diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr.c b/tools/perf/tests/attr.c
index bdcceb886f77..038de3ecb8cb 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr.c
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr.c
@@ -147,10 +147,15 @@ void test_attr__open(struct perf_event_attr *attr, pid_t pid, int cpu,
 
 static int run_dir(const char *d, const char *perf)
 {
+	char v[] = "-vvvvv";
+	int vcnt = min(verbose, (int) sizeof(v) - 1);
 	char cmd[3*PATH_MAX];
 
-	snprintf(cmd, 3*PATH_MAX, PYTHON " %s/attr.py -d %s/attr/ -p %s %s",
-		 d, d, perf, verbose ? "-v" : "");
+	if (verbose)
+		vcnt++;
+
+	snprintf(cmd, 3*PATH_MAX, PYTHON " %s/attr.py -d %s/attr/ -p %s %.*s",
+		 d, d, perf, vcnt, v);
 
 	return system(cmd);
 }
diff --git a/tools/perf/tests/attr.py b/tools/perf/tests/attr.py
index 2f629ca485bc..e0ea51335e9c 100644
--- a/tools/perf/tests/attr.py
+++ b/tools/perf/tests/attr.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class Test(object):
         parser = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser()
         parser.read(path)
 
-        log.debug("running '%s'" % path)
+        log.warning("running '%s'" % path)
 
         self.path     = path
         self.test_dir = options.test_dir
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class Test(object):
               self.perf, self.command, tempdir, self.args)
         ret = os.WEXITSTATUS(os.system(cmd))
 
-        log.warning("  running '%s' ret %d " % (cmd, ret))
+        log.info("  '%s' ret %d " % (cmd, ret))
 
         if ret != int(self.ret):
             raise Unsup(self)