diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb
index 46fa8a70a30fcb304414b8de0b978d53578323e0..45110a79cd6919edae3d18f71dc13f3ae9ffd4e3 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def drop_current(environment = env)
       def migrate
         raise "Empty VERSION provided" if ENV["VERSION"] && ENV["VERSION"].empty?
 
-        verbose = ENV["VERBOSE"] ? ENV["VERBOSE"] == "true" : true
+        verbose = ENV["VERBOSE"] ? ENV["VERBOSE"] != "false" : true
         version = ENV["VERSION"] ? ENV["VERSION"].to_i : nil
         scope = ENV["SCOPE"]
         verbose_was, Migration.verbose = Migration.verbose, verbose