diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 676ae30df..1e01d1c70 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ian-howell/airshipadm/pkg/environment"
 	"github.com/ian-howell/airshipadm/pkg/kube"
+	"github.com/ian-howell/airshipadm/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -23,11 +24,14 @@ func NewRootCmd(out io.Writer, client *kube.Client, args []string) *cobra.Comman
 
 	// Settings flags - This section should probably be moved to pkg/environment
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&settings.KubeConfigFilePath, "kubeconfig", "", "path to kubeconfig")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&settings.Debug, "debug", false, "enable verbose output")
 	// TODO(howell): Remove this panic
 	if err := rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Parse(args); err != nil {
 		panic(err.Error())
 	}
 
+	log.Init(&settings, out)
+
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(NewVersionCommand(out, client))
 
 	// Compound commands
diff --git a/cmd/testdata/TestRootGoldenOutput/default.golden b/cmd/testdata/TestRootGoldenOutput/default.golden
index 330745ac3..dbbb192b0 100644
--- a/cmd/testdata/TestRootGoldenOutput/default.golden
+++ b/cmd/testdata/TestRootGoldenOutput/default.golden
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Available Commands:
   version     Show the version number of airshipadm and its underlying tools
 
 Flags:
+      --debug               enable verbose output
   -h, --help                help for airshipadm
       --kubeconfig string   path to kubeconfig
 
diff --git a/pkg/environment/settings.go b/pkg/environment/settings.go
index 79a0e6466..decb970c2 100644
--- a/pkg/environment/settings.go
+++ b/pkg/environment/settings.go
@@ -6,4 +6,7 @@ type AirshipADMSettings struct {
 	// This flag is only needed when airshipadm is being used
 	// out-of-cluster
 	KubeConfigFilePath string
+
+	// Debug is used for verbose output
+	Debug bool
 }
diff --git a/pkg/log/log.go b/pkg/log/log.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0fd9dc10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/log/log.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package log
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"log"
+
+	"github.com/ian-howell/airshipadm/pkg/environment"
+)
+
+var debug = false
+
+// Init initializes settings related to logging
+func Init(settings *environment.AirshipADMSettings, out io.Writer) {
+	debug = settings.Debug
+	log.SetOutput(out)
+}
+
+// Debug is a wrapper for log.Debug
+func Debug(v ...interface{}) {
+	if debug {
+		log.Print(v...)
+	}
+}
+
+// Debugf is a wrapper for log.Debugf
+func Debugf(format string, v ...interface{}) {
+	if debug {
+		log.Printf(format, v...)
+	}
+}
+
+// Print is a wrapper for log.Print
+func Print(v ...interface{}) {
+	log.Print(v...)
+}
+
+// Printf is a wrapper for log.Printf
+func Printf(format string, v ...interface{}) {
+	log.Printf(format, v...)
+}
+
+// Fatal is a wrapper for log.Fatal
+func Fatal(v ...interface{}) {
+	log.Fatal(v...)
+}
+
+// Fatalf is a wrapper for log.Fatalf
+func Fatalf(format string, v ...interface{}) {
+	log.Fatalf(format, v...)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/log/log_test.go b/pkg/log/log_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57fb04e6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/log/log_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+package log_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ian-howell/airshipadm/pkg/environment"
+	"github.com/ian-howell/airshipadm/pkg/log"
+)
+
+const notEqualFmt = `Output does not match expected
+GOT:      %v
+Expected: %v`
+
+func TestLoggingWithoutDebug(t *testing.T) {
+	settings := environment.AirshipADMSettings{
+		Debug: false,
+	}
+
+	output := new(bytes.Buffer)
+
+	log.Init(&settings, output)
+
+	log.Print("Print test - debug false")
+	expected := "Print test - debug false"
+	outputFields := strings.Fields(output.String())
+	if len(outputFields) < 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected log message to have the following format: YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS Message")
+	}
+	outputMessage := strings.Join(outputFields[2:], " ")
+	if outputMessage != expected {
+		t.Errorf(notEqualFmt, outputMessage, expected)
+	}
+
+	output.Reset()
+
+	log.Printf("%s - %s", "Printf test", "debug false")
+	expected = "Printf test - debug false"
+	outputFields = strings.Fields(output.String())
+	if len(outputFields) < 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected log message to have the following format: YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS Message")
+	}
+	outputMessage = strings.Join(outputFields[2:], " ")
+	if outputMessage != expected {
+		t.Errorf(notEqualFmt, outputMessage, expected)
+	}
+
+	output.Reset()
+	log.Debug("Debug test - debug false")
+	log.Debugf("%s - %s", "Debugf test", "debug false")
+	if len(output.Bytes()) > 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected output: %s", output)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLoggingWithDebug(t *testing.T) {
+	settings := environment.AirshipADMSettings{
+		Debug: true,
+	}
+
+	output := new(bytes.Buffer)
+
+	log.Init(&settings, output)
+
+	log.Debug("Debug test - debug true")
+	expected := "Debug test - debug true"
+	outputFields := strings.Fields(output.String())
+	if len(outputFields) < 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected log message to have the following format: YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS Message")
+	}
+	outputMessage := strings.Join(outputFields[2:], " ")
+	if outputMessage != expected {
+		t.Errorf(notEqualFmt, outputMessage, expected)
+	}
+
+	output.Reset()
+
+	log.Debugf("%s - %s", "Debugf test", "debug true")
+	expected = "Debugf test - debug true"
+	outputFields = strings.Fields(output.String())
+	if len(outputFields) < 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected log message to have the following format: YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS Message")
+	}
+	outputMessage = strings.Join(outputFields[2:], " ")
+	if outputMessage != expected {
+		t.Errorf(notEqualFmt, outputMessage, expected)
+	}
+}