diff --git a/cmd/notary/tuf.go b/cmd/notary/tuf.go
index d0848f1e4..37782dffb 100644
--- a/cmd/notary/tuf.go
+++ b/cmd/notary/tuf.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
@@ -91,6 +90,10 @@ type tufCommander struct {
 	roles  []string
 	sha256 string
 	sha512 string
+
+	input  string
+	output string
+	quiet  bool
 }
 
 func (t *tufCommander) AddToCommand(cmd *cobra.Command) {
@@ -98,7 +101,6 @@ func (t *tufCommander) AddToCommand(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	cmd.AddCommand(cmdTufStatusTemplate.ToCommand(t.tufStatus))
 	cmd.AddCommand(cmdTufPublishTemplate.ToCommand(t.tufPublish))
 	cmd.AddCommand(cmdTufLookupTemplate.ToCommand(t.tufLookup))
-	cmd.AddCommand(cmdTufVerifyTemplate.ToCommand(t.tufVerify))
 
 	cmdTufList := cmdTufListTemplate.ToCommand(t.tufList)
 	cmdTufList.Flags().StringSliceVarP(
@@ -118,6 +120,12 @@ func (t *tufCommander) AddToCommand(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	cmdTufAddHash.Flags().StringVar(&t.sha256, notary.SHA256, "", "hex encoded sha256 of the target to add")
 	cmdTufAddHash.Flags().StringVar(&t.sha512, notary.SHA512, "", "hex encoded sha512 of the target to add")
 	cmd.AddCommand(cmdTufAddHash)
+
+	cmdTufVerify := cmdTufVerifyTemplate.ToCommand(t.tufVerify)
+	cmdTufVerify.Flags().StringVarP(&t.input, "input", "i", "", "Read from a file, instead of STDIN")
+	cmdTufVerify.Flags().StringVarP(&t.output, "output", "o", "", "Write to a file, instead of STDOUT")
+	cmdTufVerify.Flags().BoolVarP(&t.quiet, "quiet", "q", false, "No output except for errors")
+	cmd.AddCommand(cmdTufVerify)
 }
 
 func (t *tufCommander) tufAddByHash(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -482,10 +490,9 @@ func (t *tufCommander) tufVerify(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Reads all of the data on STDIN
-	payload, err := ioutil.ReadAll(os.Stdin)
+	payload, err := getPayload(t)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error reading content from STDIN: %v", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	gun := args[0]
@@ -516,8 +523,7 @@ func (t *tufCommander) tufVerify(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("data not present in the trusted collection, %v", err)
 	}
 
-	_, _ = os.Stdout.Write(payload)
-	return nil
+	return feedback(t, payload)
 }
 
 type passwordStore struct {
diff --git a/cmd/notary/util.go b/cmd/notary/util.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..887204f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/notary/util.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+)
+
+// getPayload is a helper function to get the content used to be verified
+// either from an existing file or STDIN.
+func getPayload(t *tufCommander) ([]byte, error) {
+
+	// Reads from the given file
+	if t.input != "" {
+		// Please note that ReadFile will cut off the size if it was over 1e9.
+		// Thus, if the size of the file exceeds 1GB, the over part will not be
+		// loaded into the buffer.
+		payload, err := ioutil.ReadFile(t.input)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return payload, nil
+	}
+
+	// Reads all of the data on STDIN
+	payload, err := ioutil.ReadAll(os.Stdin)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Error reading content from STDIN: %v", err)
+	}
+	return payload, nil
+}
+
+// feedback is a helper function to print the payload to a file or STDOUT or keep quiet
+// due to the value of flag "quiet" and "output".
+func feedback(t *tufCommander, payload []byte) error {
+	// We only get here when everything goes well, since the flag "quiet" was
+	// provided, we output nothing but just return.
+	if t.quiet {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Flag "quiet" was not "true", that's why we get here.
+	if t.output != "" {
+		return ioutil.WriteFile(t.output, payload, 0644)
+	}
+
+	os.Stdout.Write(payload)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/notary/util_test.go b/cmd/notary/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8949ffd4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/notary/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestGetPayload(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "test-get-payload")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
+
+	file, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(tempDir, "content.txt"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(file, "Release date: June 10, 2016 - Director: Duncan Jones")
+	file.Close()
+
+	commander := &tufCommander{
+		input: file.Name(),
+	}
+
+	payload, err := getPayload(commander)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "Release date: June 10, 2016 - Director: Duncan Jones", string(payload))
+}
+
+func TestFeedback(t *testing.T) {
+	tempDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "test-feedback")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
+
+	file, err := os.Create(filepath.Join(tempDir, "content.txt"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Expect it to print nothing since "quiet" takes priority.
+	commander := &tufCommander{
+		output: file.Name(),
+		quiet:  true,
+	}
+
+	payload := []byte("Release date: June 10, 2016 - Director: Duncan Jones")
+	err = feedback(commander, payload)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(file.Name())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "", string(content))
+}