diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 37a1e1fb6d..9a65514d82 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ env:
     - LINUX_GIT_LFS_VERSION="1.2.0"
     - DEFAULT_TEST_TARGET=prove
     - GIT_PROVE_OPTS="--timer --jobs 3 --state=failed,slow,save"
-    - GIT_TEST_OPTS="--verbose --tee"
+    - GIT_TEST_OPTS="--verbose-log"
     - GIT_TEST_HTTPD=true
     - GIT_TEST_CLONE_2GB=YesPlease
     # t9810 occasionally fails on Travis CI OS X
diff --git a/t/README b/t/README
index 0f764c0aef..4982d1c521 100644
--- a/t/README
+++ b/t/README
@@ -153,6 +153,12 @@ appropriately before running "make".
 	As the names depend on the tests' file names, it is safe to
 	run the tests with this option in parallel.
 
+--verbose-log::
+	Write verbose output to the same logfile as `--tee`, but do
+	_not_ write it to stdout. Unlike `--tee --verbose`, this option
+	is safe to use when stdout is being consumed by a TAP parser
+	like `prove`. Implies `--tee` and `--verbose`.
+
 --with-dashes::
 	By default tests are run without dashed forms of
 	commands (like git-commit) in the PATH (it only uses
diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index 11562bde10..b859db61ac 100644
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -54,12 +54,22 @@ case "$GIT_TEST_TEE_STARTED, $* " in
 done,*)
 	# do not redirect again
 	;;
-*' --tee '*|*' --va'*)
+*' --tee '*|*' --va'*|*' --verbose-log '*)
 	mkdir -p "$TEST_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY/test-results"
 	BASE="$TEST_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY/test-results/$(basename "$0" .sh)"
+
+	# Make this filename available to the sub-process in case it is using
+	# --verbose-log.
+	GIT_TEST_TEE_OUTPUT_FILE=$BASE.out
+	export GIT_TEST_TEE_OUTPUT_FILE
+
+	# Truncate before calling "tee -a" to get rid of the results
+	# from any previous runs.
+	>"$GIT_TEST_TEE_OUTPUT_FILE"
+
 	(GIT_TEST_TEE_STARTED=done ${SHELL_PATH} "$0" "$@" 2>&1;
-	 echo $? > $BASE.exit) | tee $BASE.out
-	test "$(cat $BASE.exit)" = 0
+	 echo $? >"$BASE.exit") | tee -a "$GIT_TEST_TEE_OUTPUT_FILE"
+	test "$(cat "$BASE.exit")" = 0
 	exit
 	;;
 esac
@@ -246,6 +256,9 @@ do
 		trace=t
 		verbose=t
 		shift ;;
+	--verbose-log)
+		verbose_log=t
+		shift ;;
 	*)
 		echo "error: unknown test option '$1'" >&2; exit 1 ;;
 	esac
@@ -308,6 +321,16 @@ say () {
 	say_color info "$*"
 }
 
+if test -n "$HARNESS_ACTIVE"
+then
+	if test "$verbose" = t || test -n "$verbose_only"
+	then
+		printf 'Bail out! %s\n' \
+		 'verbose mode forbidden under TAP harness; try --verbose-log'
+		exit 1
+	fi
+fi
+
 test "${test_description}" != "" ||
 error "Test script did not set test_description."
 
@@ -319,7 +342,10 @@ fi
 
 exec 5>&1
 exec 6<&0
-if test "$verbose" = "t"
+if test "$verbose_log" = "t"
+then
+	exec 3>>"$GIT_TEST_TEE_OUTPUT_FILE" 4>&3
+elif test "$verbose" = "t"
 then
 	exec 4>&2 3>&1
 else