diff --git a/src/bin/pg_archivecleanup/pg_archivecleanup.c b/src/bin/pg_archivecleanup/pg_archivecleanup.c
index e454bae767..12338e3bb2 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_archivecleanup/pg_archivecleanup.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_archivecleanup/pg_archivecleanup.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		switch (c)
 		{
 			case 'd':			/* Debug mode */
-				pg_logging_set_level(PG_LOG_DEBUG);
+				pg_logging_increase_verbosity();
 				break;
 			case 'n':			/* Dry-Run mode */
 				dryrun = true;
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dump.c b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dump.c
index 784bceaec3..53432acefc 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dump.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dump.c
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 			case 'v':			/* verbose */
 				g_verbose = true;
-				pg_logging_set_level(PG_LOG_INFO);
+				pg_logging_increase_verbosity();
 				break;
 
 			case 'w':
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c
index 97d2b8dac1..219ca963c3 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dumpall.c
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 			case 'v':
 				verbose = true;
-				pg_logging_set_level(PG_LOG_INFO);
+				pg_logging_increase_verbosity();
 				appendPQExpBufferStr(pgdumpopts, " -v");
 				break;
 
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_restore.c b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_restore.c
index 544ae3bc5c..eebf0d300b 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_restore.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_restore.c
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 			case 'v':			/* verbose */
 				opts->verbose = 1;
-				pg_logging_set_level(PG_LOG_INFO);
+				pg_logging_increase_verbosity();
 				break;
 
 			case 'w':
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c b/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
index 23fc749e44..0ec52cb032 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_rewind/pg_rewind.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 			case 3:
 				debug = true;
-				pg_logging_set_level(PG_LOG_DEBUG);
+				pg_logging_increase_verbosity();
 				break;
 
 			case 'D':			/* -D or --target-pgdata */
diff --git a/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c b/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c
index 332eabf637..663d7d292a 100644
--- a/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c
+++ b/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c
@@ -5522,7 +5522,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				pgport = pg_strdup(optarg);
 				break;
 			case 'd':
-				pg_logging_set_level(PG_LOG_DEBUG);
+				pg_logging_increase_verbosity();
 				break;
 			case 'c':
 				benchmarking_option_set = true;
diff --git a/src/common/logging.c b/src/common/logging.c
index 6a3a437a34..d9632fffc8 100644
--- a/src/common/logging.c
+++ b/src/common/logging.c
@@ -157,12 +157,30 @@ pg_logging_config(int new_flags)
 	log_flags = new_flags;
 }
 
+/*
+ * pg_logging_init sets the default log level to INFO.  Programs that prefer
+ * a different default should use this to set it, immediately afterward.
+ */
 void
 pg_logging_set_level(enum pg_log_level new_level)
 {
 	__pg_log_level = new_level;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Command line switches such as --verbose should invoke this.
+ */
+void
+pg_logging_increase_verbosity(void)
+{
+	/*
+	 * The enum values are chosen such that we have to decrease __pg_log_level
+	 * in order to become more verbose.
+	 */
+	if (__pg_log_level > PG_LOG_NOTSET + 1)
+		__pg_log_level--;
+}
+
 void
 pg_logging_set_pre_callback(void (*cb) (void))
 {
diff --git a/src/include/common/logging.h b/src/include/common/logging.h
index 028149c7a1..3205b8fef9 100644
--- a/src/include/common/logging.h
+++ b/src/include/common/logging.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ extern enum pg_log_level __pg_log_level;
 void		pg_logging_init(const char *argv0);
 void		pg_logging_config(int new_flags);
 void		pg_logging_set_level(enum pg_log_level new_level);
+void		pg_logging_increase_verbosity(void);
 void		pg_logging_set_pre_callback(void (*cb) (void));
 void		pg_logging_set_locus_callback(void (*cb) (const char **filename, uint64 *lineno));