diff --git a/util/meson.build b/util/meson.build
index 6448b9881..1a5472bb5 100644
--- a/util/meson.build
+++ b/util/meson.build
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ else
   help2man = disabler()
 endif
 help2man_command = [help2man, '--help-option=--help-all', '--no-info', '--output=' + '@OUTPUT@', '@INPUT@']
+help2man_env = environment()
+help2man_env.set('HB_UTIL_HELP_VERBOSE', '1')
 
 util_deps = [freetype_dep, cairo_dep, cairo_ft_dep, glib_dep]
 
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ if conf.get('HAVE_GLIB', 0) == 1
         output: target,
         command: help2man_command,
         depends: [hb_view],
+        env: help2man_env,
         install: true,
         install_dir: get_option('mandir') / 'man1',
       )
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ if conf.get('HAVE_GLIB', 0) == 1
         output: target,
         command: help2man_command,
         depends: [binary],
+        env: help2man_env,
         install: true,
         install_dir: get_option('mandir') / 'man1',
       )
diff --git a/util/options.hh b/util/options.hh
index e4700429a..f87e8bcba 100644
--- a/util/options.hh
+++ b/util/options.hh
@@ -168,26 +168,31 @@ struct option_parser_t
   {
     GString *s = g_string_new (description);
 
-    // Exit codes
-    assert (exit_codes->len);
-    g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\n*Exit Codes*\n");
-    for (unsigned i = 0; i < exit_codes->len; i++)
-      if (exit_codes->pdata[i])
-	g_string_append_printf (s, "\n  %u: %s\n", i, (const char *) exit_codes->pdata[i]);
-
-    // Environment variables if any
-    if (environs->len)
+    const char *env = getenv ("HB_UTIL_HELP_VERBOSE");
+    bool verbose = env && atoi (env);
+    if (verbose)
     {
-      g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\n*Environment*\n");
-      for (unsigned i = 0; i < environs->len; i++)
-      {
-        g_string_append_printf (s, "\n  %s\n", (char *)environs->pdata[i]);
-      }
-    }
+      // Exit codes
+      assert (exit_codes->len);
+      g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\n*Exit Codes*\n");
+      for (unsigned i = 0; i < exit_codes->len; i++)
+	if (exit_codes->pdata[i])
+	  g_string_append_printf (s, "\n  %u: %s\n", i, (const char *) exit_codes->pdata[i]);
 
-    // See also
-    g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\n*See also*\n");
-    g_string_append_printf (s, "  hb-view(1), hb-shape(1), hb-subset(1), hb-info(1)");
+      // Environment variables if any
+      if (environs->len)
+      {
+	g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\n*Environment*\n");
+	for (unsigned i = 0; i < environs->len; i++)
+	{
+	  g_string_append_printf (s, "\n  %s\n", (char *)environs->pdata[i]);
+	}
+      }
+
+      // See also
+      g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\n*See also*\n");
+      g_string_append_printf (s, "  hb-view(1), hb-shape(1), hb-subset(1), hb-info(1)");
+    }
 
     // Footer
     g_string_append_printf (s, "\n\nFind more information or report bugs at <https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz>\n");