diff --git a/tests/run.sh b/tests/run.sh
index 1a73f097c..b9ee03752 100755
--- a/tests/run.sh
+++ b/tests/run.sh
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@ export HOME=/dev/null
 usage() {
     cat >&2 <<EOF
 Usage: $0 [-W] [testfile]...
+  -v: verbose mode
   -W: warnings become errors
   -h: show this help
 EOF
     exit "$1"
 }
-while getopts Wh opt; do
+fail_on_warning=
+verbose=${VERBOSE:-0}
+while getopts vWh opt; do
     case $opt in
+        v) verbose=1 ;;
         W) fail_on_warning=1 ;;
         h) usage 0 ;;
         *) usage 64 ;;
@@ -33,8 +37,7 @@ while getopts Wh opt; do
 done
 shift $((OPTIND-1))
 
-VERBOSE=${VERBOSE-0}
-if [ "$VERBOSE" = 1 ]; then
+if [[ $verbose ]]; then
     set -x
 fi
 
@@ -119,9 +122,7 @@ awesome_log=$tmp_files/_awesome_test.log
 echo "awesome_log: $awesome_log"
 
 wait_until_success() {
-    if [ "$VERBOSE" = 1 ]; then
-        set +x
-    fi
+    if [[ $verbose ]]; then set +x; fi
     wait_count=60  # 60*0.05s => 3s.
     while true; do
         set +e
@@ -144,9 +145,7 @@ wait_until_success() {
         fi
         sleep 0.05
     done
-    if [ "$VERBOSE" = 1 ]; then
-        set -x
-    fi
+    if [[ $verbose ]]; then set -x; fi
 }
 
 # Wait for DISPLAY to be available, and setup xrdb,