diff --git a/src/core/util.c b/src/core/util.c
index 681529b16..0c9a31d82 100644
--- a/src/core/util.c
+++ b/src/core/util.c
@@ -285,6 +285,18 @@ topic_name (MetaDebugTopic topic)
 
 static int sync_count = 0;
 
+gboolean
+meta_is_topic_enabled (MetaDebugTopic topic)
+{
+  if (verbose_topics == 0)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  if (topic == META_DEBUG_VERBOSE && verbose_topics != META_DEBUG_VERBOSE)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  return !!(verbose_topics & topic);
+}
+
 static void
 meta_topic_real_valist (MetaDebugTopic topic,
                         const char    *format,
@@ -295,9 +307,7 @@ meta_topic_real_valist (MetaDebugTopic topic,
 
   g_return_if_fail (format != NULL);
 
-  if (verbose_topics == 0
-      || (topic == META_DEBUG_VERBOSE && verbose_topics != META_DEBUG_VERBOSE)
-      || (!(verbose_topics & topic)))
+  if (!meta_is_topic_enabled (topic))
     return;
 
   str = g_strdup_vprintf (format, args);
diff --git a/src/meta/util.h b/src/meta/util.h
index 6d06ea572..5fddf0873 100644
--- a/src/meta/util.h
+++ b/src/meta/util.h
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ typedef enum
   META_DEBUG_PAINT_OPAQUE_REGION = 1 << 0,
 } MetaDebugPaintFlag;
 
+META_EXPORT
+gboolean meta_is_topic_enabled (MetaDebugTopic topic);
+
 META_EXPORT
 void meta_topic_real      (MetaDebugTopic topic,
                            const char    *format,
@@ -162,8 +165,21 @@ GPid meta_show_dialog (const char *type,
 /* To disable verbose mode, we make these functions into no-ops */
 #ifdef WITH_VERBOSE_MODE
 
-#define meta_verbose    meta_verbose_real
-#define meta_topic      meta_topic_real
+#define meta_verbose(...) \
+  G_STMT_START \
+    { \
+      if (meta_is_topic_enabled (META_DEBUG_VERBOSE)) \
+        meta_verbose_real (__VA_ARGS__); \
+    } \
+  G_STMT_END
+
+#define meta_topic(debug_topic,...) \
+  G_STMT_START \
+    { \
+      if (meta_is_topic_enabled (debug_topic)) \
+        meta_topic_real (debug_topic, __VA_ARGS__); \
+    } \
+  G_STMT_END
 
 #else