diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 4cef62e..0f76881 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 - depend on execnet-1.0.7 which adds "env1:NAME=value" keys to 
   gateway specification strings. 
 
+- show detailed gateway setup and platform information only when 
+  "-v" or "--verbose" is specified. 
+
 1.3
 -------------------------
 
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index d4d9557..be96c9a 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class TestDistribution:
                     py.test.skip("hello")
             """, 
         )
-        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, '-d', '--tx=popen', '--tx=popen')
+        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, "-v", '-d', '--tx=popen', '--tx=popen')
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
             "*0*popen*Python*",
             "*1*popen*Python*",
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class TestDistribution:
         testdir.makeconftest("""
             option_tx = 'popen popen popen'.split()
         """)
-        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, '-d')
+        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, '-d', "-v")
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
             "*0*popen*Python*",
             "*1*popen*Python*",
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class TestDistribution:
                     os.kill(os.getpid(), 15)
             """
         )
-        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, '-d', '--tx=3*popen')
+        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, "-v", '-d', '--tx=3*popen')
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
             "*popen*Python*",
             "*popen*Python*",
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class TestDistribution:
         subdir.ensure("__init__.py")
         p = subdir.join("test_one.py")
         p.write("def test_5(): assert not __file__.startswith(%r)" % str(p))
-        result = testdir.runpytest("-d", "--rsyncdir=%(subdir)s" % locals(), 
+        result = testdir.runpytest("-v", "-d", "--rsyncdir=%(subdir)s" % locals(), 
             "--tx=popen//chdir=%(dest)s" % locals(), p)
         assert result.ret == 0
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class TestDistribution:
                 print("%s...%s" % sys.version_info[:2])
                 assert 0
         """)
-        args = ["--dist=each"]
+        args = ["--dist=each", "-v"]
         args += ["--tx", "popen//python=%s" % interpreters[0]]
         args += ["--tx", "popen//python=%s" % interpreters[1]]
         result = testdir.runpytest(*args)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class TestDistribution:
                         'calculated result is %s' % calc_result)
         """)
         p1 = testdir.makepyfile("def test_func(): pass")
-        result = testdir.runpytest(p1, '-d', '--tx=popen')
+        result = testdir.runpytest("-v", p1, '-d', '--tx=popen')
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
             "*popen*Python*",
             "*calculated result is 49*",
diff --git a/xdist/dsession.py b/xdist/dsession.py
index 48abe81..aab4994 100644
--- a/xdist/dsession.py
+++ b/xdist/dsession.py
@@ -100,9 +100,12 @@ class DSession(session.Session):
         return exitstatus
 
     def collect_all_items(self, colitems):
-        self.report_line("[master] starting full item collection ...")
+        verbose = self.config.getvalue("verbose")
+        if verbose:
+            self.report_line("[master] starting full item collection ...")
         allitems = list(self.collect(colitems))
-        self.report_line("[master] collected %d items" %(len(allitems)))
+        if verbose:
+            self.report_line("[master] collected %d items" %(len(allitems)))
         return allitems
 
     def loop_once(self, loopstate):
@@ -286,6 +289,9 @@ class DSession(session.Session):
 
     def setup(self):
         """ setup any neccessary resources ahead of the test run. """
+        if not self.config.getvalue("verbose"):
+            self.report_line("instantiating gateways (use -v for details): %s" % 
+                ",".join(self.config.option.tx))
         self.nodemanager = NodeManager(self.config)
         self.nodemanager.setup_nodes(putevent=self.queue.put)
 
diff --git a/xdist/plugin.py b/xdist/plugin.py
index 5e777f5..ac150ae 100644
--- a/xdist/plugin.py
+++ b/xdist/plugin.py
@@ -294,11 +294,14 @@ class TerminalDistReporter:
                         "Python %(version)s "
                         "cwd: %(cwd)s"
                         "%(extra)s" % d)
-        self.write_line(infoline)
+        if self.config.getvalue("verbose"):
+            self.write_line(infoline)
         self.gateway2info[gateway] = infoline
 
     def pytest_testnodeready(self, node):
-        self.write_line("[%s] txnode ready to receive tests" %(node.gateway.id,))
+        if self.config.getvalue("verbose"):
+            self.write_line(
+                "[%s] txnode ready to receive tests" %(node.gateway.id,))
 
     def pytest_testnodedown(self, node, error):
         if not error: