diff --git a/dumux/linear/istlsolverfactorybackend.hh b/dumux/linear/istlsolverfactorybackend.hh
index db03353bedb046a2322803320bc4410d8f346e01..d6e7e11b89ea129d4aab9916be224b628c0ae9ab 100644
--- a/dumux/linear/istlsolverfactorybackend.hh
+++ b/dumux/linear/istlsolverfactorybackend.hh
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ public:
         params_["verbose"] = "0";
         params_["preconditioner.iterations"] = "1";
         params_["preconditioner.relaxation"] = "1.0";
+        params_["preconditioner.verbosity"] = "0";
     }
 
     const Dune::InverseOperatorResult& result() const
diff --git a/dumux/linear/solver.hh b/dumux/linear/solver.hh
index 822dee897cb22683239b7043fcf262f9d2cf92a4..93d102b4953a71538fbd76a0f3d978a6f7a53f7c 100644
--- a/dumux/linear/solver.hh
+++ b/dumux/linear/solver.hh
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ public:
      *       - LinearSolver.ResidualReduction the residual reduction threshold, i.e. stopping criterion
      *       - LinearSolver.PreconditionerRelaxation precondition relaxation
      *       - LinearSolver.PreconditionerIterations the number of preconditioner iterations
+     *       - LinearSolver.PreconditionerVerbosity the preconditioner verbosity level
      */
     LinearSolver(const std::string& paramGroup = "")
     : paramGroup_(paramGroup)
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ public:
         residReduction_ = getParamFromGroup<double>(paramGroup, "LinearSolver.ResidualReduction", 1e-13);
         relaxation_ = getParamFromGroup<double>(paramGroup, "LinearSolver.PreconditionerRelaxation", 1);
         precondIter_ = getParamFromGroup<int>(paramGroup, "LinearSolver.PreconditionerIterations", 1);
+        precondVerbosity_ = getParamFromGroup<int>(paramGroup, "LinearSolver.PreconditionerVerbosity", 0);
     }
 
     /*!
@@ -117,12 +119,21 @@ public:
     void setPrecondIter(int i)
     { precondIter_ = i; }
 
+    //! the preconditioner verbosity
+    int precondVerbosity() const
+    { return precondVerbosity_; }
+
+    //! set the preconditioner verbosity
+    void setPrecondVerbosity(int verbosityLevel)
+    { precondVerbosity_ = verbosityLevel; }
+
 private:
     int verbosity_;
     int maxIter_;
     double residReduction_;
     double relaxation_;
     int precondIter_;
+    int precondVerbosity_;
     const std::string paramGroup_;
 };