diff --git a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
index 70df740c53..c0eaf7e614 100644
--- a/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/vars.inc.mk
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ FLASH_ADDR ?= 0x0
 export Q                     # Used in front of Makefile lines to suppress the printing of the command if user did not opt-in to see them.
 export QQ                    # as Q, but be more quiet
 export QUIET                 # The parameter to use whether to show verbose makefile commands or not.
+export QUIETER               # The parameter to use to hide most makefile output
 
 export OS                    # The operating system of the build host
 export OS_ARCH               # The build host's hardware architecture
diff --git a/pkg/c25519/Makefile b/pkg/c25519/Makefile
index 483695cc5f..b65ddbc45f 100644
--- a/pkg/c25519/Makefile
+++ b/pkg/c25519/Makefile
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ all: $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/
 	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=$(PKG_NAME)
 
 $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/: $(PKGDIRBASE)/$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).$(PKG_EXT)
-	test "$(PKG_SHA512)  $(PKG_ZIPFILE)" =  "$$(sha512sum "${PKG_ZIPFILE}")"
+	$(QQ)test "$(PKG_SHA512)  $(PKG_ZIPFILE)" =  "$$(sha512sum "${PKG_ZIPFILE}")"
 	$(Q)$(UNZIP_HERE) -D -d $(PKGDIRBASE) $<
 
 $(PKG_ZIPFILE):
-	mkdir -p $(PKGDIRBASE)
+	$(QQ)mkdir -p $(PKGDIRBASE)
 	$(Q)$(DOWNLOAD_TO_FILE) $@ $(PKG_URL)/$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).$(PKG_EXT)
 
 clean::
diff --git a/pkg/edhoc-c/Makefile b/pkg/edhoc-c/Makefile
index ea39ec1621..57f07da75c 100644
--- a/pkg/edhoc-c/Makefile
+++ b/pkg/edhoc-c/Makefile
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ CFLAGS += -Wno-newline-eof
 EDHOC_C_MODULES := $(filter edhoc-c_%,$(USEMODULE))
 
 all: $(EDHOC_C_MODULES)
-	"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=edhoc-c
+	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=edhoc-c
 
 edhoc-c_crypto_%:
-	"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src/crypto -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=$@ SRC=$*.c
+	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src/crypto -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=$@ SRC=$*.c
 
 edhoc-c_cbor_%:
-	"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src/cbor -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=$@ SRC=$*.c
+	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/src/cbor -f $(RIOTBASE)/Makefile.base MODULE=$@ SRC=$*.c
diff --git a/pkg/mynewt-core/Makefile b/pkg/mynewt-core/Makefile
index 3d00b594ad..3b0e3e4b06 100644
--- a/pkg/mynewt-core/Makefile
+++ b/pkg/mynewt-core/Makefile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ all: $(filter $(MYNEWT_CORE_MODULES),$(USEMODULE))
 	@true
 
 mynewt-core_%: rm_riot_provided_headers
-	"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/$(MYNEWT_CORE_PATH_$*) -f $(RIOTPKG)/$(PKG_NAME)/$@.mk MODULE=$@
+	$(QQ)"$(MAKE)" -C $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/$(MYNEWT_CORE_PATH_$*) -f $(RIOTPKG)/$(PKG_NAME)/$@.mk MODULE=$@
 
 # The following mynewt-core headers are provided by RIOT, remove them from
 # mynewt-core include paths to avoid header conflicts
diff --git a/pkg/pkg.mk b/pkg/pkg.mk
index 0729efee87..6cf59d5b72 100644
--- a/pkg/pkg.mk
+++ b/pkg/pkg.mk
@@ -111,40 +111,41 @@ gen_dependency_files = $(file >$1,$@: $2)$(foreach f,$2,$(file >>$1,$(f):))
 # * checkout the wanted base commit
 # * apply patches if there are any. (If none, it does nothing)
 $(PKG_PATCHED): $(PKG_PATCHED_PREREQUISITES)
-	$(info [INFO] patch $(PKG_NAME))
+	$(if $(QUIETER),,$(info [INFO] patch $(PKG_NAME)))
 	$(call gen_dependency_files,$@.d,$(PKG_PATCHED_PREREQUISITES))
 	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) clean $(GIT_QUIET) -xdff '**' -e $(PKG_STATE:$(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/%='%*')
 	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) checkout $(GIT_QUIET) -f $(PKG_VERSION)
 	$(Q) if test -n "$(PKG_PATCHES)" ; then \
 	       $(GIT_IN_PKG) $(GITFLAGS) am $(GITAMFLAGS) $(PKG_PATCHES) ; \
 	     fi
-	@touch $@
+	$(Q)touch $@
 
 $(PKG_DOWNLOADED): $(MAKEFILE_LIST) | $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/.git
-	$(info [INFO] updating $(PKG_NAME) $(PKG_DOWNLOADED))
+	$(if $(QUIETER),,$(info [INFO] updating $(PKG_NAME) $(PKG_DOWNLOADED)))
 	$(Q)if ! $(GIT_IN_PKG) cat-file -e $(PKG_VERSION); then \
-		printf "[INFO] fetching new $(PKG_NAME) version "$(PKG_VERSION)"\n"; \
+		$(if $(QUIETER),,printf "[INFO] fetching new $(PKG_NAME) version "$(PKG_VERSION)"\n";) \
 		$(GIT_IN_PKG) fetch $(GIT_QUIET) "$(PKG_URL)" "$(PKG_VERSION)"; \
 	fi
-	echo $(PKG_VERSION) > $@
+	$(Q)echo $(PKG_VERSION) > $@
 
 ifeq ($(GIT_CACHE_DIR),$(wildcard $(GIT_CACHE_DIR)))
 $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/.git: | $(PKG_CUSTOM_PREPARED)
-	$(info [INFO] cloning $(PKG_NAME))
+	$(if $(QUIETER),,$(info [INFO] cloning $(PKG_NAME)))
 	$(Q)rm -Rf $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
 	$(Q)$(GITCACHE) clone $(PKG_URL) $(PKG_VERSION) $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
 else
+# redirect stderr so git sees a pipe and not a terminal see https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/progress.c#L138
 $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)/.git: | $(PKG_CUSTOM_PREPARED)
-	$(info [INFO] cloning without cache $(PKG_NAME))
+	$(if $(QUIETER),,$(info [INFO] cloning without cache $(PKG_NAME)))
 	$(Q)rm -Rf $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
-	$(Q)git init -q $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
+	$(Q)git init $(GIT_QUIET) $(PKG_SOURCE_DIR)
 	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) remote add origin $(PKG_URL)
 	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) config extensions.partialClone origin
 	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) config advice.detachedHead false
 	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) fetch $(GIT_QUIET) --depth=1 -t --filter=blob:none origin $(PKG_VERSION)
-	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) checkout $(GIT_QUIET) $(PKG_VERSION)
+	$(Q)$(GIT_IN_PKG) checkout $(GIT_QUIET) $(PKG_VERSION) 2>&1 | cat
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(PKG_SOURCE_DIR),$(PKG_BUILD_DIR))