diff --git a/python/meep.i b/python/meep.i
index 2a9da2bd8..07606f49d 100644
--- a/python/meep.i
+++ b/python/meep.i
@@ -1866,19 +1866,19 @@ PyObject *_get_array_slice_dimensions(meep::fields *f, const meep::volume &where
             print('\n**\n** failed to load python MPI module (mpi4py)\n**', e, '\n**\n')
             pass
         else:
-            # this variable reference is needed for lazy initialization of MPI
-            comm = MPI.COMM_WORLD
-            if am_master():
-                Procs=comm.Get_size()
-                (Major,Minor)=MPI.Get_version();
-                print('Using MPI version {}.{}, {} processes'.format(Major, Minor, Procs));
-
-            if not am_master():
-                import os
+            import os
+            if not am_master() and os.getenv("MEEP_MPI_SILENCE_WORKERS", "true").lower() in ("true", "1"):
                 import sys
                 saved_stdout = sys.stdout
                 sys.stdout = open(os.devnull, 'w')
 
+            # this variable reference is needed for lazy initialization of MPI
+            comm = MPI.COMM_WORLD
+            Procs = comm.Get_size()
+            Major, Minor = MPI.Get_version()
+            if verbosity.meep > 0:
+                print('Using MPI version {}.{}, {} processes'.format(Major, Minor, Procs))
+
     vacuum = Medium(epsilon=1)
     air = Medium(epsilon=1)
     metal = Medium(epsilon=-inf)
diff --git a/python/mpb.i b/python/mpb.i
index fcab607ea..2e33769dd 100644
--- a/python/mpb.i
+++ b/python/mpb.i
@@ -356,8 +356,9 @@ const int MPB_VERSION_PATCH;
 %pythoncode %{
     __version__ = (_mpb.cvar.MPB_VERSION_MAJOR, _mpb.cvar.MPB_VERSION_MINOR, _mpb.cvar.MPB_VERSION_PATCH)
 
+    import os
     from meep.verbosity_mgr import Verbosity
-    verbosity = Verbosity(_mpb.cvar, 'mpb', 1)
+    verbosity = Verbosity(_mpb.cvar, 'mpb', int(os.getenv("MPB_VERBOSITY_LEVEL", 1)))
 
     from .solver import (
         MPBArray,
diff --git a/python/simulation.py b/python/simulation.py
index e693cd7d7..19483bb9d 100644
--- a/python/simulation.py
+++ b/python/simulation.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 
 from matplotlib.axes import Axes
 
-verbosity = Verbosity(mp.cvar, "meep", 1)
+verbosity = Verbosity(mp.cvar, "meep", int(os.getenv("MEEP_VERBOSITY_LEVEL", 1)))
 
 mp.setup()