diff --git a/doc/make.py b/doc/make.py
index 2819a62347627..53635498f2adb 100755
--- a/doc/make.py
+++ b/doc/make.py
@@ -78,9 +78,11 @@ class DocBuilder:
     All public methods of this class can be called as parameters of the
     script.
     """
-    def __init__(self, num_jobs=1, include_api=True, single_doc=None):
+    def __init__(self, num_jobs=1, include_api=True, single_doc=None,
+                 verbosity=0):
         self.num_jobs = num_jobs
         self.include_api = include_api
+        self.verbosity = verbosity
         self.single_doc = None
         self.single_doc_type = None
         if single_doc is not None:
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ def _process_single_doc(self, single_doc):
         """
         self.include_api = False
 
-        if single_doc == 'api.rst':
+        if single_doc == 'api.rst' or single_doc == 'api':
             self.single_doc_type = 'api'
             self.single_doc = 'api'
         elif os.path.exists(os.path.join(SOURCE_PATH, single_doc)):
@@ -229,6 +231,8 @@ def _sphinx_build(self, kind):
         self._run_os('sphinx-build',
                      '-j{}'.format(self.num_jobs),
                      '-b{}'.format(kind),
+                     '-{}'.format(
+                         'v' * self.verbosity) if self.verbosity else '',
                      '-d{}'.format(os.path.join(BUILD_PATH, 'doctrees')),
                      '-Dexclude_patterns={}'.format(self.exclude_patterns),
                      SOURCE_PATH,
@@ -330,6 +334,9 @@ def main():
                            type=str,
                            default=os.path.join(DOC_PATH, '..'),
                            help='path')
+    argparser.add_argument('-v', action='count', dest='verbosity', default=0,
+                           help=('increase verbosity (can be repeated), '
+                                 'passed to the sphinx build command'))
     args = argparser.parse_args()
 
     if args.command not in cmds:
@@ -338,9 +345,9 @@ def main():
 
     os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = args.python_path
 
-    getattr(DocBuilder(args.num_jobs,
-                       not args.no_api,
-                       args.single), args.command)()
+    builder = DocBuilder(args.num_jobs, not args.no_api, args.single,
+                         args.verbosity)
+    getattr(builder, args.command)()
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':