diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
index 08066a0d..10b76a53 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ class App(Base):
         # -- Members without default values
         self.__opt_os: str|None = None
         self.__opt_interactive: bool|None = None
+        self.__opt_verbose: bool|None = None
         self.__top_name: str|None = None
         self.__os_release: str|None = None
         self.__distro_id: str|None = None
@@ -238,6 +239,7 @@ class App(Base):
         parser.add_argument('-O', '--os', default = None, help='Target operating system')
         parser.add_argument('--distro-id', default=None, help='Distribution ID (default is taken from /etc/os-release)')
         parser.add_argument('--interactive', choices=['true', 'false', 'auto'], default='true', help="Wait for user input or try to proceed unattended")
+        parser.add_argument('--verbose', action='store_true', default=False, help="Be verbose on stderr about what's being done on the distro level")
 
     async def _run(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         self.__opt_os = args.os
@@ -265,11 +267,17 @@ class App(Base):
                     self.__opt_interactive = sys.stdin.isatty()
         return self.__opt_interactive
 
+    @property
+    def verbose(self) -> bool:
+        if self.__opt_verbose is None:
+            self.__opt_verbose = self.args.verbose
+        return self.__opt_verbose
+
     @property
     def exec_context(self) -> str:
         if self.__exec_context is None:
             from .lib.ec.Local import Local
-            self.__exec_context = Local(interactive=self.interactive)
+            self.__exec_context = Local(interactive=self.interactive, verbose_default=self.verbose)
         return self.__exec_context
 
     @property
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/CmdRebootRequired.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/CmdRebootRequired.py
index e19bbccb..c181f4ff 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/CmdRebootRequired.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/distro/CmdRebootRequired.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ class CmdRebootRequired(Cmd): # export
 
     def add_arguments(self, parser: ArgumentParser) -> None:
         super().add_arguments(parser)
-        parser.add_argument('--verbose', default=False, action='store_true', help='Be chatty about the check')
 
     async def _run(self, args: Namespace) -> None:
-        return await self.distro.reboot_required(verbose=args.verbose)
+        return await self.distro.reboot_required()
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/Distro.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/Distro.py
index 7cbf3eed..9ca38549 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/Distro.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/Distro.py
@@ -82,7 +82,9 @@ class Distro(abc.ABC):
     async def _reboot_required(self, verbose: bool) -> bool:
         pass
 
-    async def reboot_required(self, verbose: bool=False) -> bool:
+    async def reboot_required(self, verbose: bool|None=None) -> bool:
+        if verbose is None:
+            verbose = self.ctx.verbose_default
         return await self._reboot_required(verbose=verbose)
 
     # -- select
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py
index 479e5af4..1848588a 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py
@@ -16,15 +16,19 @@ class ExecContext(abc.ABC):
         self.__verbose_default = verbose_default
         assert verbose_default is not None
 
-    def _verbose(self, verbose: bool|None):
+    def _verbose(self, verbose: bool|None) -> bool:
         if verbose is not None:
             return verbose
         return self.__verbose_default
 
     @property
-    def interactive(self):
+    def interactive(self) -> bool:
         return self.__interactive
 
+    @property
+    def verbose_default(self) -> bool:
+        return self.__verbose_default
+
     @abc.abstractmethod
     async def _run(self, *args, **kwargs) -> Result:
         pass
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
index 9f209978..ddf67ace 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
@@ -31,14 +31,18 @@ def pretty_cmd(cmd: list[str], wd=None):
         ret += f' in {wd}'
     return ret
 
-# See ec.Local.run() for what this function does
-async def run_cmd(*args, ec: ExecContext|None=None, **kwargs) -> tuple[str|bytes|None, str|bytes|None]:
+# See ExecContext.run() for what this function does
+async def run_cmd(*args, ec: ExecContext|None=None, verbose: bool|None=None, **kwargs) -> tuple[str|bytes|None, str|bytes|None]:
+    if verbose is None:
+        verbose = False if ec is None else ec.verbose_default
     if ec is None:
         from .ec.Local import Local
-        ec = Local()
-    return await ec.run(*args, **kwargs)
+        ec = Local(verbose_default=verbose)
+    return await ec.run(verbose=verbose, *args, **kwargs)
 
-async def run_curl(args: list[str], parse_json: bool=True, wd=None, throw=None, verbose=False, cmd_input=None, ec: ExecContext|None=None) -> dict|str: # export
+async def run_curl(args: list[str], parse_json: bool=True, wd=None, throw=None, verbose=None, cmd_input=None, ec: ExecContext|None=None) -> dict|str: # export
+    if verbose is None:
+        verbose = False if ec is None else ec.verbose_default
     cmd = ['curl']
     if not verbose:
         cmd.append('-s')