diff --git a/src/dmd/cli.d b/src/dmd/cli.d
index 0dfc0ba7abac..bcdfd0807fa8 100644
--- a/src/dmd/cli.d
+++ b/src/dmd/cli.d
@@ -282,8 +282,8 @@ struct Usage
         Option("unittest",
             "compile in unit tests"
         ),
-        Option("v",
-            "verbose"
+        Option("v[=file]",
+            "verbose with option to output to a file (defaults to stdout)"
         ),
         Option("vcolumns",
             "print character (column) numbers in diagnostics"
diff --git a/src/dmd/dmodule.d b/src/dmd/dmodule.d
index dd05e9b04f3b..edd4505204b1 100644
--- a/src/dmd/dmodule.d
+++ b/src/dmd/dmodule.d
@@ -527,16 +527,16 @@ extern (C++) final class Module : Package
             return null;
         if (global.params.verbose)
         {
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "import    ");
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "import    ");
             if (packages)
             {
                 for (size_t i = 0; i < packages.dim; i++)
                 {
                     Identifier pid = (*packages)[i];
-                    fprintf(global.stdmsg, "%s.", pid.toChars());
+                    fprintf(global.params.verbose, "%s.", pid.toChars());
                 }
             }
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "%s\t(%s)\n", ident.toChars(), m.srcfile.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "%s\t(%s)\n", ident.toChars(), m.srcfile.toChars());
         }
         m = m.parse();
 
diff --git a/src/dmd/dmsc.d b/src/dmd/dmsc.d
index 6bf3cc4027a3..df55c4c35d41 100644
--- a/src/dmd/dmsc.d
+++ b/src/dmd/dmsc.d
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ void backend_init()
         exe,
         false, //params.trace,
         params.nofloat,
-        params.verbose,
+        params.verbose ? true : false,
         params.optimize,
         params.symdebug,
         params.alwaysframe,
diff --git a/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d b/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
index c3ead1560fb4..261494cafb78 100644
--- a/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
+++ b/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ private extern(C++) final class DsymbolSemanticVisitor : Visitor
                 memcpy(name, se.string, se.len);
                 name[se.len] = 0;
                 if (global.params.verbose)
-                    fprintf(global.stdmsg, "library   %s\n", name);
+                    fprintf(global.params.verbose, "library   %s\n", name);
                 if (global.params.moduleDeps && !global.params.moduleDepsFile)
                 {
                     OutBuffer* ob = global.params.moduleDeps;
@@ -1475,7 +1475,7 @@ private extern(C++) final class DsymbolSemanticVisitor : Visitor
             {
                 /* Print unrecognized pragmas
                  */
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "pragma    %s", pd.ident.toChars());
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "pragma    %s", pd.ident.toChars());
                 if (pd.args)
                 {
                     for (size_t i = 0; i < pd.args.dim; i++)
@@ -1487,15 +1487,15 @@ private extern(C++) final class DsymbolSemanticVisitor : Visitor
                         sc = sc.endCTFE();
                         e = e.ctfeInterpret();
                         if (i == 0)
-                            fprintf(global.stdmsg, " (");
+                            fprintf(global.params.verbose, " (");
                         else
-                            fprintf(global.stdmsg, ",");
-                        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "%s", e.toChars());
+                            fprintf(global.params.verbose, ",");
+                        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "%s", e.toChars());
                     }
                     if (pd.args.dim)
-                        fprintf(global.stdmsg, ")");
+                        fprintf(global.params.verbose, ")");
                 }
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "\n");
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "\n");
             }
             goto Lnodecl;
         }
diff --git a/src/dmd/expressionsem.d b/src/dmd/expressionsem.d
index e0aeb9097851..2aaecb86867b 100644
--- a/src/dmd/expressionsem.d
+++ b/src/dmd/expressionsem.d
@@ -4276,7 +4276,7 @@ private extern (C++) final class ExpressionSemanticVisitor : Visitor
         }
 
