diff --git a/src/Makefile.global.in b/src/Makefile.global.in
index b83f09f3264..dfbd2ae892f 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/src/Makefile.global.in
@@ -339,8 +339,8 @@ 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)
-# For more info, add to your make line: PROVE_FLAGS='--verbose'
-PROVE_FLAGS =
+# 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 2d16db07e23..830be2ba055 100644
--- a/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
+++ b/src/tools/msvc/vcregress.pl
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ 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;