diff --git a/bin/moonbuild.moon b/bin/moonbuild.moon
index 198b856..58ab530 100644
--- a/bin/moonbuild.moon
+++ b/bin/moonbuild.moon
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 -- load everything we need
 import loadfile from require 'moonscript.base'
 import Context, DepGraph, Executor from require 'moonbuild'
-Variable = (require 'moonbuild')['core.Variable']
-import parseargs from (require 'moonbuild')['_cmd.common']
+Variable = require 'moonbuild.core.Variable'
+import verbose from require 'moonbuild._common'
+import parseargs from require 'moonbuild._cmd.common'
 argparse = require 'argparse'
 import sort, concat from table
 import exit from os
@@ -34,12 +35,13 @@ for set in *args.set_list
 
 args.parallel = args.parallel == 'y' and 'y' or ((tonumber args.parallel) or error "Invalid argument for -j: #{args.parallel}")
 error "Invalid argument for -j: #{args.parallel}" if args.parallel != 'y' and (args.parallel<1 or args.parallel%1 != 0)
-print "Parsed CLI args" if args.verbose
+verbose args.verbose or false
+verbose "Parsed CLI args"
 
 -- load the buildfile
 ctx = Context!
 ctx\load (loadfile args.buildfile), overrides
-print "Loaded buildfile" if args.verbose
+verbose "Loaded buildfile"
 
 -- handle -l and -V
 if args.list
@@ -65,16 +67,16 @@ if args.list_variables
 
 -- initialize the buildfile further
 ctx\init!
-print "Initialized buildfile" if args.verbose
+verbose "Initialized buildfile"
 
 -- create the DAG
 targets = #args.targets==0 and ctx.defaulttargets or args.targets
 dag = DepGraph ctx, targets
-print "Created dependancy graph" if args.verbose
+verbose print "Created dependancy graph"
 
 -- execute the build
 nparallel = args.parallel == 'y' and Executor\getmaxparallel! or args.parallel
-print "Building with #{nparallel} max parallel process#{nparallel>1 and "es" or ""}" if args.verbose
+verbose "Building with #{nparallel} max parallel process#{nparallel>1 and "es" or ""}"
 executor = Executor dag, nparallel
 executor\execute args
-print "Finished" if args.verbose
+verbose "Finished"
diff --git a/moonbuild/_cmd.moon b/moonbuild/_cmd.moon
index 68e2ea7..b0db4dd 100644
--- a/moonbuild/_cmd.moon
+++ b/moonbuild/_cmd.moon
@@ -22,12 +22,11 @@ cmd.escape = escape
 for f in *({'cmd', 'cmdrst'})
 	orig = cmd[f]
 	cmd[f] = (...) ->
-		cli = cmdline ...
-		verbose -> print "[#{f}] #{cli}"
+		verbose "[#{f}] #{cmdline ...}"
 		orig ...
 _sh = cmd.sh
 cmd.sh = (cli) ->
-	verbose -> print "[sh] #{cli}"
+	verbose "[sh] #{cli}"
 	_sh cli
 
 -- derived cmd functions
diff --git a/moonbuild/_common.moon b/moonbuild/_common.moon
index 5737e88..5a6f5d0 100644
--- a/moonbuild/_common.moon
+++ b/moonbuild/_common.moon
@@ -155,8 +155,10 @@ verbose = (arg) ->
 		arg! if _verbose
 	elseif (type arg) == 'boolean'
 		_verbose = arg
+	elseif (type arg) == 'string'
+		print arg if _verbose
 	else
-		error "_.verbose takes either no argument, a boolean or a function"
+		error "_.verbose takes either no argument, a boolean, a function or a string"
 
 common.flatten = flatten
 common.first = first
diff --git a/moonbuild/_util.moon b/moonbuild/_util.moon
index 7d6258d..4eafe5c 100644
--- a/moonbuild/_util.moon
+++ b/moonbuild/_util.moon
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ writefile = (filename, data) ->
 	nil
 
 moonc = (infile, outfile) ->
-	verbose -> print "[moonc] #{infile} #{outfile}"
+	verbose "[moonc] #{infile} #{outfile}"
 	code, err = to_lua readfile infile
 	error "Failed to compile #{@infile}: #{err}" unless code
 	writefile outfile, code
diff --git a/moonbuild/init.moon b/moonbuild/init.moon
index 467ef7a..676a994 100644
--- a/moonbuild/init.moon
+++ b/moonbuild/init.moon
@@ -39,21 +39,19 @@ moonbuild = (...) ->
 	-- create context and DAG
 	ctx = Context!
 	ctx\load (loadfile buildfile), opts
-	_.verbose -> print "Loaded buildfile"
+	_.verbose "Loaded buildfile"
 	ctx\init!
-	_.verbose -> print "Initialized buildfile"
+	_.verbose "Initialized buildfile"
 	targets = #opts==0 and ctx.defaulttargets or opts
 	dag = DepGraph ctx, targets
-	_.verbose -> print "Created dependancy graph"
+	_.verbose "Created dependancy graph"
 