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "file      %.*s\t(%s)\n", cast(int)se.len, se.string, name);
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "file      %.*s\t(%s)\n", cast(int)se.len, se.string, name);
         if (global.params.moduleDeps !is null)
         {
             OutBuffer* ob = global.params.moduleDeps;
diff --git a/src/dmd/globals.d b/src/dmd/globals.d
index 10cc6191701b..334e9cd28ae5 100644
--- a/src/dmd/globals.d
+++ b/src/dmd/globals.d
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ struct Param
     bool oneobj;            // write one object file instead of multiple ones
     bool trace;             // insert profiling hooks
     bool tracegc;           // instrument calls to 'new'
-    bool verbose;           // verbose compile
+    FILE* verbose;          // verbose compile
     bool vcg_ast;           // write-out codegen-ast
     bool showColumns;       // print character (column) numbers in diagnostics
     bool vtls;              // identify thread local variables
diff --git a/src/dmd/globals.h b/src/dmd/globals.h
index 260de8b24429..539fb62fe9d7 100644
--- a/src/dmd/globals.h
+++ b/src/dmd/globals.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct Param
     bool oneobj;        // write one object file instead of multiple ones
     bool trace;         // insert profiling hooks
     bool tracegc;       // instrument calls to 'new'
-    bool verbose;       // verbose compile
+    FILE* verbose;      // verbose compile
     bool vcg_ast;       // write-out codegen-ast
     bool showColumns;   // print character (column) numbers in diagnostics
     bool vtls;          // identify thread local variables
diff --git a/src/dmd/glue.d b/src/dmd/glue.d
index 753048b296cf..7de56e135f25 100644
--- a/src/dmd/glue.d
+++ b/src/dmd/glue.d
@@ -323,8 +323,8 @@ void genObjFile(Module m, bool multiobj)
 
     if (m.ident == Id.entrypoint)
     {
-        bool v = global.params.verbose;
-        global.params.verbose = false;
+        auto v = global.params.verbose;
+        global.params.verbose = null;
 
         for (size_t i = 0; i < m.members.dim; i++)
         {
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ void FuncDeclaration_toObjFile(FuncDeclaration fd, bool multiobj)
     fd.semanticRun = PASS.obj;
 
     if (global.params.verbose)
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "function  %s\n", fd.toPrettyChars());
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "function  %s\n", fd.toPrettyChars());
 
     Symbol *s = toSymbol(fd);
     func_t *f = s.Sfunc;
diff --git a/src/dmd/inline.d b/src/dmd/inline.d
index 4657695b9735..4a1c4a3b33f4 100644
--- a/src/dmd/inline.d
+++ b/src/dmd/inline.d
@@ -1276,7 +1276,7 @@ public:
             return;
 
         if (global.params.verbose && (eresult || sresult))
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "inlined   %s =>\n          %s\n", fd.toPrettyChars(), parent.toPrettyChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "inlined   %s =>\n          %s\n", fd.toPrettyChars(), parent.toPrettyChars());
 
         if (eresult && e.type.ty != Tvoid)
         {
@@ -1706,7 +1706,7 @@ public void inlineScanModule(Module m)
     {
         Dsymbol s = (*m.members)[i];
         //if (global.params.verbose)
-        //    fprintf(global.stdmsg, "inline scan symbol %s\n", s.toChars());
+        //    fprintf(global.params.verbose, "inline scan symbol %s\n", s.toChars());
         scope InlineScanVisitor v = new InlineScanVisitor();
         s.accept(v);
     }
diff --git a/src/dmd/json.d b/src/dmd/json.d
index 4efe9f43c443..f6a8ef6ee32e 100644
--- a/src/dmd/json.d
+++ b/src/dmd/json.d
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ extern (C++) void json_generate(OutBuffer* buf, Modules* modules)
     {
         Module m = (*modules)[i];
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "json gen %s\n", m.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "json gen %s\n", m.toChars());
         m.accept(json);
     }
     json.arrayEnd();
diff --git a/src/dmd/lib.d b/src/dmd/lib.d
index b514af6c3774..c09dca062fcd 100644
--- a/src/dmd/lib.d
+++ b/src/dmd/lib.d
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class Library
     final void write()
     {
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "library   %s\n", loc.filename);
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "library   %s\n", loc.filename);
 
