diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index de310a1..1236ff2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 #
 # `make` builds as you, so `make && sudo make install PREFIX=/usr/local`
 # builds nothing as root.
+#
+# Each step prints one line such as `  INSTALL ~/.local/bin/fsfork`.
+# `make V=1` prints the commands instead.
 
 PREFIX ?= $(HOME)/.local
 BINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/bin
@@ -15,28 +18,55 @@ COMMANDS = fsfork confine fsdiff
 BINARIES = $(COMMANDS:%=target/release/%)
 SOURCES = Cargo.toml Cargo.lock $(wildcard fsfork/Cargo.toml fsfork/*.rs cmd/*/Cargo.toml cmd/*/*.rs)
 
+# $(Q) hides a command, and $(call msg,VERB,what) announces it. With V=1
+# the command is shown instead; with `make -s` nothing is.
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+  Q =
+  msg =
+else
+  Q = @
+  msg = @printf '  %-7s %s\n' '$(1)' '$(2)'
+endif
+ifneq ($(findstring s,$(firstword -$(MAKEFLAGS))),)
+  msg =
+endif
+
+# The recipe lines that install, or remove, one command and its man page.
+define install_command
+	$(call msg,INSTALL,$(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(1))
+	$(Q)install -m 755 target/release/$(1) $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(1)
+	$(call msg,INSTALL,$(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/$(1).1)
+	$(Q)install -m 644 cmd/$(1)/$(1).1 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/$(1).1
+
+endef
+define uninstall_command
+	$(call msg,RM,$(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(1))
+	$(Q)rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$(1)
+	$(call msg,RM,$(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/$(1).1)
+	$(Q)rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/$(1).1
+
+endef
+
 all: $(BINARIES)
 
 $(BINARIES): $(SOURCES)
-	cargo build --release
-	@touch $(BINARIES)
+	$(call msg,CARGO,target/release)
+	$(Q)cargo build --release
+	$(Q)touch $(BINARIES)
 
 install: all
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1
-	for command in $(COMMANDS); do \
-		install -m 755 target/release/$$command $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$$command && \
-		install -m 644 cmd/$$command/$$command.1 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/$$command.1 || exit 1; \
-	done
+	$(Q)install -d $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1
+	$(foreach command,$(COMMANDS),$(call install_command,$(command)))
 
 uninstall:
-	for command in $(COMMANDS); do \
-		rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/$$command $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1/$$command.1; \
-	done
+	$(foreach command,$(COMMANDS),$(call uninstall_command,$(command)))
 
 test:
-	cargo test
+	$(call msg,TEST,workspace)
+	$(Q)cargo test
 
 clean:
-	cargo clean
+	$(call msg,CLEAN,target)
+	$(Q)cargo clean
 
 .PHONY: all install uninstall test clean