diff --git a/pkg/pkg.mk b/pkg/pkg.mk
index 19aeb6f729..cb06835a5b 100644
--- a/pkg/pkg.mk
+++ b/pkg/pkg.mk
@@ -20,29 +20,33 @@ else
 git-download: git-ensure-version
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(QUIET),1)
+  GIT_QUIET ?= --quiet
+endif
+
 GITFLAGS ?= -c user.email=buildsystem@riot -c user.name="RIOT buildsystem"
-GITAMFLAGS ?= --no-gpg-sign --ignore-whitespace
+GITAMFLAGS ?= $(GIT_QUIET) --no-gpg-sign --ignore-whitespace --whitespace=nowarn
 
 ifneq (,$(wildcard $(PKG_DIR)/patches))
 $(PKG_BUILDDIR)/.git-patched: git-ensure-version $(PKG_DIR)/Makefile $(PKG_DIR)/patches/*.patch
-	git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) checkout -f $(PKG_VERSION)
-	git $(GITFLAGS) -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) am $(GITAMFLAGS) "$(PKG_DIR)"/patches/*.patch
-	touch $@
+	$(Q)git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) checkout $(GIT_QUIET) -f $(PKG_VERSION)
+	$(Q)git $(GITFLAGS) -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) am $(GITAMFLAGS) "$(PKG_DIR)"/patches/*.patch
+	$(Q)touch $@
 endif
 
 git-ensure-version: $(PKG_BUILDDIR)/.git-downloaded
-	if [ $(shell git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) rev-parse HEAD) != $(PKG_VERSION) ] ; then \
-		git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) clean -xdff ; \
-		git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) fetch "$(PKG_URL)" "$(PKG_VERSION)" ; \
-		git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) checkout -f $(PKG_VERSION) ; \
+	@if [ $(shell git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) rev-parse HEAD) != $(PKG_VERSION) ] ; then \
+		git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) clean $(GIT_QUIET) -xdff ; \
+		git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) fetch $(GIT_QUIET) "$(PKG_URL)" "$(PKG_VERSION)" ; \
+		git -C $(PKG_BUILDDIR) checkout $(GIT_QUIET) -f $(PKG_VERSION) ; \
 		touch $(PKG_BUILDDIR)/.git-downloaded ; \
 	fi
 
 $(PKG_BUILDDIR)/.git-downloaded:
-	rm -Rf $(PKG_BUILDDIR)
-	mkdir -p $(PKG_BUILDDIR)
-	$(GITCACHE) clone "$(PKG_URL)" "$(PKG_VERSION)" "$(PKG_BUILDDIR)"
-	touch $@
+	$(Q)rm -Rf $(PKG_BUILDDIR)
+	$(Q)mkdir -p $(PKG_BUILDDIR)
+	$(Q)$(GITCACHE) clone "$(PKG_URL)" "$(PKG_VERSION)" "$(PKG_BUILDDIR)"
+	$(Q)touch $@
 
 clean::
 	@test -d $(PKG_BUILDDIR) && { \