diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fb135e6e1..139e3416b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ technologies:
 ### Hardware requirements
 
 The runtime has a built-in command to determine if your host system is capable
-of running a Kata Container:
+of running and creating a Kata Container:
 
 ```bash
 $ kata-runtime kata-check
@@ -68,8 +68,13 @@ $ kata-runtime kata-check
 
 > **Note:**
 >
-> If you run the previous command as the `root` user, further checks will be
-> performed (e.g. it will check if another incompatible hypervisor is running).
+> - By default, only a brief success / failure message is printed.
+> If more details are needed, the `--verbose` flag can be used to display the
+> list of all the checks performed.
+>
+> - `root` permission is needed to check if the system is capable of running
+> Kata containers. In this case, additional checks are performed (e.g., if another
+> incompatible hypervisor is running).
 
 ## Download and install
 
diff --git a/cli/kata-check.go b/cli/kata-check.go
index 068c74373..9ffed062d 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check.go
@@ -304,7 +304,18 @@ func genericHostIsVMContainerCapable(details vmContainerCapableDetails) error {
 var kataCheckCLICommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:  checkCmd,
 	Usage: "tests if system can run " + project,
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:  "verbose, v",
+			Usage: "display the list of checks performed",
+		},
+	},
+
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
+		verbose := context.Bool("verbose")
+		if verbose {
+			kataLog.Logger.SetLevel(logrus.InfoLevel)
+		}
 		ctx, err := cliContextToContext(context)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -335,8 +346,7 @@ var kataCheckCLICommand = cli.Command{
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
-		kataLog.Info(successMessageCapable)
+		fmt.Println(successMessageCapable)
 
 		if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
 			err = archHostCanCreateVMContainer(runtimeConfig.HypervisorType)
@@ -344,7 +354,7 @@ var kataCheckCLICommand = cli.Command{
 				return err
 			}
 
-			kataLog.Info(successMessageCreate)
+			fmt.Println(successMessageCreate)
 		}
 
 		return nil
diff --git a/cli/main.go b/cli/main.go
index 72c9165e7..40bef7052 100644
--- a/cli/main.go
+++ b/cli/main.go
@@ -260,11 +260,17 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	ignoreLogging := false
+	ignoreConfigLogs := false
 	var traceRootSpan string
 
-	subCmdIsCheckCmd := (c.NArg() == 1 && (c.Args()[0] == checkCmd))
-	if !subCmdIsCheckCmd {
+	subCmdIsCheckCmd := (c.NArg() >= 1 && (c.Args()[0] == checkCmd))
+	if subCmdIsCheckCmd {
+		// checkCmd will use the default logrus logger to stderr
+		// raise the logger default level to warn
+		kataLog.Logger.SetLevel(logrus.WarnLevel)
+		// do not print configuration logs for checkCmd
+		ignoreConfigLogs = true
+	} else {
 		if path := c.GlobalString("log"); path != "" {
 			f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY|os.O_APPEND|os.O_SYNC, 0640)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -300,11 +306,11 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 
 		if c.NArg() == 1 && c.Args()[0] == envCmd {
 			// simply report the logging setup
-			ignoreLogging = true
+			ignoreConfigLogs = true
 		}
 	}
 
-	configFile, runtimeConfig, err = katautils.LoadConfiguration(c.GlobalString(configFilePathOption), ignoreLogging, false)
+	configFile, runtimeConfig, err = katautils.LoadConfiguration(c.GlobalString(configFilePathOption), ignoreConfigLogs, false)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}