functions for Kubernetes"
-	app.Version = version.Version
-
-	// fetch the FISSION_URL env variable. If not set, port-forward to controller.
-	var value string
+func getServerUrl() string {
+	var serverUrl string
+	// Use FISSION_URL env variable if set; otherwise, port-forward to controller.
 	fissionUrl := os.Getenv("FISSION_URL")
 	if len(fissionUrl) == 0 {
 		fissionNamespace := getFissionNamespace()
 		kubeConfig := getKubeConfigPath()
 		localPort := setupPortForward(
 			kubeConfig, fissionNamespace, "application=fission-api")
-		value = "http://127.0.0.1:" + localPort
+		serverUrl = "http://127.0.0.1:" + localPort
 	} else {
-		value = fissionUrl
+		serverUrl = fissionUrl
 	}
+	return serverUrl
+}
+
+func cliHook(c *cli.Context) error {
+	verbosity = c.Int("verbosity")
+	verbose(2, "Verbosity = 2")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func main() {
+	app := cli.NewApp()
+	app.Name = "fission"
+	app.Usage = "Serverless functions for Kubernetes"
+	app.Version = version.Version
 
 	cli.VersionPrinter = func(c *cli.Context) {
 		clientVer := version.VersionInfo().String()
 		fmt.Printf("Client Version: %v\n", clientVer)
-		serverVer, err := getFissionAPIVersion(value)
+		serverVer, err := getFissionAPIVersion(getServerUrl())
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Printf("Error getting Fission API version: %v", err)
 		} else {
@@ -91,7 +100,8 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	app.Flags = []cli.Flag{
-		cli.StringFlag{Name: "server", Value: value, Usage: "Fission server URL"},
+		cli.StringFlag{Name: "server", Value: "", Usage: "Fission server URL"},
+		cli.IntFlag{Name: "verbosity", Value: 1, Usage: "CLI verbosity (0 is quiet, 1 is the default, 2 is verbose.)"},
 	}
 
 	// trigger method and url flags (used in function and route CLIs)
@@ -273,5 +283,6 @@ func main() {
 		{Name: "tpr2crd", Aliases: []string{}, Usage: "Migrate tool for TPR to CRD", Subcommands: migrateSubCommands},
 	}
 
+	app.Before = cliHook
 	app.Run(os.Args)
 }
diff --git a/fission/portforward.go b/fission/portforward.go
index 402fbf26..7608608b 100644
--- a/fission/portforward.go
+++ b/fission/portforward.go
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ func runPortForward(kubeConfig string, labelSelector string, localPort string, f
 		fatal(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to connect to Kubernetes: %s", err))
 	}
 
+	verbose(2, "Connected to Kubernetes API")
+
 	// if fission namespace is unset, try to find a fission pod in any namespace
 	if len(fissionNamespace) == 0 {
 		fissionNamespace = meta_v1.NamespaceAll
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ func runPortForward(kubeConfig string, labelSelector string, localPort string, f
 	for _, servicePort := range service.Spec.Ports {
 		targetPort = servicePort.TargetPort.String()
 	}
+	verbose(2, "Connecting to port %v on pod %v/%v", targetPort, podNameSpace, podNameSpace)
 
 	stopChannel := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	readyChannel := make(chan struct{})
@@ -113,12 +116,17 @@ func runPortForward(kubeConfig string, labelSelector string, localPort string, f
 		fatal(msg)
 	}
 
-	fw, err := portforward.New(dialer, ports, stopChannel, readyChannel, nil, os.Stderr)
+	outStream := os.Stdout
+	if verbosity < 2 {
+		outStream = nil
+	}
+	fw, err := portforward.New(dialer, ports, stopChannel, readyChannel, outStream, os.Stderr)
 	if err != nil {
 		msg := fmt.Sprintf("portforward.new errored out :%v", err.Error())
 		fatal(msg)
 	}
 
+	verbose(2, "Starting port forwarder")
 	return fw.ForwardPorts()
 }
 
@@ -128,11 +136,15 @@ func runPortForward(kubeConfig string, labelSelector string, localPort string, f
 // its targetPort. Once the port forward is started, wait for it to
 // start accepting connections before returning.
 func setupPortForward(kubeConfig, namespace, labelSelector string) string {
+	verbose(2, "Setting up port forward to %s in namespace %s using the kubeconfig at %s",
+		labelSelector, namespace, kubeConfig)
+
 	localPort, err := findFreePort()
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(fmt.Sprintf("Error finding unused port :%v", err.Error()))
 	}
 
+	verbose(2, "Waiting for local port %v", localPort)
 	for {
 		conn, _ := net.DialTimeout("tcp",
 			net.JoinHostPort("", localPort), time.Millisecond)
@@ -144,6 +156,7 @@ func setupPortForward(kubeConfig, namespace, labelSelector string) string {
 		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 50)
 	}
 
+	verbose(2, "Starting port forward from local port %v", localPort)
 	go func() {
 		err := runPortForward(kubeConfig, labelSelector, localPort, namespace)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -151,6 +164,7 @@ func setupPortForward(kubeConfig, namespace, labelSelector string) string {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	verbose(2, "Waiting for port forward %v to start...", localPort)
 	for {
 		conn, _ := net.DialTimeout("tcp",
 			net.JoinHostPort("", localPort), time.Millisecond)
@@ -161,5 +175,7 @@ func setupPortForward(kubeConfig, namespace, labelSelector string) string {
 		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 50)
 	}
 
+	verbose(2, "Port forward from local port %v started", localPort)
+
 	return localPort
 }