diff --git a/docker_services_cli/cli.py b/docker_services_cli/cli.py
index 210691d..5c458ab 100644
--- a/docker_services_cli/cli.py
+++ b/docker_services_cli/cli.py
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@
 class ServicesCtx(object):
     """Context class for docker services cli."""
 
-    def __init__(self, filepath):
+    def __init__(self, filepath, verbose):
         """Constructor."""
         self.filepath = filepath
+        self.verbose = verbose
 
 
 @click.group()
@@ -35,11 +36,17 @@ def __init__(self, filepath):
     type=click.Path(exists=True),
     help="Path to a docker compose file with the desired services definition.",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--verbose",
+    is_flag=True,
+    default=False,
+    help="Verbose output.",
+)
 @click.pass_context
-def cli(ctx, filepath):
+def cli(ctx, filepath, verbose):
     """Initialize CLI context."""
     set_env()
-    ctx.obj = ServicesCtx(filepath=filepath)
+    ctx.obj = ServicesCtx(filepath=filepath, verbose=verbose)
 
 @cli.command()
 @click.argument("services", nargs=-1, required=False)  # -1 incompat with default
@@ -48,8 +55,14 @@ def cli(ctx, filepath):
     is_flag=True,
     help="Wait for services to be up (use healthchecks).",
 )
+@click.option(
+    '--retries',
+    default=6,
+    type=int,
+    help="Number of times to retry a service's healthcheck."
+)
 @click.pass_obj
-def up(services_ctx, services, no_wait):
+def up(services_ctx, services, no_wait, retries):
     """Boots up the required services."""
     _services = list(services)
 
@@ -64,7 +77,9 @@ def up(services_ctx, services, no_wait):
     services_up(
         services=_services,
         filepath=services_ctx.filepath,
-        wait=(not no_wait)
+        wait=(not no_wait),
+        retries=retries,
+        verbose=services_ctx.verbose
     )
     click.secho("Services up!", fg="green")
 
diff --git a/docker_services_cli/services.py b/docker_services_cli/services.py
index 5798adc..8025a4b 100644
--- a/docker_services_cli/services.py
+++ b/docker_services_cli/services.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 """Services module."""
 
-import subprocess
+from subprocess import check_call, Popen, PIPE
 import time
 
 import click
@@ -15,31 +15,40 @@
 from .config import DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, MYSQL, POSTGRESQL
 
 
-def _run_healthcheck_command(command):
+def _run_healthcheck_command(command, verbose=False):
     """Runs a given command, returns True if it succeeds, False otherwise."""
-    try:
-        subprocess.check_call(
-            command,
-            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL
-        )
+    p = Popen(command, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
+    output, error = p.communicate()
+    output = output.decode("utf-8")
+    error = error.decode("utf-8")
+    if p.returncode == 0:
+        if verbose:
+            click.secho(output, fg="green")
         return True
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+    if p.returncode != 0:
+        if verbose:
+            click.secho(
+                f"Healthcheck failed.\nOutput: {output}\nError:{error}",
+                fg="red"
+            )
         return False
 
 
 def es_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
     """Elasticsearch healthcheck."""
+    verbose = kwargs['verbose']
+
     return _run_healthcheck_command([
         "curl",
         "-f",
         "localhost:9200/_cluster/health?wait_for_status=green"
-    ])
+    ], verbose)
 
 
 def postgresql_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
     """Postgresql healthcheck."""
     filepath = kwargs['filepath']
+    verbose = kwargs['verbose']
 
     return _run_healthcheck_command([
         "docker-compose",
@@ -50,12 +59,13 @@ def postgresql_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
         "bash",
         "-c",
         "pg_isready",
-    ])
+    ], verbose)
 
 
 def mysql_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
     """Mysql healthcheck."""
     filepath = kwargs['filepath']
+    verbose = kwargs['verbose']
     password = MYSQL["MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD"]
 
     return _run_healthcheck_command([
@@ -67,12 +77,13 @@ def mysql_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
         "bash",
         "-c",
         f"mysql -p{password} -e \"select Version();\"",
-    ])
+    ], verbose)
 
 
 def redis_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
     """Redis healthcheck."""
     filepath = kwargs['filepath']
+    verbose = kwargs['verbose']
 
     return _run_healthcheck_command([
         "docker-compose",
@@ -86,7 +97,7 @@ def redis_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
         "|",
         "grep 'PONG'",
         "&>/dev/null;",
-    ])
+    ], verbose)
 
 
 HEALTHCHECKS = {
@@ -98,7 +109,8 @@ def redis_healthcheck(*args, **kwargs):
 """Health check functions module path, as string."""
 
 
-def wait_for_services(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, max_retries=6):
+def wait_for_services(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH,
+                      max_retries=6, verbose=False):
     """Wait for services to be up.
 
     It performs configured healthchecks in a serial fashion, following the
@@ -114,7 +126,7 @@ def wait_for_services(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, max_retries=6
         try_ = 1
         # Using plain __import__ to avoid depending on invenio-base
         check = HEALTHCHECKS[service]
-        ready = check(filepath=filepath)
+        ready = check(filepath=filepath, verbose=verbose)
         while not ready and try_ < max_retries:
             click.secho(
                 f"{service} not ready at {try_} retries, waiting " \
@@ -124,7 +136,7 @@ def wait_for_services(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, max_retries=6
             try_ += 1
             time.sleep(exp_backoff_time)
             exp_backoff_time *= 2
-            ready = check(filepath=filepath)
+            ready = check(filepath=filepath, verbose=verbose)
 
         if not ready:
             click.secho(f"Unable to boot up {service}", fg="red")
@@ -133,7 +145,8 @@ def wait_for_services(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, max_retries=6
             click.secho(f"{service} up and running!", fg="green")
 
 
-def services_up(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, wait=True):
+def services_up(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, wait=True,
+                retries=6, verbose=False):
     """Start the given services up.
 
     docker-compose is smart about not rebuilding an image if
@@ -143,9 +156,10 @@ def services_up(services, filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH, wait=True):
     command = ["docker-compose", "--file", filepath, "up", "-d"]
     command.extend(services)
 
-    subprocess.check_call(command)
+    check_call(command)
     if wait:
-        wait_for_services(services, filepath)
+        wait_for_services(services, filepath, max_retries=retries,
+                          verbose=verbose)
 
 
 def services_down(filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH):
@@ -156,4 +170,4 @@ def services_down(filepath=DOCKER_SERVICES_FILEPATH):
     """
     command = ["docker-compose", "--file", filepath, "down"]
 
-    subprocess.check_call(command)
+    check_call(command)
diff --git a/docker_services_cli/version.py b/docker_services_cli/version.py
index 08dd248..8244ddc 100644
--- a/docker_services_cli/version.py
+++ b/docker_services_cli/version.py
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@
 and parsed by ``setup.py``.
 """
 
-__version__ = "0.2.0"
+__version__ = "0.2.1"