diff --git a/doc/Sqoop-manpage.txt b/doc/Sqoop-manpage.txt
index 4fec4adc..441d7280 100644
--- a/doc/Sqoop-manpage.txt
+++ b/doc/Sqoop-manpage.txt
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@ no import or code generation is performed.
 --list-tables::
   List tables in database and exit
 
+--verbose::
+  Print more information while working
+
 Database-specific options
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/doc/misc-args.txt b/doc/misc-args.txt
index 9d77a980..21439424 100644
--- a/doc/misc-args.txt
+++ b/doc/misc-args.txt
@@ -34,3 +34,7 @@ Data emitted to HDFS is by default uncompressed. You can instruct
 Sqoop to use gzip to compress your data by providing either the
 +--compress+ or +-z+ argument (both are equivalent).
 
+Using +--verbose+ will instruct Sqoop to print more details about its
+operation; this is particularly handy if Sqoop appears to be misbehaving.
+
+
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/sqoop/SqoopOptions.java b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/sqoop/SqoopOptions.java
index d11788bd..c09ea0c9 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/sqoop/SqoopOptions.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/sqoop/SqoopOptions.java
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration;
 import org.apache.hadoop.util.ToolRunner;
+import org.apache.log4j.Category;
+import org.apache.log4j.Level;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
 /**
  * Command-line arguments used by Sqoop
@@ -363,6 +366,7 @@ public static void printUsage() {
     System.out.println("--list-tables                List tables in database and exit");
     System.out.println("--list-databases             List all databases available and exit");
     System.out.println("--debug-sql (statement)      Execute 'statement' in SQL and exit");
+    System.out.println("--verbose                    Print more information while working");
     System.out.println("");
     System.out.println("Database-specific options:");
     System.out.println("Arguments may be passed to the database manager after a lone '-':");
@@ -595,6 +599,12 @@ public void parse(String [] args) throws InvalidOptionsException {
           for (i++; i < args.length; i++) {
             this.debugSqlCmd = this.debugSqlCmd + args[i] + " ";
           }
+        } else if (args[i].equals("--verbose")) {
+          // Immediately switch into DEBUG logging.
+          Category sqoopLogger =
+              Logger.getLogger(SqoopOptions.class.getName()).getParent();
+          sqoopLogger.setLevel(Level.DEBUG);
+
         } else if (args[i].equals("--help")) {
           printUsage();
           throw new InvalidOptionsException("");