diff --git a/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/chrome/ChromeDriverService.java b/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/chrome/ChromeDriverService.java
index b5576342b4e69..acb9bbecf7a1c 100644
--- a/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/chrome/ChromeDriverService.java
+++ b/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/chrome/ChromeDriverService.java
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ public class ChromeDriverService extends DriverService {
   public static final String CHROME_DRIVER_VERBOSE_LOG_PROPERTY =
       "webdriver.chrome.verboseLogging";
 
+  /**
+   * Boolean system property that defines whether the ChromeDriver executable should be started
+   * in silent mode.
+   */
+  public static final String CHROME_DRIVER_SILENT_OUTPUT_PROPERTY =
+      "webdriver.chrome.silentOutput";
+
   /**
    *
    * @param executable The chromedriver executable.
@@ -96,7 +103,7 @@ public static class Builder {
     String chromeLogFile = System.getProperty(CHROME_DRIVER_LOG_PROPERTY);
     private File logFile = chromeLogFile == null ? null : new File(chromeLogFile);
     private boolean verbose = Boolean.getBoolean(CHROME_DRIVER_VERBOSE_LOG_PROPERTY);
-    private boolean silent;
+    private boolean silent = Boolean.getBoolean(CHROME_DRIVER_SILENT_OUTPUT_PROPERTY);
 
     /**
      * Sets which driver executable the builder will use.