diff --git a/tools/make.inc b/tools/make.inc
index 0da7a8b17c..9e6600f77a 100644
--- a/tools/make.inc
+++ b/tools/make.inc
@@ -1,20 +1,24 @@
 # -*- Makefile -*-
 
+ifndef V
+SILENT=@
+endif
+
 $(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.c
-	@mkdir -p `dirname $@`
+	$(SILENT)mkdir -p `dirname $@`
 	@echo "CC $<"
-	@$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+	$(SILENT)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 $(OBJDIR)/%.o: %.S
-	@mkdir -p `dirname $@`
+	$(SILENT)mkdir -p `dirname $@`
 	@echo "CC $<"
-	@$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+	$(SILENT)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 # the lame echo stuff down here is to prevent any compiler errors/warnings
 # to cause an error code to get returned and thus stop the build
 $(DEPFILE): $(SOURCES)
-	@rm -f $(DEPFILE)
-	@(for each in $(SOURCES) x; do \
+	$(SILENT)rm -f $(DEPFILE)
+	$(SILENT)(for each in $(SOURCES) x; do \
           if test "x" != "$$each"; then \
 	    obj=`echo $$each | sed -e 's/\.[cS]/.o/'`; \
 	    $(CC) -MM -MT "$(OBJDIR)/$$obj" $(CFLAGS) $$each >> $(DEPFILE) 2>/dev/null; \
@@ -23,6 +27,6 @@ $(DEPFILE): $(SOURCES)
 	echo "oo" >/dev/null )
 
 tags:
-	@(for d in $(DIRS); do \
+	$(SILENT)(for d in $(DIRS); do \
 	    etags -o $(OBJDIR)/TAGS -a $$d/*.[ch]; \
 	done)