diff --git a/opal/mca/if/base/base.h b/opal/mca/if/base/base.h
index 644e56eddb..84e413b751 100644
--- a/opal/mca/if/base/base.h
+++ b/opal/mca/if/base/base.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ OPAL_DECLSPEC int opal_if_base_close(void);
  * Globals
  */
 OPAL_DECLSPEC extern opal_list_t opal_if_components;
+OPAL_DECLSPEC extern int opal_if_base_output;
 
 END_C_DECLS
 
diff --git a/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c b/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c
index e26a4d932f..221a464c25 100644
--- a/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c
+++ b/opal/mca/if/base/if_base_components.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #include "opal/mca/if/base/base.h"
 #include "opal/mca/if/base/static-components.h"
 
-int opal_if_base_output;
+int opal_if_base_output=-1;
 opal_list_t opal_if_components;
 static bool already_done = false;
 
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ int opal_if_base_open(void)
     /* setup the global list */
     OBJ_CONSTRUCT(&opal_if_list, opal_list_t);
 
+    mca_base_param_reg_int_name("if", "base_verbose",
+                                "Provide verbose output if greater than 0",
+                                false, false, -1, &ret);
+    if (0 < ret) {
+        opal_if_base_output = opal_output_open(NULL);
+        opal_output_set_verbosity(opal_if_base_output, ret);
+    }
+
     mca_base_param_reg_int_name("opal", "if_do_not_resolve",
                                 "If nonzero, do not attempt to resolve interfaces",
                                 false, false, (int)false, &ret);
@@ -62,6 +70,10 @@ int opal_if_base_open(void)
         cli->cli_component = mca_if_base_static_components[i];
         opal_list_append(&opal_if_components, &cli->super);
 
+        opal_output_verbose(5, opal_if_base_output,
+                            "if:base: opening component %s",
+                            component->component.mca_component_name);
+
         if (NULL != component->component.mca_open_component) {
             ret = component->component.mca_open_component();
             if (OPAL_SUCCESS != ret) continue;
diff --git a/opal/mca/if/bsdx_ipv6/if_bsdx_ipv6.c b/opal/mca/if/bsdx_ipv6/if_bsdx_ipv6.c
index 3c537da315..3d4b88d3d1 100644
--- a/opal/mca/if/bsdx_ipv6/if_bsdx_ipv6.c
+++ b/opal/mca/if/bsdx_ipv6/if_bsdx_ipv6.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "opal/mca/if/if.h"
+#include "opal/mca/if/base/base.h"
 
 static int if_bsdx_ipv6_open(void);
 
@@ -104,6 +105,9 @@ static int if_bsdx_ipv6_open(void)
     struct ifaddrs *cur_ifaddrs;
     struct sockaddr_in6* sin_addr;
 
+    opal_output_verbose(1, opal_if_base_output,
+                        "searching for IPv6 interfaces");
+
     /* 
      * the manpage claims that getifaddrs() allocates the memory,
      * and freeifaddrs() is later used to release the allocated memory.
@@ -126,17 +130,16 @@ static int if_bsdx_ipv6_open(void)
 
         /* skip non-ipv6 interface addresses */
         if (AF_INET6 != cur_ifaddrs->ifa_addr->sa_family) {
-#if 0
-            printf("skipping non-ipv6 interface %s.\n", cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name);
-#endif
+            opal_output_verbose(1, opal_if_base_output,
+                                "skipping non-ipv6 interface %s[%d].\n",
+                                cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name, (int)cur_ifaddrs->ifa_addr->sa_family);
             continue;
         }
 
         /* skip interface if it is down (IFF_UP not set) */
         if (0 == (cur_ifaddrs->ifa_flags & IFF_UP)) {
-#if 0
-            printf("skipping non-up interface %s.\n", cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name);
-#endif
+            opal_output_verbose(1, opal_if_base_output,
+                                "skipping non-up interface %s.\n", cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name);
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -148,9 +151,8 @@ static int if_bsdx_ipv6_open(void)
         /* or if it is a point-to-point interface */
         /* TODO: do we really skip p2p? */
         if (0!= (cur_ifaddrs->ifa_flags & IFF_POINTOPOINT)) {
-#if 0
-            printf("skipping loopback interface %s.\n", cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name);
-#endif              
+            opal_output_verbose(1, opal_if_base_output,
+                                "skipping loopback interface %s.\n", cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name);
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -175,21 +177,20 @@ static int if_bsdx_ipv6_open(void)
          */
 
         if ((IN6_IS_ADDR_LINKLOCAL (&sin_addr->sin6_addr))) {
-#if 0
-            printf("skipping link-local ipv6 address on interface \
-                        %s with scope %d.\n", 
-                   cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name, sin_addr->sin6_scope_id);
-#endif
+            opal_output_verbose(1, opal_if_base_output,
+                                "skipping link-local ipv6 address on interface "
+                                "%s with scope %d.\n", 
+                                cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name, sin_addr->sin6_scope_id);
             continue;
         }
 
-#if 0
-        char *addr_name = (char *) malloc(48*sizeof(char));
-        inet_ntop(AF_INET6, &sin_addr->sin6_addr, addr_name, 48*sizeof(char));
-        opal_output(0, "ipv6 capable interface %s discovered, address %s.\n", 
-                    cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name, addr_name);
-        free(addr_name);
-#endif
+        if (0 < opal_output_get_verbosity(opal_if_base_output)) {
+            char *addr_name = (char *) malloc(48*sizeof(char));
+            inet_ntop(AF_INET6, &sin_addr->sin6_addr, addr_name, 48*sizeof(char));
+            opal_output(0, "ipv6 capable interface %s discovered, address %s.\n", 
+                        cur_ifaddrs->ifa_name, addr_name);
+            free(addr_name);
+        }
 
         /* fill values into the opal_if_t */
         memcpy(&a6, &(sin_addr->sin6_addr), sizeof(struct in6_addr));