diff --git a/handlers/enzyme b/handlers/enzyme
index ab340974c..eca20cf21 100644
--- a/handlers/enzyme
+++ b/handlers/enzyme
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ if (options[0] == "world"):
     sys.exit(0)
 # sync tool
 elif (options[0] == "sync"):
-    enzymeTools.sync()
+    enzymeTools.sync(options)
     sys.exit(0)
 
 # add other options here
diff --git a/libraries/enzymeTools.py b/libraries/enzymeTools.py
index ceba36ad7..8970f3a0c 100644
--- a/libraries/enzymeTools.py
+++ b/libraries/enzymeTools.py
@@ -52,7 +52,14 @@ def getSyncTime():
 
 
 # fetch the latest updates from Gentoo rsync mirrors
-def sync():
+def sync(options):
+    syncMiscRedirect = "/dev/null"
+    for i in options:
+        if i.startswith("--verbose") or i.startswith("-v"):
+	    syncMiscRedirect = None
     print_info(green("syncing the Portage tree at: "+etpConst['portagetreedir']))
-    rc = spawnCommand(vdbPORTDIR+"="+etpConst['portagetreedir']+" "+cdbEMERGE+" --sync", redirect = "/dev/null")
+    rc = spawnCommand(vdbPORTDIR+"="+etpConst['portagetreedir']+" "+cdbEMERGE+" --sync ", redirect = syncMiscRedirect) # redirect = "/dev/null"
+    if (rc != 0):
+        print_error(red("an error occoured while syncing the Portage tree. Are you sure that your Internet connection works?"))
+	sys.exit(101)
     
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