diff --git a/pipenv/core.py b/pipenv/core.py
index f8006eac..25bd0b7e 100644
--- a/pipenv/core.py
+++ b/pipenv/core.py
@@ -1622,7 +1622,7 @@ def warn_in_virtualenv():
     pipenv_active = os.environ.get("PIPENV_ACTIVE")
     if (
         (PIPENV_USE_SYSTEM or PIPENV_VIRTUALENV)
-        and not (pipenv_active or PIPENV_VERBOSITY > 0)
+        and not (pipenv_active or PIPENV_VERBOSITY < 0)
     ):
         click.echo(
             "{0}: Pipenv found itself running within a virtual environment, "
@@ -1633,7 +1633,7 @@ def warn_in_virtualenv():
             "warning.".format(
                 crayons.green("Courtesy Notice"),
                 crayons.normal("PIPENV_IGNORE_VIRTUALENVS=1", bold=True),
-                crayons.normal("PIPENV_VERBOSITY=1", bold=True),
+                crayons.normal("PIPENV_VERBOSITY=-1", bold=True),
             ),
             err=True,
         )
diff --git a/pipenv/environments.py b/pipenv/environments.py
index 32c5e1c5..afe82988 100644
--- a/pipenv/environments.py
+++ b/pipenv/environments.py
@@ -174,10 +174,11 @@ PIPENV_VENV_IN_PROJECT = bool(os.environ.get("PIPENV_VENV_IN_PROJECT"))
 Default is to create new virtual environments in a global location.
 """
 
-PIPENV_VERBOSITY = int(os.environ.get("PIPENV_VERBOSITY", "0"))
-"""Verbosity setting for pipenv. Higher values make pipenv less verbose.
+PIPENV_VERBOSITY = int(os.environ.get("PIPENV_VERBOSITY", 0))
+"""Verbosity setting for pipenv.
 
-Default is 0, for maximum verbosity.
+Higher values make pipenv more verbose, lower values less so. Default is 0,
+for normal verbosity.
 """
 
 PIPENV_YES = bool(os.environ.get("PIPENV_YES"))
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_core.py b/tests/unit/test_core.py
index 7b19c085..e737a59e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_core.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from pipenv.core import warn_in_virtualenv
 
 
 @mock.patch('pipenv.environments.PIPENV_VIRTUALENV', 'totallyrealenv')
-@mock.patch('pipenv.environments.PIPENV_VERBOSITY', 1)
+@mock.patch('pipenv.environments.PIPENV_VERBOSITY', -1)
 @pytest.mark.core
 def test_suppress_nested_venv_warning(capsys):
     # Capture the stderr of warn_in_virtualenv to test for the presence of the