diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index 8ffed84..ce85b86 100644
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -618,18 +618,19 @@
 
 ## Sync ##
 
-  def Sync_NetworkHalf(self):
+  def Sync_NetworkHalf(self, quiet=False):
     """Perform only the network IO portion of the sync process.
        Local working directory/branch state is not affected.
     """
     is_new = not self.Exists
     if is_new:
-      print >>sys.stderr
-      print >>sys.stderr, 'Initializing project %s ...' % self.name
+      if not quiet:
+        print >>sys.stderr
+        print >>sys.stderr, 'Initializing project %s ...' % self.name
       self._InitGitDir()
 
     self._InitRemote()
-    if not self._RemoteFetch(initial = is_new):
+    if not self._RemoteFetch(initial=is_new, quiet=quiet):
       return False
 
     #Check that the requested ref was found after fetch
@@ -642,7 +643,7 @@
       #
       rev = self.revisionExpr
       if rev.startswith(R_TAGS):
-        self._RemoteFetch(None, rev[len(R_TAGS):])
+        self._RemoteFetch(None, rev[len(R_TAGS):], quiet=quiet)
 
     if self.worktree:
       self._InitMRef()
@@ -1025,7 +1026,9 @@
 
 ## Direct Git Commands ##
 
-  def _RemoteFetch(self, name=None, tag=None, initial=False):
+  def _RemoteFetch(self, name=None, tag=None,
+                   initial=False,
+                   quiet=False):
     if not name:
       name = self.remote.name
 
@@ -1088,6 +1091,8 @@
         ref_dir = None
 
     cmd = ['fetch']
+    if quiet:
+      cmd.append('--quiet')
     if not self.worktree:
       cmd.append('--update-head-ok')
     cmd.append(name)
diff --git a/subcmds/sync.py b/subcmds/sync.py
index 6cac2e5..1f4b137 100644
--- a/subcmds/sync.py
+++ b/subcmds/sync.py
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@
     p.add_option('-d','--detach',
                  dest='detach_head', action='store_true',
                  help='detach projects back to manifest revision')
+    p.add_option('-q','--quiet',
+                 dest='quiet', action='store_true',
+                 help='be more quiet')
     p.add_option('-j','--jobs',
                  dest='jobs', action='store', type='int',
                  help="number of projects to fetch simultaneously")
@@ -126,8 +129,8 @@
                  dest='repo_upgraded', action='store_true',
                  help=SUPPRESS_HELP)
 
-  def _FetchHelper(self, project, lock, fetched, pm, sem):
-      if not project.Sync_NetworkHalf():
+  def _FetchHelper(self, opt, project, lock, fetched, pm, sem):
+      if not project.Sync_NetworkHalf(quiet=opt.quiet):
         print >>sys.stderr, 'error: Cannot fetch %s' % project.name
         sem.release()
         sys.exit(1)
@@ -138,14 +141,14 @@
       lock.release()
       sem.release()
 
-  def _Fetch(self, projects):
+  def _Fetch(self, projects, opt):
     fetched = set()
     pm = Progress('Fetching projects', len(projects))
 
     if self.jobs == 1:
       for project in projects:
         pm.update()
-        if project.Sync_NetworkHalf():
+        if project.Sync_NetworkHalf(quiet=opt.quiet):
           fetched.add(project.gitdir)
         else:
           print >>sys.stderr, 'error: Cannot fetch %s' % project.name
@@ -157,7 +160,12 @@
       for project in projects:
         sem.acquire()
         t = _threading.Thread(target = self._FetchHelper,
-                             args = (project, lock, fetched, pm, sem))
+                              args = (opt,
+                                      project,
+                                      lock,
+                                      fetched,
+                                      pm,
+                                      sem))
         threads.add(t)
         t.start()
 
@@ -291,7 +299,7 @@
       _PostRepoUpgrade(self.manifest)
 
     if not opt.local_only:
-      mp.Sync_NetworkHalf()
+      mp.Sync_NetworkHalf(quiet=opt.quiet)
 
     if mp.HasChanges:
       syncbuf = SyncBuffer(mp.config)
@@ -308,7 +316,7 @@
         to_fetch.append(rp)
       to_fetch.extend(all)
 
-      fetched = self._Fetch(to_fetch)
+      fetched = self._Fetch(to_fetch, opt)
       _PostRepoFetch(rp, opt.no_repo_verify)
       if opt.network_only:
         # bail out now; the rest touches the working tree
@@ -320,7 +328,7 @@
         for project in all:
           if project.gitdir not in fetched:
             missing.append(project)
-        self._Fetch(missing)
+        self._Fetch(missing, opt)
 
     if self.manifest.IsMirror:
       # bail out now, we have no working tree