diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e9d7d42..6710c73 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ The [runSVJ](./test/runSVJ.py) script is a wrapper that can customize and run an
 * `config=[str]`: config file to customize and run (default = step_GEN)
 * `useFolders=[bool]`: read input files written with `--use-folders` option (see [Condor submission](#condor-submission))
 * `printEvents=[num]`: number of Pythia events to print (default = 1)
+* `quiet=[bool]`: suppress all Pythia printouts (default = False)
 * `threads=[num]`: number of threads to run (default = 1)
 * `streams=[num]`: number of streams to run (default = 0 -> streams = threads)
 * `redir=[dir]`: xrootd redirector for input file
diff --git a/python/optSVJ.py b/python/optSVJ.py
index cf9127e..9cb4e5e 100644
--- a/python/optSVJ.py
+++ b/python/optSVJ.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 options.register("maxEventsIn", -1, VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.int)
 options.register("useFolders", False, VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.bool)
 options.register("printEvents", 1, VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.int)
+options.register("quiet", False, VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.bool)
 options.register("threads", 1, VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.int)
 options.register("streams", 0, VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.int)
 options.register("redir", "", VarParsing.multiplicity.singleton, VarParsing.varType.string)
diff --git a/test/runSVJ.py b/test/runSVJ.py
index f8f8f15..8fbc120 100644
--- a/test/runSVJ.py
+++ b/test/runSVJ.py
@@ -140,8 +140,29 @@ def fix_inname(inname,options,lhe=False):
         )
         process.ProductionFilterSequence.insert(0,process.nmedfilter)
 
-if hasattr(process,'generator') and hasattr(process.generator,'maxEventsToPrint'):
-    process.generator.maxEventsToPrint = options.printEvents
+def set_if_has(obj,attr,val):
+    if hasattr(obj,attr): setattr(obj,attr,val)
+
+if hasattr(process,'generator'):
+    if options.quiet:
+        set_if_has(process.generator,'maxEventsToPrint',0)
+        set_if_has(process.generator,'pythiaHepMCVerbosity',False)
+        set_if_has(process.generator,'pythiaPylistVerbosity',0)
+        if hasattr(process.generator,'PythiaParameters'):
+            pythia_quiet_settings = [
+                'Print:quiet = on',
+                'Init:showProcesses = off',
+                'Init:showMultipartonInteractions = off',
+                'Init:showChangedSettings = off',
+                'init:showChangedParticleData = off',
+            ]
+            set_if_has(
+                process.generator.PythiaParameters,
+                'pythia8CommonSettings',
+                getattr(process.generator.PythiaParameters,'pythia8CommonSettings',[])+pythia_quiet_settings
+            )
+    elif hasattr(process.generator,'maxEventsToPrint'):
+        process.generator.maxEventsToPrint = options.printEvents
 
 # genjet/met settings - treat DM stand-ins as invisible
 _particles = ["genParticlesForJetsNoMuNoNu","genParticlesForJetsNoNu","genCandidatesForMET","genParticlesForMETAllVisible"]