diff --git a/src/rebar.erl b/src/rebar.erl
index 1efa43f..8fad12f 100644
--- a/src/rebar.erl
+++ b/src/rebar.erl
@@ -258,20 +258,27 @@ save_options(Config, {Options, NonOptArgs}) ->
 %% set log level based on getopt option
 %%
 set_log_level(Config, Options) ->
-    Level = case proplists:get_bool(quiet, Options) of
-                true ->
-                    rebar_log:error_level();
-                false ->
-                    DefaultLevel = rebar_log:default_level(),
-                    case proplists:get_all_values(verbose, Options) of
-                        [] ->
-                            DefaultLevel;
-                        Verbosities ->
-                            DefaultLevel + lists:last(Verbosities)
-                    end
-            end,
+    {IsVerbose, Level} =
+        case proplists:get_bool(quiet, Options) of
+            true ->
+                {false, rebar_log:error_level()};
+            false ->
+                DefaultLevel = rebar_log:default_level(),
+                case proplists:get_all_values(verbose, Options) of
+                    [] ->
+                        {false, DefaultLevel};
+                    Verbosities ->
+                        {true, DefaultLevel + lists:last(Verbosities)}
+                end
+        end,
 
-    rebar_config:set_global(Config, verbose, Level).
+    case IsVerbose of
+        true ->
+            Config1 = rebar_config:set_xconf(Config, is_verbose, true),
+            rebar_config:set_global(Config1, verbose, Level);
+        false ->
+            rebar_config:set_global(Config, verbose, Level)
+    end.
 
 %%
 %% show version information and halt
diff --git a/src/rebar_config.erl b/src/rebar_config.erl
index fe6945e..9b58d4f 100644
--- a/src/rebar_config.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_config.erl
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
          get_all/2,
          set/3,
          set_global/3, get_global/3,
-         is_verbose/1,
          save_env/3, get_env/2, reset_envs/1,
          set_skip_dir/2, is_skip_dir/2, reset_skip_dirs/1,
          clean_config/2,
@@ -110,10 +109,6 @@ get_global(Config, Key, Default) ->
             Value
     end.
 
-is_verbose(Config) ->
-    DefaultLevel = rebar_log:default_level(),
-    get_global(Config, verbose, DefaultLevel) > DefaultLevel.
-
 consult_file(File) ->
     case filename:extension(File) of
         ".script" ->
diff --git a/src/rebar_ct.erl b/src/rebar_ct.erl
index 74ae618..91d763b 100644
--- a/src/rebar_ct.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_ct.erl
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ run_test(TestDir, LogDir, Config, _File) ->
     {Cmd, RawLog} = make_cmd(TestDir, LogDir, Config),
     ?DEBUG("ct_run cmd:~n~p~n", [Cmd]),
     clear_log(LogDir, RawLog),
-    Output = case rebar_config:is_verbose(Config) of
+    Output = case rebar_log:is_verbose(Config) of
                  false ->
                      " >> " ++ RawLog ++ " 2>&1";
                  true ->
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ check_log(Config,RawLog,Fun) ->
 %% Show the log if it hasn't already been shown because verbose was on
 show_log(Config, RawLog) ->
     ?CONSOLE("Showing log\n", []),
-    case rebar_config:is_verbose(Config) of
+    case rebar_log:is_verbose(Config) of
         false ->
             {ok, Contents} = file:read_file(RawLog),
             ?CONSOLE("~s", [Contents]);
diff --git a/src/rebar_eunit.erl b/src/rebar_eunit.erl
index d39b1a2..6ea28f7 100644
--- a/src/rebar_eunit.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_eunit.erl
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ perform_eunit(Config, Tests) ->
 
 get_eunit_opts(Config) ->
     %% Enable verbose in eunit if so requested..
-    BaseOpts = case rebar_config:is_verbose(Config) of
+    BaseOpts = case rebar_log:is_verbose(Config) of
                    true ->
                        [verbose];
                    false ->
diff --git a/src/rebar_log.erl b/src/rebar_log.erl
index 8be090b..ba25332 100644
--- a/src/rebar_log.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_log.erl
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@
          error_level/0,
          default_level/0,
          log/3,
-         log/4]).
+         log/4,
+         is_verbose/1]).
 
 -define(ERROR_LEVEL, 0).
 -define(WARN_LEVEL,  1).
@@ -69,6 +70,9 @@ log(Device, Level, Str, Args) ->
 error_level() -> ?ERROR_LEVEL.
 default_level() -> ?WARN_LEVEL.
 
+is_verbose(Config) ->
+    rebar_config:get_xconf(Config, is_verbose, false).
+
 %% ===================================================================
 %% Internal functions
 %% ===================================================================
diff --git a/src/rebar_xref.erl b/src/rebar_xref.erl
index eaf6d03..0d89460 100644
--- a/src/rebar_xref.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_xref.erl
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ xref(Config, _) ->
 
     xref:set_default(xref, [{warnings,
                              rebar_config:get(Config, xref_warnings, false)},
-                            {verbose, rebar_config:is_verbose(Config)}]),
+                            {verbose, rebar_log:is_verbose(Config)}]),
 
     {ok, _} = xref:add_directory(xref, "ebin"),