diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2e5f00a..2477836 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 - tinirc: Overwrite tinirc on start instead of appending to an existing file (#277)
 - start: Fix setting of nullfs attribute
 - set-status: Ignore status files that predate system boot (#278)
+- set-status: Forward verbosity flags (#279)
 
 ## [0.15.6] 2023-09-29
 ### Added
diff --git a/share/pot/common.sh b/share/pot/common.sh
index b90e627..0748578 100644
--- a/share/pot/common.sh
+++ b/share/pot/common.sh
@@ -234,6 +234,30 @@ _is_pot_tmp_dir()
 	fi
 }
 
+# set status of pot, locks properly
+# $1 pot name
+# $2 status to set
+# $3 interfaces for pot (epaira)
+_set_pot_status()
+{
+	local _pname _status _interfaces _verbose _param
+	_pname=$1
+	_status=$2
+	_interfaces=$3
+	_param=$(_save_params "-p" "$_pname" "-s" "$_status")
+	if [ -n "$_interfaces" ]; then
+		_param="$_param"$(_save_params "-i" "$_interfaces")
+	fi
+	if [ "$_POT_VERBOSITY" -gt 1 ]; then
+		_verbose=$(printf -- "-%$(( _POT_VERBOSITY - 1 ))s" |\
+		  tr " " "v")
+		_param="$_param"$(_save_params "$_verbose")
+	fi
+	eval "set -- $_param"
+	lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}"\
+	  set-status "$@"
+}
+
 # check if the dataset is a dataset name
 # $1 the dataset NAME
 # tested
diff --git a/share/pot/start.sh b/share/pot/start.sh
index 0a50fff..056b475 100644
--- a/share/pot/start.sh
+++ b/share/pot/start.sh
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ start-cleanup()
 		return
 	fi
 	# doa state will only be set if pot is in state "starting"
-	lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}" \
-	  set-status -p "$_pname" -s doa
+	_set_pot_status "$_pname" doa
 	if [ -n "$_epaira" ] && _is_valid_netif "$_epaira" ; then
 		_ifaces="$_epaira"
 	fi
@@ -671,8 +670,7 @@ _js_start()
 		echo "$_wait_pid" >"${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot_main_pid_${_pname}"
 	fi
 	# Here is where the pot is marked as started
-	lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}" set-status \
-	  -p "$_pname" -s started -i "$_ifaces"
+	_set_pot_status "$_pname" started "$_ifaces"
 	rc=$?
 	if [ $rc -eq 2 ]; then
 		_info "pot $_pname is already started (???)"
@@ -691,7 +689,7 @@ _js_start()
 		rm -f "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot_main_pid_${_pname}"
 		# non-persistent jails always need to die
 		# Here is where the pot is stopping
-		lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}" set-status -p "$_pname" -s stopping
+		_set_pot_status "$_pname" stopping
 		rc=$?
 		if [ $rc -eq 2 ]; then
 			_debug "pot $_pname is already stopping (maybe by a pot stop)"
@@ -709,7 +707,7 @@ _js_start()
 		fi
 	elif ! _is_pot_running "$_pname" ; then
 		# persistent jail didn't come up, this is an error
-		lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}" set-status -p "$_pname" -s stopping
+		_set_pot_status "$_pname" stopping
 		rc=$?
 		if [ $rc -eq 2 ]; then
 			_debug "pot $_pname is already stopping (maybe by a pot stop?)"
@@ -805,7 +803,7 @@ pot-start()
 	fi
 
 	# Here is where the pot is starting
-	lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}" set-status -p "$_pname" -s starting
+	_set_pot_status "$_pname" starting
 	rc=$?
 	if [ $rc -eq 2 ]; then
 		_error "pot $_pname is already starting"
diff --git a/share/pot/stop.sh b/share/pot/stop.sh
index 489159a..cdddc04 100644
--- a/share/pot/stop.sh
+++ b/share/pot/stop.sh
@@ -211,8 +211,7 @@ pot-stop()
 	fi
 
 	# Here is where the pot is stopping
-	_epaira_ifs="$(lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" \
-	  "${_POT_PATHNAME}" set-status -p "$_pname" -s stopping)"
+	_epaira_ifs="$(_set_pot_status "$_pname" stopping)"
 	rc=$?
 	if [ $rc -eq 2 ]; then
 		if [ $_from_start = "YES" ]; then
@@ -236,7 +235,7 @@ pot-stop()
 	fi
 	_js_rm_resolv "$_pname"
 	_pot_umount "$_pname"
-	lockf "${POT_TMP:-/tmp}/pot-lock-$_pname" "${_POT_PATHNAME}" set-status -p "$_pname" -s stopped
+	_set_pot_status "$_pname" stopped
 	rc=$?
 	if [ $rc -eq 2 ]; then
 		_error "pot $_pname is already stopped!"