 	-- and build
 	nparallel = parallel == true and Executor\getmaxparallel! or parallel
-	_.verbose -> print "Building with #{nparallel} max parallel process#{nparallel>1 and "es" or ""}"
+	_.verbose "Building with #{nparallel} max parallel process#{nparallel>1 and "es" or ""}"
 	executor = Executor dag, nparallel
 	executor\execute opts
-	_.verbose -> print "Finished"
-
-	print _.verbose!
+	_.verbose "Finished"
 
 table = {
 	:moonbuild, :_
diff --git a/out/moonbuild b/out/moonbuild
index f7f985a..1e5b94a 100755
--- a/out/moonbuild
+++ b/out/moonbuild
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ do
   local _obj_0 = require('moonbuild')
   Context, DepGraph, Executor = _obj_0.Context, _obj_0.DepGraph, _obj_0.Executor
 end
-local Variable = (require('moonbuild'))['core.Variable']
+local Variable = require('moonbuild.core.Variable')
+local verbose
+verbose = require('moonbuild._common').verbose
 local parseargs
-parseargs = (require('moonbuild'))['_cmd.common'].parseargs
+parseargs = require('moonbuild._cmd.common').parseargs
 local argparse = require('argparse')
 local sort, concat
 do
@@ -55,14 +57,11 @@ args.parallel = args.parallel == 'y' and 'y' or ((tonumber(args.parallel)) or er
 if args.parallel ~= 'y' and (args.parallel < 1 or args.parallel % 1 ~= 0) then
   error("Invalid argument for -j: " .. tostring(args.parallel))
 end
-if args.verbose then
-  print("Parsed CLI args")
-end
+verbose(args.verbose or false)
+verbose("Parsed CLI args")
 local ctx = Context()
 ctx:load((loadfile(args.buildfile)), overrides)
-if args.verbose then
-  print("Loaded buildfile")
-end
+verbose("Loaded buildfile")
 if args.list then
   print("Public targets")
   local targets, n = { }, 1
@@ -94,20 +93,12 @@ if args.list_variables then
   exit(0)
 end
 ctx:init()
-if args.verbose then
-  print("Initialized buildfile")
-end
+verbose("Initialized buildfile")
 local targets = #args.targets == 0 and ctx.defaulttargets or args.targets
 local dag = DepGraph(ctx, targets)
-if args.verbose then
-  print("Created dependancy graph")
-end
+verbose(print("Created dependancy graph"))
 local nparallel = args.parallel == 'y' and Executor:getmaxparallel() or args.parallel
-if args.verbose then
-  print("Building with " .. tostring(nparallel) .. " max parallel process" .. tostring(nparallel > 1 and "es" or ""))
-end
+verbose("Building with " .. tostring(nparallel) .. " max parallel process" .. tostring(nparallel > 1 and "es" or ""))
 local executor = Executor(dag, nparallel)
 executor:execute(args)
-if args.verbose then
-  return print("Finished")
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+return verbose("Finished")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/out/moonbuild.lua b/out/moonbuild.lua
index e22a1b1..62cc1d7 100644
--- a/out/moonbuild.lua
+++ b/out/moonbuild.lua
@@ -77,18 +77,13 @@ for _index_0 = 1, #_list_0 do
   local f = _list_0[_index_0]
   local orig = cmd[f]
   cmd[f] = function(...)
-    local cli = cmdline(...)
-    verbose(function()
-      return print("[" .. tostring(f) .. "] " .. tostring(cli))
-    end)
+    verbose("[" .. tostring(f) .. "] " .. tostring(cmdline(...)))
     return orig(...)
   end
 end
 local _sh = cmd.sh
 cmd.sh = function(cli)
-  verbose(function()
-    return print("[sh] " .. tostring(cli))
-  end)
+  verbose("[sh] " .. tostring(cli))
   return _sh(cli)
 end
 local _cmd = cmd.cmd
@@ -679,8 +674,12 @@ verbose = function(arg)
     end
   elseif (type(arg)) == 'boolean' then
     _verbose = arg
+  elseif (type(arg)) == 'string' then
+    if _verbose then
+      return print(arg)
+    end
   else
-    return error("_.verbose takes either no argument, a boolean or a function")
+    return error("_.verbose takes either no argument, a boolean, a function or a string")
   end
 end
 common.flatten = flatten
@@ -1382,9 +1381,7 @@ writefile = function(filename, data)
 end
 local moonc
 moonc = function(infile, outfile)
-  verbose(function()
-    return print("[moonc] " .. tostring(infile) .. " " .. tostring(outfile))
-  end)
+  verbose("[moonc] " .. tostring(infile) .. " " .. tostring(outfile))
   local code, err = to_lua(readfile(infile))
   if not (code) then
     error("Failed to compile " .. tostring(self.infile) .. ": " .. tostring(err))
@@ -2887,28 +2884,17 @@ moonbuild = function(...)
   _.verbose(verbose)
   local ctx = Context()
   ctx:load((loadfile(buildfile)), opts)
-  _.verbose(function()
-    return print("Loaded buildfile")
-  end)
+  _.verbose("Loaded buildfile")
   ctx:init()
-  _.verbose(function()
-    return print("Initialized buildfile")
-  end)
+  _.verbose("Initialized buildfile")
   local targets = #opts == 0 and ctx.defaulttargets or opts
   local dag = DepGraph(ctx, targets)
-  _.verbose(function()
-    return print("Created dependancy graph")
-  end)
+  _.verbose("Created dependancy graph")
   local nparallel = parallel == true and Executor:getmaxparallel() or parallel
-  _.verbose(function()
-    return print("Building with " .. tostring(nparallel) .. " max parallel process" .. tostring(nparallel > 1 and "es" or ""))
-  end)
+  _.verbose("Building with " .. tostring(nparallel) .. " max parallel process" .. tostring(nparallel > 1 and "es" or ""))
   local executor = Executor(dag, nparallel)
   executor:execute(opts)
-  _.verbose(function()
-    return print("Finished")
-  end)
-  return print(_.verbose())
+  return _.verbose("Finished")
 end
 local table = {
   moonbuild = moonbuild,