diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index 43f8fb4b..f9e3984a 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -532,8 +532,19 @@ static void mi_option_init(mi_option_desc_t* desc) {
         desc->init = INITIALIZED;
       }
       else {
-        _mi_warning_message("environment option mimalloc_%s has an invalid value: %s\n", desc->name, buf);
+        /* _mi_warning_message() will itself call mi_option_get() for some options,
+         * so to avoid a possible infinite recursion it's important to mark the option as
+         * "initialized" first */
         desc->init = DEFAULTED;
+        if (desc->option == mi_option_verbose) {
+          /* Special case: if the 'mimalloc_verbose' env var has a bogus value we'd never know
+           * (since the value default to 'off') - so in that one case briefly set the option to 'on' */
+          desc->value = 1;
+        }
+        _mi_warning_message("environment option mimalloc_%s has an invalid value: %s\n", desc->name, buf);
+        if (desc->option == mi_option_verbose) {
+          desc->value = 0;
+        }
       }
     }
     mi_assert_internal(desc->init != UNINIT);