diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 66538ba1ad..e486e8f984 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 all::
 
+# Define V=1 to have a more verbose compile.
+#
+
 GIT-VERSION-FILE: .FORCE-GIT-VERSION-FILE
 	@$(SHELL_PATH) ./GIT-VERSION-GEN
 -include GIT-VERSION-FILE
@@ -19,27 +22,32 @@ ifndef INSTALL
 	INSTALL = install
 endif
 
+ifndef V
+	QUIET_GEN      = @echo '   ' GEN $@;
+	QUIET_BUILT_IN = @echo '   ' BUILTIN $@;
+endif
+
 DESTDIR_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(DESTDIR))
 gitexecdir_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(gitexecdir))
 SHELL_PATH_SQ = $(subst ','\'',$(SHELL_PATH))
 
 git-gui: git-gui.sh GIT-VERSION-FILE CREDITS-FILE
-	rm -f $@ $@+
+	$(QUIET_GEN)rm -f $@ $@+ && \
 	sed -n \
 		-e '1s|#!.*/sh|#!$(SHELL_PATH_SQ)|' \
 		-e 's/@@GITGUI_VERSION@@/$(GITGUI_VERSION)/g' \
 		-e '1,/^set gitgui_credits /p' \
-		$@.sh >$@+
-	cat CREDITS-FILE >>$@+
-	sed -e '1,/^set gitgui_credits /d' $@.sh >>$@+
-	chmod +x $@+
+		$@.sh >$@+ && \
+	cat CREDITS-FILE >>$@+ && \
+	sed -e '1,/^set gitgui_credits /d' $@.sh >>$@+ && \
+	chmod +x $@+ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 CREDITS-FILE: CREDITS-GEN .FORCE-CREDITS-FILE
-	$(SHELL_PATH) ./CREDITS-GEN
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(SHELL_PATH) ./CREDITS-GEN
 
 $(GITGUI_BUILT_INS): git-gui
-	rm -f $@ && ln git-gui $@
+	$(QUIET_BUILT_IN)rm -f $@ && ln git-gui $@
 
 all:: $(ALL_PROGRAMS)