diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index 340e7441f45..8afc27bf0d3 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -334,7 +334,8 @@ PROVE = @PROVE@
 # There are common routines in src/test/perl, and some test suites have
 # extra perl modules in their own directory.
 PG_PROVE_FLAGS = -I $(top_srcdir)/src/test/perl/ -I $(srcdir)
-PROVE_FLAGS = --verbose
+# User-supplied prove flags such as --verbose can be provided in PROVE_FLAGS.
+
 
 # prepend to path if already set, else just set it
 define add_to_path
diff --git a/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl b/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
index bd1b607b001..60a99f7ceb1 100644
--- a/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
+++ b/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
@@ -179,7 +179,10 @@ sub tap_check
 	my $dir = shift;
 	chdir $dir;
 
-	my @args = ( "prove", "--verbose", "t/*.pl");
+	my @flags;
+	@flags = split(/\s+/,$ENV{PROVE_FLAGS}) if exists $ENV{PROVE_FLAGS};
+
+	my @args = ("prove", @flags, "t/*.pl");
 
 	# adjust the environment for just this test
 	local %ENV = %ENV;