diff --git a/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/main.rs b/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/main.rs
index 9f1eb90ca1..2ea241133f 100644
--- a/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/main.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ mod hub;
 mod set_public;
 
 use std::path::{PathBuf};
+
 use clap::Parser;
 use anyhow::Result;
+use tracing::debug;
 
 use cmd::SmdkCommand;
 
@@ -23,6 +25,6 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn read_bytes_from_path(path: &PathBuf) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
-    println!("loading module at: {}", path.display());
+    debug!(path = ?path.display(), "Loading module");
     std::fs::read(path).map_err(|err| anyhow::anyhow!("error reading wasm file: {}", err))
 }
diff --git a/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/test.rs b/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/test.rs
index 598d3363a8..9fd058a9e6 100644
--- a/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/test.rs
+++ b/crates/smartmodule-development-kit/src/test.rs
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ pub struct TestCmd {
     /// E.g. smdk test --text '{}' --transform='{"uses":"infinyon/jolt@0.1.0","with":{"spec":"[{\"operation\":\"default\",\"spec\":{\"source\":\"test\"}}]"}}'
     #[clap(long, short, group = "TestSmartModule")]
     transform: Vec<String>,
+
+    /// verbose output
+    #[arg(short = 'v', long = "verbose")]
+    verbose: bool,
 }
 
 fn parse_key_val(s: &str) -> Result<(String, String)> {
@@ -125,7 +129,9 @@ impl TestCmd {
 
         let output = chain.process(SmartModuleInput::try_from(test_records)?, &metrics)?;
 
-        println!("{:?} records outputed", output.successes.len());
+        if self.verbose {
+            println!("{:?} records outputed", output.successes.len());
+        }
         for output_record in output.successes {
             let output_value = output_record.value.as_str()?;
             println!("{output_value}");
diff --git a/tests/cli/smdk_smoke_tests/smdk-basic.bats b/tests/cli/smdk_smoke_tests/smdk-basic.bats
index c66c75e9f2..0702736116 100644
--- a/tests/cli/smdk_smoke_tests/smdk-basic.bats
+++ b/tests/cli/smdk_smoke_tests/smdk-basic.bats
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text 'a'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text 'a'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_success
 }
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '2'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '2'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_output --partial "4"
     assert_success
@@ -192,12 +192,19 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_output --partial "Creating SmartModule: $SM_PACKAGE_NAME"
     assert_success    
 
-    # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '["foo", "bar"]'
+    # Test with verbose
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '["foo", "bar"]'
     assert_output --partial "2 records outputed"
     assert_output --partial "foo"
     assert_output --partial "bar"
     assert_success
+
+     # Test without verbose
+    run $SMDK_BIN test  --text '["foo", "bar"]'
+    refute_output --partial "2 records outputed"   
+    assert_output --partial "foo"
+    assert_output --partial "bar"
+    assert_success
 }
 
 @test "Generate and test filter-map - (stable fluvio-smartmodule / no params)" {
@@ -236,9 +243,9 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '2'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '2'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
-    assert_output --partial "2"
+    assert_output --partial "1"
     assert_success
 }
 
@@ -277,7 +284,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '2'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '2'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_output --partial "2"
     assert_success
@@ -320,7 +327,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text 'a' -e key=value
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text 'a' -e key=value
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_success
 }
@@ -502,7 +509,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text 'a'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text 'a'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_success
 }
@@ -542,7 +549,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '2'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test  --verbose  --text '2'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_output --partial "4"
     assert_success
@@ -582,12 +589,19 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_output --partial "Creating SmartModule: $SM_PACKAGE_NAME"
     assert_success
 
-    # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '["foo", "bar"]'
+    # Test with verbose
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '["foo", "bar"]'
     assert_output --partial "2 records outputed"
     assert_output --partial "foo"
     assert_output --partial "bar"
     assert_success
+
+    # Test with without verbose
+    run $SMDK_BIN test  --text '["foo", "bar"]' 
+    refute_output --partial "2 records outputed"   
+    assert_output --partial "foo"
+    assert_output --partial "bar"
+    assert_success
 }
 
 @test "Generate and test filter-map - (current repo fluvio-smartmodule / no params)" {
@@ -625,9 +639,9 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '2'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '2'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
-    assert_output --partial "2"
+    assert_output --partial "1"
     assert_success
 }
 
@@ -666,7 +680,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text '2'
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text '2'
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_output --partial "2"
     assert_success
@@ -709,7 +723,7 @@ setup_file() {
     assert_success
 
     # Test
-    run $SMDK_BIN test --text 'a' -e key=value
+    run $SMDK_BIN test --verbose --text 'a' -e key=value
     assert_output --partial "1 records outputed"
     assert_success
 }