diff --git a/home-manager/home-manager b/home-manager/home-manager
index 41089f872..39c5e1e27 100644
--- a/home-manager/home-manager
+++ b/home-manager/home-manager
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ function doHelp() {
     echo "Options"
     echo
     echo "  -f FILE      The home configuration file. Default is ~/.nixpkgs/home.nix"
+    echo "  -v           Verbose output"
     echo "  -n           Do a dry run, only prints what actions would be taken"
     echo "  -h           Print this help"
     echo
@@ -89,11 +90,14 @@ function doHelp() {
 
 CONFIG_FILE="$HOME/.nixpkgs/home.nix"
 
-while getopts f:nh opt; do
+while getopts f:vnh opt; do
     case $opt in
         f)
             CONFIG_FILE=$OPTARG
             ;;
+        v)
+            export VERBOSE=1
+            ;;
         n)
             export DRY_RUN=1
             ;;
diff --git a/modules/activation-init.sh b/modules/activation-init.sh
index 91ad79107..51c359686 100755
--- a/modules/activation-init.sh
+++ b/modules/activation-init.sh
@@ -29,18 +29,26 @@ setupVars
 
 echo "Starting home manager activation"
 
-if [[ $DRY_RUN ]] ; then
-  echo "This is a dry run"
-  export DRY_RUN_CMD=echo
+if [[ $VERBOSE ]]; then
+    export VERBOSE_ECHO=echo
+    export VERBOSE_ARG="--verbose"
 else
-  echo "This is a live run"
-  unset DRY_RUN_CMD
+    export VERBOSE_ECHO=true
+    unset VERBOSE_ARG
 fi
 
-echo "Activation variables:"
-echo "  oldGenNum=$oldGenNum"
-echo "  newGenNum=$newGenNum"
-echo "  oldGenPath=$oldGenPath"
-echo "  newGenPath=$newGenPath"
-echo "  newGenProfilePath=$newGenProfilePath"
-echo "  newGenGcPath=$newGenGcPath"
+if [[ $DRY_RUN ]] ; then
+    $VERBOSE_ECHO "This is a dry run"
+    export DRY_RUN_CMD=echo
+else
+    $VERBOSE_ECHO "This is a live run"
+    unset DRY_RUN_CMD
+fi
+
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "Activation variables:"
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "  oldGenNum=$oldGenNum"
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "  newGenNum=$newGenNum"
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "  oldGenPath=$oldGenPath"
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "  newGenPath=$newGenPath"
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "  newGenProfilePath=$newGenProfilePath"
+$VERBOSE_ECHO "  newGenGcPath=$newGenGcPath"
diff --git a/modules/home-environment.nix b/modules/home-environment.nix
index 7e3775cd3..07e9a1dfc 100644
--- a/modules/home-environment.nix
+++ b/modules/home-environment.nix
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ in
           for sourcePath in "$@" ; do
             relativePath="$(realpath --relative-to "$newGenFiles" "$sourcePath")"
             targetPath="$HOME/$relativePath"
-            $DRY_RUN_CMD mkdir -vp "$(dirname "$targetPath")"
-            $DRY_RUN_CMD ln -vsf "$sourcePath" "$targetPath"
+            $DRY_RUN_CMD mkdir -p $VERBOSE_ARG "$(dirname "$targetPath")"
+            $DRY_RUN_CMD ln -sf $VERBOSE_ARG "$sourcePath" "$targetPath"
           done
         '';
 
@@ -245,8 +245,9 @@ in
               echo "  exists"
             else
               echo "  gone (deleting)"
-              $DRY_RUN_CMD rm -v "$targetPath"
-              $DRY_RUN_CMD rmdir --ignore-fail-on-non-empty -v -p "$(dirname "$targetPath")"
+              $DRY_RUN_CMD rm $VERBOSE_ARG "$targetPath"
+              $DRY_RUN_CMD rmdir --ignore-fail-on-non-empty \
+                  $VERBOSE_ARG -p "$(dirname "$targetPath")"
             fi
           done
         '';
@@ -274,8 +275,8 @@ in
           }
 
           if [[ "$oldGenPath" != "$newGenPath" ]] ; then
-            $DRY_RUN_CMD ln -Tsfv "$newGenPath" "$newGenProfilePath"
-            $DRY_RUN_CMD ln -Tsfv "$newGenPath" "$newGenGcPath"
+            $DRY_RUN_CMD ln -Tsf $VERBOSE_ARG "$newGenPath" "$newGenProfilePath"
+            $DRY_RUN_CMD ln -Tsf $VERBOSE_ARG "$newGenPath" "$newGenGcPath"
             linkNewGen
             cleanOldGen
           else
diff --git a/modules/systemd.nix b/modules/systemd.nix
index c703ccb08..57c819e01 100644
--- a/modules/systemd.nix
+++ b/modules/systemd.nix
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ in
              && ! cmp --quiet \
                  "$oldUserServicePath/$f" \
                  "$newUserServicePath/$f" ; then
-            echo "Adding '$f' to restart list";
             toRestart+=("$f")
           fi
         done