diff --git a/h2o-py/h2o/h2o.py b/h2o-py/h2o/h2o.py
index 1611e6d908b6..01b7b21a8027 100644
--- a/h2o-py/h2o/h2o.py
+++ b/h2o-py/h2o/h2o.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def connection():
 def init(url=None, ip=None, port=None, name=None, https=None, cacert=None, insecure=None, username=None, password=None,
          cookies=None, proxy=None, start_h2o=True, nthreads=-1, ice_root=None, log_dir=None, log_level=None,
          max_log_file_size=None, enable_assertions=True, max_mem_size=None, min_mem_size=None, strict_version_check=None, 
-         ignore_config=False, extra_classpath=None, jvm_custom_args=None, bind_to_localhost=True, **kwargs):
+         ignore_config=False, extra_classpath=None, jvm_custom_args=None, bind_to_localhost=True, verbose = True, **kwargs):
     """
     Attempt to connect to a local server, or if not successful start a new server and connect to it.
 
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ def init(url=None, ip=None, port=None, name=None, https=None, cacert=None, insec
     :param kwargs: (all other deprecated attributes)
     :param jvm_custom_args: Customer, user-defined argument's for the JVM H2O is instantiated in. Ignored if there is an instance of H2O already running and the client connects to it.
     :param bind_to_localhost: A flag indicating whether access to the H2O instance should be restricted to the local machine (default) or if it can be reached from other computers on the network.
+    :param verbose: Set to False to disable printing connection status and info messages.
 
 
     :examples:
@@ -267,7 +268,7 @@ def get_mem_size(mmint, mmgb):
     try:
         h2oconn = H2OConnection.open(url=url, ip=ip, port=port, name=name, https=https,
                                      verify_ssl_certificates=verify_ssl_certificates, cacert=cacert,
-                                     auth=auth, proxy=proxy, cookies=cookies, verbose=True,
+                                     auth=auth, proxy=proxy, cookies=cookies, verbose=verbose,
                                      msgs=("Checking whether there is an H2O instance running at {url}",
                                            "connected.", "not found."),
                                      strict_version_check=svc)
@@ -286,13 +287,13 @@ def get_mem_size(mmint, mmgb):
                                   min_mem_size=mmin, ice_root=ice_root, log_dir=log_dir, log_level=log_level,
                                   max_log_file_size=max_log_file_size, port=port, name=name,
                                   extra_classpath=extra_classpath, jvm_custom_args=jvm_custom_args,
-                                  bind_to_localhost=bind_to_localhost)
+                                  bind_to_localhost=bind_to_localhost,verbose=verbose)
         h2oconn = H2OConnection.open(server=hs, https=https, verify_ssl_certificates=verify_ssl_certificates,
-                                     cacert=cacert, auth=auth, proxy=proxy, cookies=cookies, verbose=True,
+                                     cacert=cacert, auth=auth, proxy=proxy, cookies=cookies, verbose=verbose,
                                      strict_version_check=svc)
     h2oconn.cluster.timezone = "UTC"
-    h2oconn.cluster.show_status()
-
+    if verbose:
+        h2oconn.cluster.show_status()
 
 def resume(recovery_dir=None):
     """