diff --git a/lib/cmds/initialize.ts b/lib/cmds/initialize.ts
index 6eef2c82..751eb857 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/initialize.ts
+++ b/lib/cmds/initialize.ts
@@ -14,11 +14,14 @@ const noop = () => {};
 
 // Make a function which configures a child process to automatically respond
 // to a certain question
-function respondFactory(question: string, answer: string): Function {
+function respondFactory(question: string, answer: string, verbose: boolean): Function {
   return (child: ChildProcess) => {
     (<any>child.stdin).setDefaultEncoding('utf-8');
     child.stdout.on('data', (data: Buffer | String) => {
       if (data != null) {
+        if (verbose) {
+          process.stdout.write(data as string);
+        }
         if (data.toString().indexOf(question) != -1) {
           child.stdin.write(answer + '\n');
         }
@@ -59,12 +62,13 @@ function runAndroidSDKCommand(
 
 // Download updates via the android SDK
 function downloadAndroidUpdates(
-    sdkPath: string, targets: string[], search_all: boolean, auto_accept: boolean): q.Promise<any> {
+    sdkPath: string, targets: string[], search_all: boolean, auto_accept: boolean,
+    verbose: boolean): q.Promise<any> {
   return runAndroidSDKCommand(
       sdkPath, 'update',
       ['sdk', '-u'].concat(search_all ? ['-a'] : []).concat(['-t', targets.join(',')]),
       auto_accept ? 'pipe' : 'inherit',
-      auto_accept ? respondFactory('Do you accept the license', 'y') : noop);
+      auto_accept ? respondFactory('Do you accept the license', 'y', verbose) : noop);
 }
 
 // Setup hardware acceleration for x86-64 emulation
@@ -207,21 +211,24 @@ function configureAVDHardware(sdkPath: string, desc: AVDDescriptor): q.Promise<a
 }
 
 // Make an android virtual device
-function makeAVD(sdkPath: string, desc: AVDDescriptor, version: string): q.Promise<any> {
+function makeAVD(
+    sdkPath: string, desc: AVDDescriptor, version: string, verbose: boolean): q.Promise<any> {
   return runAndroidSDKCommand(sdkPath, 'delete', ['avd', '--name', desc.avdName(version)])
       .then(noop, noop)
       .then(() => {
         return runAndroidSDKCommand(
             sdkPath, 'create',
             ['avd', '--name', desc.avdName(version), '--target', desc.api, '--abi', desc.abi],
-            'pipe', respondFactory('Do you wish to create a custom hardware profile', 'no'));
+            'pipe',
+            respondFactory('Do you wish to create a custom hardware profile', 'no', verbose));
       });
 }
 
 // Initialize the android SDK
 export function android(
     sdkPath: string, apiLevels: string[], architectures: string[], platforms: string[],
-    acceptLicenses: boolean, version: string, oldAVDs: string[], logger: Logger): void {
+    acceptLicenses: boolean, version: string, oldAVDs: string[], logger: Logger,
+    verbose: boolean): void {
   let avdDescriptors: AVDDescriptor[];
   let tools = ['platform-tool', 'tool'];
   if ((os.type() == 'Darwin') || (os.type() == 'Windows_NT')) {
@@ -229,7 +236,7 @@ export function android(
   }
 
   logger.info('android-sdk: Downloading additional SDK updates');
-  downloadAndroidUpdates(sdkPath, tools, false, acceptLicenses)
+  downloadAndroidUpdates(sdkPath, tools, false, acceptLicenses, verbose)
       .then(() => {
         return setupHardwareAcceleration(sdkPath);
       })
@@ -240,7 +247,7 @@ export function android(
         return downloadAndroidUpdates(
             sdkPath, ['build-tools-24.0.0'].concat(
                          getAndroidSDKTargets(apiLevels, architectures, platforms, oldAVDs)),
-            true, acceptLicenses);
+            true, acceptLicenses, verbose);
       })
       .then(() => {
         return getAVDDescriptors(sdkPath);
@@ -255,7 +262,7 @@ export function android(
       .then(() => {
         return sequentialForEach(avdDescriptors, (descriptor: AVDDescriptor) => {
           logger.info('android-sdk: Setting up virtual device "' + descriptor.name + '"');
-          return makeAVD(sdkPath, descriptor, version);
+          return makeAVD(sdkPath, descriptor, version, verbose);
         });
       })
       .then(() => {
diff --git a/lib/cmds/opts.ts b/lib/cmds/opts.ts
index cbc887e5..8f3c328b 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/opts.ts
+++ b/lib/cmds/opts.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ export const AVD_USE_SNAPSHOTS = 'avd-use-snapshots';
 export const STARTED_SIGNIFIER = 'started-signifier';
 export const SIGNAL_VIA_IPC = 'signal-via-ipc';
 export const DETACH = 'detach';
+export const QUIET = 'quiet';
+export const VERBOSE = 'verbose';
 