         OutBuffer libbuf;
         WriteLibToBuffer(&libbuf);
diff --git a/src/dmd/link.d b/src/dmd/link.d
index 598b83149704..b5110d524da6 100644
--- a/src/dmd/link.d
+++ b/src/dmd/link.d
@@ -671,8 +671,8 @@ public int runLINK()
         {
             // Print it
             for (size_t i = 0; i < argv.dim; i++)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "%s ", argv[i]);
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "\n");
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "%s ", argv[i]);
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "\n");
         }
         argv.push(null);
         // set up pipes
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ version (Windows)
         int status;
         size_t len;
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "%s %s\n", cmd, args);
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "%s %s\n", cmd, args);
         if (!global.params.mscoff)
         {
             if ((len = strlen(args)) > 255)
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ version (Windows)
             }
         }
         //if (global.params.verbose)
-        //    fprintf(global.stdmsg, "\n");
+        //    fprintf(global.params.verbose, "\n");
         if (status)
         {
             if (status == -1)
@@ -853,10 +853,10 @@ public int runProgram()
     //printf("runProgram()\n");
     if (global.params.verbose)
     {
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "%s", global.params.exefile);
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "%s", global.params.exefile);
         for (size_t i = 0; i < global.params.runargs.dim; ++i)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, " %s", global.params.runargs[i]);
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "\n");
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, " %s", global.params.runargs[i]);
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "\n");
     }
     // Build argv[]
     Strings argv;
diff --git a/src/dmd/mars.d b/src/dmd/mars.d
index f0913c7b37a4..7101e1ab4f96 100644
--- a/src/dmd/mars.d
+++ b/src/dmd/mars.d
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ extern (C++) void genCmain(Scope* sc)
     m.members = p.parseModule();
     assert(p.token.value == TOKeof);
     assert(!p.errors); // shouldn't have failed to parse it
-    bool v = global.params.verbose;
-    global.params.verbose = false;
+    auto v = global.params.verbose;
+    global.params.verbose = null;
     m.importedFrom = m;
     m.importAll(null);
     m.dsymbolSemantic(null);
@@ -474,9 +474,9 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
 
     if (global.params.verbose)
     {
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "binary    %s\n", global.params.argv0);
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "version   %s\n", global._version);
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "config    %s\n", global.inifilename ? global.inifilename : "(none)");
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "binary    %s\n", global.params.argv0);
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "version   %s\n", global._version);
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "config    %s\n", global.inifilename ? global.inifilename : "(none)");
     }
     //printf("%d source files\n",files.dim);
 
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
     {
         Module m = modules[modi];
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "parse     %s\n", m.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "parse     %s\n", m.toChars());
         if (!Module.rootModule)
             Module.rootModule = m;
         m.importedFrom = m; // m.isRoot() == true
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
         foreach (m; modules)
         {
             if (global.params.verbose)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "import    %s\n", m.toChars());
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "import    %s\n", m.toChars());
             genhdrfile(m);
         }
     }
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
     foreach (m; modules)
     {
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "importall %s\n", m.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "importall %s\n", m.toChars());
         m.importAll(null);
     }
     if (global.errors)
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
     foreach (m; modules)
     {
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic  %s\n", m.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "semantic  %s\n", m.toChars());
         m.dsymbolSemantic(null);
     }
     //if (global.errors)
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
     foreach (m; modules)
     {
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic2 %s\n", m.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "semantic2 %s\n", m.toChars());
         m.semantic2(null);
     }
     Module.runDeferredSemantic2();
@@ -780,19 +780,19 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
     foreach (m; modules)
     {
         if (global.params.verbose)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic3 %s\n", m.toChars());
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, "semantic3 %s\n", m.toChars());
         m.semantic3(null);
     }
     if (includeImports)
     {
-        // Note: DO NOT USE foreach here because Module.amodules.dim can
+        // Note: DO NOT USE foreach here because compiledImports.dim can
         //       change on each iteration of the loop
         for (size_t i = 0; i < compiledImports.dim; i++)
         {
             auto m = compiledImports[i];
             assert(m.isRoot);
             if (global.params.verbose)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "semantic3 %s\n", m.toChars());
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "semantic3 %s\n", m.toChars());
             m.semantic3(null);
             modules.push(m);
         }
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
         foreach (m; modules)
         {
             if (global.params.verbose)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "inline scan %s\n", m.toChars());
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "inline scan %s\n", m.toChars());
             inlineScanModule(m);
         }
     }
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
         foreach (m; modules)
         {
             if (global.params.verbose)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "code      %s\n", m.toChars());
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "code      %s\n", m.toChars());
             genObjFile(m, false);
             if (entrypoint && m == rootHasMain)
                 genObjFile(entrypoint, false);
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ private int tryMain(size_t argc, const(char)** argv)
         foreach (m; modules)
         {
             if (global.params.verbose)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "code      %s\n", m.toChars());
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "code      %s\n", m.toChars());
             obj_start(cast(char*)m.srcfile.toChars());
             genObjFile(m, global.params.multiobj);
             if (entrypoint && m == rootHasMain)
@@ -1339,11 +1339,11 @@ private void printPredefinedVersions()
 {
     if (global.params.verbose && global.versionids)
     {
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "predefs  ");
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "predefs  ");
         foreach (const str; *global.versionids)
-            fprintf(global.stdmsg, " %s", str.toChars);
+            fprintf(global.params.verbose, " %s", str.toChars);
 
