diff --git a/engine/graph/autogroup/autogroup_test.go b/engine/graph/autogroup/autogroup_test.go
index da4f6b8c..2d3f43ed 100644
--- a/engine/graph/autogroup/autogroup_test.go
+++ b/engine/graph/autogroup/autogroup_test.go
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func (obj *testGrouper) EdgeMerge(e1, e2 pgraph.Edge) pgraph.Edge {
 
 // helper function
 func runGraphCmp(t *testing.T, g1, g2 *pgraph.Graph) {
-	debug := true
+	debug := testing.Verbose() // set via the -test.v flag to `go test`
 	logf := func(format string, v ...interface{}) {
 		t.Logf("test: "+format, v...)
 	}
diff --git a/engine/resources/exec_test.go b/engine/resources/exec_test.go
index 3914bb81..011919e0 100644
--- a/engine/resources/exec_test.go
+++ b/engine/resources/exec_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func fakeInit(t *testing.T) *engine.Init {
-	debug := true
+	debug := testing.Verbose() // set via the -test.v flag to `go test`
 	logf := func(format string, v ...interface{}) {
 		t.Logf("test: "+format, v...)
 	}
diff --git a/engine/resources/file_test.go b/engine/resources/file_test.go
index 529e68f2..81bca361 100644
--- a/engine/resources/file_test.go
+++ b/engine/resources/file_test.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func TestFileAutoEdge1(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("should have 0 edges instead of: %d", i)
 	}
 
-	debug := true
+	debug := testing.Verbose() // set via the -test.v flag to `go test`
 	logf := func(format string, v ...interface{}) {
 		t.Logf("test: "+format, v...)
 	}