 /**
  * The options used by the commands.
@@ -108,5 +110,7 @@ opts[DETACH] = new Option(
     DETACH,
     'Once the selenium server is up and running, return control to the parent process and continue running the server in the background.',
     'boolean', false);
+opts[VERBOSE] = new Option(VERBOSE, 'Extra console output', 'boolean', false);
+opts[QUIET] = new Option(QUIET, 'Minimal console output', 'boolean', false);
 
 export var Opts = opts;
diff --git a/lib/cmds/start.ts b/lib/cmds/start.ts
index 57d17c09..576d60d2 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/start.ts
+++ b/lib/cmds/start.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ let prog = new Program()
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.AVD_USE_SNAPSHOTS])
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.STARTED_SIGNIFIER])
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.SIGNAL_VIA_IPC])
+               .addOption(Opts[Opt.QUIET])
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.DETACH]);
 
 if (os.type() === 'Darwin') {
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ function start(options: Options) {
   }
 
   let osType = os.type();
+  let stdio = options[Opt.QUIET].getBoolean() ? 'pipe' : 'inherit';
   let binaries = FileManager.setupBinaries();
   let seleniumPort = options[Opt.SELENIUM_PORT].getString();
   let appiumPort = options[Opt.APPIUM_PORT].getString();
@@ -176,13 +178,13 @@ function start(options: Options) {
       let avds = options[Opt.AVDS].getString();
       startAndroid(
           outputDir, binaries[AndroidSDK.id], avds.split(','),
-          options[Opt.AVD_USE_SNAPSHOTS].getBoolean(), avdPort);
+          options[Opt.AVD_USE_SNAPSHOTS].getBoolean(), avdPort, stdio);
     } else {
       logger.warn('Not starting android because it is not installed');
     }
   }
   if (downloadedBinaries[Appium.id] != null) {
-    startAppium(outputDir, binaries[Appium.id], binaries[AndroidSDK.id], appiumPort);
+    startAppium(outputDir, binaries[Appium.id], binaries[AndroidSDK.id], appiumPort, stdio);
   }
 
   // log the command to launch selenium server
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ function start(options: Options) {
   }
   logger.info('java' + argsToString);
 
-  let seleniumProcess = spawn('java', args, 'inherit');
+  let seleniumProcess = spawn('java', args, stdio);
   if (options[Opt.STARTED_SIGNIFIER].getString()) {
     signalWhenReady(
         options[Opt.STARTED_SIGNIFIER].getString(), options[Opt.SIGNAL_VIA_IPC].getBoolean(),
@@ -225,7 +227,8 @@ function start(options: Options) {
 }
 
 function startAndroid(
-    outputDir: string, sdk: Binary, avds: string[], useSnapshots: boolean, port: number): void {
+    outputDir: string, sdk: Binary, avds: string[], useSnapshots: boolean, port: number,
+    stdio: string): void {
   let sdkPath = path.resolve(outputDir, sdk.executableFilename(os.type()));
   if (avds[0] == 'all') {
     avds = <string[]>require(path.resolve(sdkPath, 'available_avds.json'));
@@ -257,7 +260,7 @@ function startAndroid(
     if (emuBin !== 'emulator') {
       emuArgs = emuArgs.concat(['-qemu', '-enable-kvm']);
     }
-    androidProcesses.push(spawn(path.resolve(sdkPath, 'tools', emuBin), emuArgs, 'inherit'));
+    androidProcesses.push(spawn(path.resolve(sdkPath, 'tools', emuBin), emuArgs, stdio));
   });
 }
 
@@ -271,13 +274,14 @@ function killAndroid() {
 // Manage appium process
 let appiumProcess: ChildProcess;
 
-function startAppium(outputDir: string, binary: Binary, androidSDK: Binary, port: string) {
+function startAppium(
+    outputDir: string, binary: Binary, androidSDK: Binary, port: string, stdio: string) {
   logger.info('Starting appium server');
   if (androidSDK) {
     process.env.ANDROID_HOME = path.resolve(outputDir, androidSDK.executableFilename(os.type()));
   }
   appiumProcess = spawn(
-      'npm', ['run', 'appium'].concat(port ? ['--', '--port', port] : []), null,
+      'npm', ['run', 'appium'].concat(port ? ['--', '--port', port] : []), stdio,
       {cwd: path.resolve(outputDir, binary.filename())});
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/cmds/update.ts b/lib/cmds/update.ts
index 82331898..b86e8a01 100644
--- a/lib/cmds/update.ts
+++ b/lib/cmds/update.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ let prog = new Program()
                .command('update', 'install or update selected binaries')
                .action(update)
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.OUT_DIR])
+               .addOption(Opts[Opt.VERBOSE])
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.IGNORE_SSL])
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.PROXY])
                .addOption(Opts[Opt.ALTERNATE_CDN])
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ function update(options: Options): void {
   }
   let ignoreSSL = options[Opt.IGNORE_SSL].getBoolean();
   let proxy = options[Opt.PROXY].getString();
+  let verbose = options[Opt.VERBOSE].getBoolean();
 
   // setup versions for binaries
   let binaries = FileManager.setupBinaries(options[Opt.ALTERNATE_CDN].getString());
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ function update(options: Options): void {
           initializeAndroid(
               path.resolve(outputDir, binary.executableFilename(os.type())), android_api_levels,
               android_architectures, android_platforms, android_accept_licenses,
-              binaries[AndroidSDK.id].versionCustom, JSON.parse(oldAVDList), logger);
+              binaries[AndroidSDK.id].versionCustom, JSON.parse(oldAVDList), logger, verbose);
         })
         .done();
   }