diff --git a/lib/rake/testtask.rb b/lib/rake/testtask.rb
index 4c6f71917..cf9855147 100644
--- a/lib/rake/testtask.rb
+++ b/lib/rake/testtask.rb
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ def define
       desc @description
       task @name => Array(deps) do
         FileUtilsExt.verbose(@verbose) do
+          puts "Use TESTOPTS=\"--verbose\" to pass --verbose" \
+            ", etc. to runners." if ARGV.include? '--verbose'
           args =
             "#{ruby_opts_string} #{run_code} " +
             "#{file_list_string} #{option_list}"
diff --git a/test/support/rakefile_definitions.rb b/test/support/rakefile_definitions.rb
index d276b2fd5..b4eddb20b 100644
--- a/test/support/rakefile_definitions.rb
+++ b/test/support/rakefile_definitions.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ def rakefile_test_task
     RAKEFILE
   end
 
+  def rakefile_test_task_verbose
+    rakefile <<-RAKEFILE
+    require "rake/testtask"
+
+    Rake::TestTask.new(:unit) do |t|
+      t.verbose = true
+    end
+    RAKEFILE
+  end
+
   def rakefile_chains
     rakefile <<-DEFAULT
 task :default => "play.app"
diff --git a/test/test_rake_functional.rb b/test/test_rake_functional.rb
index 9113d8616..0d3e1d0c0 100644
--- a/test/test_rake_functional.rb
+++ b/test/test_rake_functional.rb
@@ -384,6 +384,20 @@ def test_test_task_descriptions
     assert_match(/custom test task description/, @out)
   end
 
+  def test_test_task_when_verbose_unless_verbose_passed_not_prompt_testopts
+    rakefile_test_task_verbose
+    rake 'unit'
+    exp = /TESTOPTS="--verbose" to pass --verbose/
+    refute_match exp, @out
+  end
+
+  def test_test_task_when_verbose_passed_prompts_testopts
+    rakefile_test_task
+    rake '--verbose', 'unit'
+    exp = /TESTOPTS="--verbose" to pass --verbose/
+    assert_match exp, @out
+  end
+
   def test_comment_before_task_acts_like_desc
     rakefile_comments