diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Base.java b/app/src/processing/app/Base.java
index 4de136b0b..e0e9858d4 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Base.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Base.java
@@ -401,6 +401,9 @@ public class Base {
     if ((action == ACTION.UPLOAD || action == ACTION.VERIFY) && filenames.size() != 1)
       showError(null, _("Must specify exactly one sketch file"), 3);
 
+    if ((action != ACTION.UPLOAD && action != ACTION.VERIFY) && (doVerboseBuild || doVerboseUpload))
+      showError(null, _("--verbose, --verbose-upload and --verbose-build can only be used together with --verify or --upload"), 3);
+
     for (String path: filenames) {
       // Fix a problem with systems that use a non-ASCII languages. Paths are
       // being passed in with 8.3 syntax, which makes the sketch loader code
diff --git a/build/shared/manpage.adoc b/build/shared/manpage.adoc
index f35e34ce2..709676b80 100644
--- a/build/shared/manpage.adoc
+++ b/build/shared/manpage.adoc
@@ -95,16 +95,28 @@ OPTIONS
 	verbose mode during build is disabled regardless of the current
 	preferences.
 
+{empty}::
+	This option is only valid together with *--verify* or
+	*--upload*.
+
 *--verbose-upload*::
 	Enable verbose mode during upload. If this option is not given,
 	verbose mode during upload is disabled regardless of the current
 	preferences.
 
+{empty}::
+	This option is only valid together with *--verify* or
+	*--upload*.
+
 *-v, --verbose*::
 	Enable verbose mode during build and upload.
 	This option has the same effect of using both *--verbose-build*
 	and *--verbose-upload*.
 
+{empty}::
+	This option is only valid together with *--verify* or
+	*--upload*.
+
 *--preferences-file* __filename__::
 	Read and store preferences from the specified __filename__ instead
 	of the default one.