diff --git a/doc/man/taskrc.5 b/doc/man/taskrc.5
index 6370c7f7e..f7fef42af 100644
--- a/doc/man/taskrc.5
+++ b/doc/man/taskrc.5
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ $ task rc:<directory-path>/.taskrc
 .RE
 
 Individual option can be overridden by using the
-.I rc.<name>: 
+.I rc.<name>:
 attribute when running task:
 
 .RS
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ statement:
 include <path/to/the/configuration/file/to/be/included>
 .RE
 
-By using include files you can divide your main configuration file into several ones containing just the relevant configuration data like colors, etc.
+By using include files you can divide your main configuration file into several
+ones containing just the relevant configuration data like colors, etc.
 
 There are two excellent uses of includes in your .taskrc, shown here:
 
@@ -172,6 +173,10 @@ code.  If not specified, task will assume en-US.  If specified, task will locate
 the correct file of localized strings and proceed.  It is an error to specify a
 locale for which there is no strings file.
 
+.TP
+.B verbose=yes
+Controls some of the verbosity of task.
+
 .TP
 .B confirmation=yes
 May be "yes" or "no", and determines whether task will ask for confirmation
@@ -476,7 +481,9 @@ variable.
 .RE
 
 .RS
-The following holidays are computed automatically: Good Friday (goodfriday), Easter (easter), Easter monday (eastermonday), Ascension (ascension), Pentecost (pentecost). The date for these holidays is the given keyword:
+The following holidays are computed automatically: Good Friday (goodfriday),
+Easter (easter), Easter monday (eastermonday), Ascension (ascension), Pentecost
+(pentecost). The date for these holidays is the given keyword:
 .RE
 
 .RS
diff --git a/src/Config.cpp b/src/Config.cpp
index 70f52d238..be9773ab0 100644
--- a/src/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ std::string Config::defaults =
   "#editor=vi                                    # Preferred text editor\n"
   "\n"
   "# Miscellaneous\n"
+  "verbose=yes                                   # Provide extra feedback\n"
   "confirmation=yes                              # Confirmation on delete, big changes\n"
   "echo.command=yes                              # Details on command just run\n"
   "annotations=full                              # Level of verbosity for annotations: full, sparse or none\n"
diff --git a/src/Context.cpp b/src/Context.cpp
index 37a606d60..f5c53f241 100644
--- a/src/Context.cpp
+++ b/src/Context.cpp
@@ -170,11 +170,12 @@ int Context::run ()
 
   // Dump all headers.
   hooks.trigger ("pre-header");
-  foreach (h, headers)
-    if (config.getBoolean ("color") || config.getBoolean ("_forcecolor"))
-      std::cout << colorizeHeader (*h) << std::endl;
-    else
-      std::cout << *h << std::endl;
+  if (config.getBoolean ("verbose"))
+    foreach (h, headers)
+      if (config.getBoolean ("color") || config.getBoolean ("_forcecolor"))
+        std::cout << colorizeHeader (*h) << std::endl;
+      else
+        std::cout << *h << std::endl;
   hooks.trigger ("post-header");
 
   // Dump the report output.
@@ -184,11 +185,12 @@ int Context::run ()
 
   // Dump all footnotes.
   hooks.trigger ("pre-footnote");
-  foreach (f, footnotes)
-    if (config.getBoolean ("color") || config.getBoolean ("_forcecolor"))
-      std::cout << colorizeFootnote (*f) << std::endl;
-    else
-      std::cout << *f << std::endl;
+  if (config.getBoolean ("verbose"))
+    foreach (f, footnotes)
+      if (config.getBoolean ("color") || config.getBoolean ("_forcecolor"))
+        std::cout << colorizeFootnote (*f) << std::endl;
+      else
+        std::cout << *f << std::endl;
   hooks.trigger ("post-footnote");
 
   hooks.trigger ("pre-exit");