diff --git a/git/commits.go b/git/commits.go
index 7516815..1e2c484 100644
--- a/git/commits.go
+++ b/git/commits.go
@@ -8,13 +8,19 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 // Commits returns a set of commits.
 // If commitrange is a git still range 12345...54321, then it will be isolated set of commits.
 // If commitrange is a single commit, all ancestor commits up through the hash provided.
 func Commits(commitrange string) ([]CommitEntry, error) {
-	output, err := exec.Command("git", "log", prettyFormat+formatCommit, commitrange).Output()
+	cmdArgs := []string{"git", "log", prettyFormat + formatCommit, commitrange}
+	if Verbose {
+		logrus.Infof("[git] cmd: %q", strings.Join(cmdArgs, " "))
+	}
+	output, err := exec.Command(cmdArgs[0], cmdArgs[1:]...).Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -34,6 +40,9 @@ func Commits(commitrange string) ([]CommitEntry, error) {
 type CommitEntry map[string]string
 
 var (
+	// Verbose output of commands run
+	Verbose = false
+
 	prettyFormat         = `--pretty=format:`
 	formatSubject        = `%s`
 	formatBody           = `%b`
@@ -50,7 +59,11 @@ var (
 // LogCommit assembles the full information on a commit from its commit hash
 func LogCommit(commit string) (*CommitEntry, error) {
 	buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-	cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "-1", prettyFormat+formatMap, commit)
+	cmdArgs := []string{"git", "log", "-1", prettyFormat + formatMap, commit}
+	if Verbose {
+		logrus.Infof("[git] cmd: %q", strings.Join(cmdArgs, " "))
+	}
+	cmd := exec.Command(cmdArgs[0], cmdArgs[1:]...)
 	cmd.Stdout = buf
 	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
 
@@ -88,7 +101,11 @@ func LogCommit(commit string) (*CommitEntry, error) {
 
 // FetchHeadCommit returns the hash of FETCH_HEAD
 func FetchHeadCommit() (string, error) {
-	output, err := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--verify", "FETCH_HEAD").Output()
+	cmdArgs := []string{"git", "rev-parse", "--verify", "FETCH_HEAD"}
+	if Verbose {
+		logrus.Infof("[git] cmd: %q", strings.Join(cmdArgs, " "))
+	}
+	output, err := exec.Command(cmdArgs[0], cmdArgs[1:]...).Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -97,7 +114,11 @@ func FetchHeadCommit() (string, error) {
 
 // HeadCommit returns the hash of HEAD
 func HeadCommit() (string, error) {
-	output, err := exec.Command("git", "rev-parse", "--verify", "HEAD").Output()
+	cmdArgs := []string{"git", "rev-parse", "--verify", "HEAD"}
+	if Verbose {
+		logrus.Infof("[git] cmd: %q", strings.Join(cmdArgs, " "))
+	}
+	output, err := exec.Command(cmdArgs[0], cmdArgs[1:]...).Output()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 5bfa236..ec022f2 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ var (
 func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	if *flVerbose {
+		git.Verbose = true
+	}
+
 	if *flListRules {
 		for _, r := range validate.RegisteredRules {
 			fmt.Printf("%q -- %s\n", r.Name, r.Description)
@@ -40,7 +44,10 @@ func main() {
 		var err error
 		commitrange, err = git.FetchHeadCommit()
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			commitrange, err = git.HeadCommit()
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatal(err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -56,20 +63,18 @@ func main() {
 		results = append(results, vr...)
 		if _, fail := vr.PassFail(); fail == 0 {
 			fmt.Println("PASS")
-			if *flVerbose {
-				for _, r := range vr {
-					if r.Pass {
-						fmt.Printf("  - %s\n", r.Msg)
-					}
-				}
-			}
 		} else {
 			fmt.Println("FAIL")
-			// default, only print out failed validations
-			for _, r := range vr {
-				if !r.Pass {
-					fmt.Printf("  - %s\n", r.Msg)
+		}
+		for _, r := range vr {
+			if *flVerbose {
+				if r.Pass {
+					fmt.Printf("ok %s\n", r.Msg)
+				} else {
+					fmt.Printf("not ok %s\n", r.Msg)
 				}
+			} else if !r.Pass {
+				fmt.Printf("not ok %s\n", r.Msg)
 			}
 		}
 	}