diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h
index d37f9019cf..5f690578e0 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/vst3_scan.h
@@ -65,10 +65,6 @@ struct VST3Info {
 	int n_midi_outputs;
 };
 
-LIBARDOUR_API extern bool
-discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule>,
-               std::vector<VST3Info>&);
-
 LIBARDOUR_API extern std::string
 module_path_vst3 (std::string const& path);
 
@@ -79,7 +75,7 @@ LIBARDOUR_API extern std::string
 vst3_valid_cache_file (std::string const& module_path, bool verbose = false);
 
 LIBARDOUR_API extern bool
-vst3_scan_and_cache (std::string const& module_path, std::string const& bundle_path, boost::function<void (std::string const&, VST3Info const&)> cb);
+vst3_scan_and_cache (std::string const& module_path, std::string const& bundle_path, boost::function<void (std::string const&, VST3Info const&)> cb, bool verbose = false);
 
 } // namespace ARDOUR
 
diff --git a/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc b/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
index 6a44de655f..96ac512ef6 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/vst3_scan.cc
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ count_channels (Vst::IComponent* c, Vst::MediaType media, Vst::BusDirection dir,
 				/* For now allow we only support one main bus, and one aux-bus.
 				 * Also an aux-bus by itself is currently N/A.
 				 */
-				std::cerr << "VST3: Ignored extra bus\n";
+				std::cerr << "VST3: Ignored extra bus. type: " << type << " index: " << i << "\n";
 				continue;
 			}
 #endif
@@ -85,10 +85,11 @@ count_channels (Vst::IComponent* c, Vst::MediaType media, Vst::BusDirection dir,
 	return n_channels;
 }
 
-bool
-ARDOUR::discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<VST3Info>& rv)
+static bool
+discover_vst3 (boost::shared_ptr<ARDOUR::VST3PluginModule> m, std::vector<ARDOUR::VST3Info>& rv, bool verbose)
 {
 	using namespace std;
+	using namespace ARDOUR;
 
 	IPluginFactory* factory = m->factory ();
 
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ vst3_save_cache_file (std::string const& module_path, XMLNode* root)
 }
 
 bool
-ARDOUR::vst3_scan_and_cache (std::string const& module_path, std::string const& bundle_path, boost::function<void (std::string const&, VST3Info const&)> cb)
+ARDOUR::vst3_scan_and_cache (std::string const& module_path, std::string const& bundle_path, boost::function<void (std::string const&, VST3Info const&)> cb, bool verbose)
 {
 	XMLNode* root = new XMLNode ("VST3Cache");
 	root->set_property ("version", 1);
@@ -360,7 +361,7 @@ ARDOUR::vst3_scan_and_cache (std::string const& module_path, std::string const&
 	try {
 		boost::shared_ptr<VST3PluginModule> m = VST3PluginModule::load (module_path);
 		std::vector<VST3Info> nfo;
-		discover_vst3 (m, nfo);
+		discover_vst3 (m, nfo, verbose);
 		for (std::vector<VST3Info>::const_iterator i = nfo.begin(); i != nfo.end(); ++i) {
 			cb (module_path, *i);
 			root->add_child_nocopy (i->state ());
diff --git a/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc b/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc
index 0f4ae7973f..eabf5d81ca 100644
--- a/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc
+++ b/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static void vst3_plugin (string const& module_path, VST3Info const& i)
 }
 
 static bool
-scan_vst3 (std::string const& bundle_path, bool force)
+scan_vst3 (std::string const& bundle_path, bool force, bool verbose)
 {
 	info << "Scanning: " << bundle_path << endmsg;
 	string module_path = module_path_vst3 (bundle_path);
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ scan_vst3 (std::string const& bundle_path, bool force)
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	if (!vst3_valid_cache_file (module_path, true).empty()) {
+	if (!vst3_valid_cache_file (module_path, verbose).empty()) {
 		if (!force) {
 			info << "Skipping scan." << endmsg;
 			return true;
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (vst3_scan_and_cache (module_path, bundle_path, sigc::ptr_fun (&vst3_plugin))) {
+	if (vst3_scan_and_cache (module_path, bundle_path, sigc::ptr_fun (&vst3_plugin)), verbose) {
 		info << string_compose (_("Saved VST3 plugin cache to %1"), vst3_cache_file (module_path)) << endmsg;
 	}
 
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ usage ()
   -f, --force          Force update ot cache file\n\
   -h, --help           Display this help and exit\n\
   -q, --quiet          Hide usual output, only print errors\n\
+  -v, --verbose        Give verbose output (unless quiet)\n\
   -V, --version        Print version information and exit\n\
 \n");
 
@@ -140,14 +141,16 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	bool print_log = true;
 	bool stop_on_error = false;
 	bool force = false;
+	bool verbose = false;
 
-	const char* optstring = "fhqV";
+	const char* optstring = "fhqvV";
 
 	/* clang-format off */
 	const struct option longopts[] = {
 		{ "force",           no_argument,       0, 'f' },
 		{ "help",            no_argument,       0, 'h' },
 		{ "quiet",           no_argument,       0, 'q' },
+		{ "verbose",         no_argument,       0, 'v' },
 		{ "version",         no_argument,       0, 'V' },
 	};
 	/* clang-format on */
@@ -176,6 +179,10 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 				print_log = false;
 				break;
 
+			case 'v':
+				verbose = true;
+				break;
+
 			default:
 				std::cerr << "Error: unrecognized option. See --help for usage information.\n";
 				console_madness_end ();
@@ -198,12 +205,14 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 		log_receiver.listen_to (warning);
 		log_receiver.listen_to (error);
 		log_receiver.listen_to (fatal);
+	} else {
+		verbose = false;
 	}
 
 	bool err = false;
 
 	while (optind < argc) {
-		if (!scan_vst3 (argv[optind++], force)) {
+		if (!scan_vst3 (argv[optind++], force, verbose)) {
 			err = true;
 		}
 		if (stop_on_error) {