diff --git a/examples/C/include.ctest.sh.in b/examples/C/include.ctest.sh.in
index 67664e379..9aa68383c 100644
--- a/examples/C/include.ctest.sh.in
+++ b/examples/C/include.ctest.sh.in
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 # examples/C include file for CMake
 
 set -ea
+# If this environment variable is set, then become verbose
+# so one can see why and how a test failed
+if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT" != "x"; then
+   set -x
+fi
+
 proj_dir=@PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR@
 data_dir=@PROJECT_BINARY_DIR@/data
 
diff --git a/examples/C/include.sh b/examples/C/include.sh
index 5b554fe13..29d820602 100644
--- a/examples/C/include.sh
+++ b/examples/C/include.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ else
   echo
   echo "TEST: $0"
 
+  # If this environment variable is set, then become verbose
+  # so one can see why and how a test failed
+  if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT" != "x"; then
+     set -x
+  fi
+
   if [ -z "${data_dir}" ]
   then
     cd ../../
diff --git a/examples/F90/include.ctest.sh.in b/examples/F90/include.ctest.sh.in
index c2274affe..d218654ce 100644
--- a/examples/F90/include.ctest.sh.in
+++ b/examples/F90/include.ctest.sh.in
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 # examples/F90 include file for CMake
 
 set -ea
+# If this environment variable is set, then become verbose
+# so one can see why and how a test failed
+if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT" != "x"; then
+   set -x
+fi
+
 proj_dir=@PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR@
 data_dir=@PROJECT_BINARY_DIR@/data
 
diff --git a/examples/F90/include.sh b/examples/F90/include.sh
index 8f6ed4e4a..cc077ffaa 100755
--- a/examples/F90/include.sh
+++ b/examples/F90/include.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ else
   echo
   echo "TEST: $0"
 
+  # If this environment variable is set, then become verbose
+  # so one can see why and how a test failed
+  if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT" != "x"; then
+     set -x
+  fi
+
   if [ -z "${data_dir}" ]
   then
     cd ../../
diff --git a/examples/python/include.ctest.sh.in b/examples/python/include.ctest.sh.in
index 4ab82a383..d7cb03990 100644
--- a/examples/python/include.ctest.sh.in
+++ b/examples/python/include.ctest.sh.in
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 # examples/python include file for CMake
 
 set -ea
+# If this environment variable is set, then become verbose
+# so one can see why and how a test failed
+if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT" != "x"; then
+   set -x
+fi
+
 proj_dir=@PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR@
 data_dir=@PROJECT_BINARY_DIR@/data
 
diff --git a/examples/python/include.sh b/examples/python/include.sh
index c6263298e..9da0aa24b 100644
--- a/examples/python/include.sh
+++ b/examples/python/include.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ else
   echo
   echo "TEST: $0"
 
+  # If this environment variable is set, then become verbose
+  # so one can see why and how a test failed
+  if test "x$ECCODES_TEST_VERBOSE_OUTPUT" != "x"; then
+     set -x
+  fi
+
   cpath=$TOPBUILDDIR
   ECCODES_DEFINITION_PATH=$cpath/definitions
   export ECCODES_DEFINITION_PATH