-        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "\n");
+        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "\n");
     }
 }
 
@@ -1415,9 +1415,9 @@ private bool parseCommandLine(const ref Strings arguments, const size_t argc, re
 {
     bool errors;
 
-    void error(const(char)* format, const(char*) arg = null)
+    void error(T...)(const(char)* format, T args)
     {
-        dmd.errors.error(Loc(), format, arg);
+        dmd.errors.error(Loc(), format, args);
         errors = true;
     }
 
@@ -1630,8 +1630,6 @@ private bool parseCommandLine(const ref Strings arguments, const size_t argc, re
                 else
                     params.trace = true;
             }
-            else if (arg == "-v") // https://dlang.org/dmd.html#switch-v
-                params.verbose = true;
             else if (arg == "-vcg-ast")
                 params.vcg_ast = true;
             else if (arg == "-vtls") // https://dlang.org/dmd.html#switch-vtls
@@ -1640,6 +1638,24 @@ private bool parseCommandLine(const ref Strings arguments, const size_t argc, re
                 params.showColumns = true;
             else if (arg == "-vgc") // https://dlang.org/dmd.html#switch-vgc
                 params.vgc = true;
+            else if (p[1] == 'v') // https://dlang.org/dmd.html#switch-v
+            {
+                if (p[2] == '\0')
+                {
+                    params.verbose = stdout;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    auto filename = p + 2 + ((p[2] == '=') ? 1 : 0);
+                    params.verbose = fopen(filename, "w");
+                    if (!params.verbose)
+                    {
+                        import core.stdc.errno : errno;
+                        error("failed to open verbose output file '%s' (errno %d)", filename, errno);
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             else if (startsWith(p + 1, "verrors")) // https://dlang.org/dmd.html#switch-verrors
             {
                 if (p[8] == '=' && isdigit(cast(char)p[9]))
@@ -2175,7 +2191,7 @@ private extern(C++) bool marsOnImport(Module m)
             (m.md && m.md.packages) ? m.md.packages : &empty, m.ident, m.isPackageFile)))
         {
             if (global.params.verbose)
-                fprintf(global.stdmsg, "compileimport (%s)\n", m.srcfile.toChars);
+                fprintf(global.params.verbose, "compileimport (%s)\n", m.srcfile.toChars);
             compiledImports.push(m);
             return true; // this import will be compiled
         }
diff --git a/src/dmd/statementsem.d b/src/dmd/statementsem.d
index 9eaa42351171..41b4adebf823 100644
--- a/src/dmd/statementsem.d
+++ b/src/dmd/statementsem.d
@@ -2247,7 +2247,7 @@ else
 
                     if (global.params.verbose)
                     {
-                        fprintf(global.stdmsg, "library   %.*s\n", cast(int)se.len, se.string);
+                        fprintf(global.params.verbose, "library   %.*s\n", cast(int)se.len, se.string);
                     }
                 }
             }