diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2b25d7b069c31d..53aa21025ea36a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -4227,6 +4227,13 @@ AS_IF([test -z "$MANTYPE"], [
 ])
 AC_SUBST(MANTYPE)
 
+MKMF_VERBOSE=0
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(mkmf-verbose,
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-mkmf-verbose], [enable verbose in mkmf]),
+    [MKMF_VERBOSE=1],
+    [MKMF_VERBOSE=0])
+AC_SUBST(MKMF_VERBOSE)
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(rubygems,
 	AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-rubygems], [disable rubygems by default]),
 	[enable_rubygems="$enableval"], [enable_rubygems=yes])
diff --git a/lib/mkmf.rb b/lib/mkmf.rb
index 99dcf9da652d69..a6ec9bae5d3ebc 100644
--- a/lib/mkmf.rb
+++ b/lib/mkmf.rb
@@ -1964,13 +1964,14 @@ def mkintpath(path)
 
   def configuration(srcdir)
     mk = []
+    CONFIG['MKMF_VERBOSE'] ||= "0"
     vpath = $VPATH.dup
     CONFIG["hdrdir"] ||= $hdrdir
     mk << %{
 SHELL = /bin/sh
 
 # V=0 quiet, V=1 verbose.  other values don't work.
-V = 0
+V = #{CONFIG['MKMF_VERBOSE']}
 V0 = $(V:0=)
 Q1 = $(V:1=)
 Q = $(Q1:0=@)