diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 5f96752..f3ec2b5 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ export(generate_params)
 export(hector_matrix)
 export(is.criterion)
 export(iterate_model)
+export(matilda_message)
+export(matilda_warning)
 export(metric_calc)
 export(metric_calc_1run)
 export(multi_criteria_weighting)
diff --git a/R/hush.R b/R/hush.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4cae2c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/hush.R
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Set an option to control whether messages and warning are suppressed.
+# Defaults to verbose messaging.
+options("matilda.verbose" = FALSE)
+
+# Quiet messages
+
+#' Suppressing messages in Matilda functions
+#'
+#' @param ... Message to print if verbosity option is set to TRUE.
+#'
+#' @export
+#'
+matilda_message <- function(...) {
+
+  # Get the current verbose option setting
+  message.option <- getOption("matilda.verbose")
+
+  # Check if the verbose option is set to FALSE
+  if (message.option == FALSE) {
+    # If FALSE, exit function without displaying message
+    return()
+  }
+  # If verbose option is TRUE, display message
+  message(...)
+}
+
+# Quiet warnings
+
+#' Suppressing warnings in Matilda functions
+#'
+#' @param ... Warning to print if verbosity option is set to TRUE.
+#'
+#' @export
+#'
+matilda_warning <- function(...) {
+
+  # Get the current verbose option setting
+  warning.option <- getOption("matilda.verbose")
+
+  # Check if the verbose option if set to FALSE
+  if (warning.option == FALSE) {
+    # If FALSE, exit the function without displaying message
+    return()
+  }
+  # If verbose option is TRUE, display message
+  warning(...)
+}
diff --git a/R/iterate_model.R b/R/iterate_model.R
index 8bb56bb..2fa94c9 100644
--- a/R/iterate_model.R
+++ b/R/iterate_model.R
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ metric_calc_1run <- function(x, metric) {
 #' @export
 #'
 #' @examples
+#' options("matilda.verbose" = TRUE)
 #' # Load scenario file and initiate a new Hector core
 #' ssp245 <- system.file("input/hector_ssp245.ini", package = "hector")
 #' core <- newcore(ssp245)
diff --git a/R/set_params.R b/R/set_params.R
index 6b44a4e..916e2aa 100644
--- a/R/set_params.R
+++ b/R/set_params.R
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 set_params <- function(core, param_values) {
   # If parameters values are not numeric - stop and send error
   if (length(param_values) == 0) {
-    warning("no parameters")
+    matilda_warning("no parameters")
     return()
   }
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ set_params <- function(core, param_values) {
     var_units <- getunits(var)
 
     # send a message for what each var is being set to
-    message("setting ", var, " to ", param_values[i])
+    matilda_message("setting ", var, " to ", param_values[i])
 
     # set variables to be passed to
     setvar(core, NA, var = var, values = param_values[i], unit = var_units)
diff --git a/man/iterate_model.Rd b/man/iterate_model.Rd
index 2706cc1..47d1849 100644
--- a/man/iterate_model.Rd
+++ b/man/iterate_model.Rd
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ the \code{\link{generate_params}} function. Output of model iterations will
 be filtered according to metric information.
 }
 \examples{
+options("matilda.verbose" = TRUE)
 # Load scenario file and initiate a new Hector core
 ssp245 <- system.file("input/hector_ssp245.ini", package = "hector")
 core <- newcore(ssp245)
diff --git a/man/matilda_message.Rd b/man/matilda_message.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eed7cb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/matilda_message.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/hush.R
+\name{matilda_message}
+\alias{matilda_message}
+\title{Suppressing messages in Matilda functions}
+\usage{
+matilda_message(...)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{...}{Message to print if verbosity option is set to TRUE.}
+}
+\description{
+Suppressing messages in Matilda functions
+}
diff --git a/man/matilda_warning.Rd b/man/matilda_warning.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..baac412
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/matilda_warning.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/hush.R
+\name{matilda_warning}
+\alias{matilda_warning}
+\title{Suppressing warnings in Matilda functions}
+\usage{
+matilda_warning(...)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{...}{Warning to print if verbosity option is set to TRUE.}
+}
+\description{
+Suppressing warnings in Matilda functions
+}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-set_params.R b/tests/testthat/test-set_params.R
index f951572..9fd3a8a 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-set_params.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-set_params.R
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ y <- c("BETA" = 1, "Q10_RH" = 2)
 # core
 core <- newcore(system.file("input/hector_ssp245.ini", package = "hector"))
 
+# set verbose option to TRUE
+options(matilda.verbose = TRUE)
+
 # Checking message printed - may not be necessary
 test_that("function returns message", {
   expect_message(set_params(
diff --git a/vignettes/matilda-vignette.Rmd b/vignettes/matilda-vignette.Rmd
index f1c08d9..450fd65 100644
--- a/vignettes/matilda-vignette.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/matilda-vignette.Rmd
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ First, load the `matilda` package
 library(matilda)
 ```
 
+```{r, echo=FALSE}
+options("matilda.verbose" = FALSE)
+```
+
 Next, we will initialize a "core" for a new Hector instance. 
 More information about establishing a new core for running Hector can be found in the tutorial for using the [Hector R interface](https://jgcri.github.io/hector/articles/intro-to-hector.html).
 
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@ The `iterate_model()` runs Hector multiple times, setting new parameter values w
 
 Running `iterate_model()` requires a Hector core and a data frame of parameter values.
 
-```{r, message=FALSE}
+```{r}
 # Run Hector repeatedly over all parameter values
 results <- iterate_model(
   core = c_ssp245,