diff --git a/cibuildwheel/linux.py b/cibuildwheel/linux.py
index 8c584b20..eb878d8d 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/linux.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/linux.py
@@ -242,11 +242,10 @@ def build_in_container(
             container.call(["rm", "-rf", built_wheel_dir])
             container.call(["mkdir", "-p", built_wheel_dir])
 
-            verbosity_flags = get_build_verbosity_extra_flags(build_options.build_verbosity)
             extra_flags = split_config_settings(build_options.config_settings, build_frontend)
 
             if build_frontend == "pip":
-                extra_flags += verbosity_flags
+                extra_flags += get_build_verbosity_extra_flags(build_options.build_verbosity)
                 container.call(
                     [
                         "python",
@@ -261,8 +260,9 @@ def build_in_container(
                     env=env,
                 )
             elif build_frontend == "build":
-                verbosity_setting = " ".join(verbosity_flags)
-                extra_flags += (f"--config-setting={verbosity_setting}",)
+                if not 0 <= build_options.build_verbosity < 2:
+                    msg = f"build_verbosity {build_options.build_verbosity} is not supported for build frontend. Ignoring."
+                    log.warning(msg)
                 container.call(
                     [
                         "python",
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/macos.py b/cibuildwheel/macos.py
index 3cf4ec53..24d22e46 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/macos.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/macos.py
@@ -376,11 +376,10 @@ def build(options: Options, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
                 log.step("Building wheel...")
                 built_wheel_dir.mkdir()
 
-                verbosity_flags = get_build_verbosity_extra_flags(build_options.build_verbosity)
                 extra_flags = split_config_settings(build_options.config_settings, build_frontend)
 
                 if build_frontend == "pip":
-                    extra_flags += verbosity_flags
+                    extra_flags += get_build_verbosity_extra_flags(build_options.build_verbosity)
                     # Path.resolve() is needed. Without it pip wheel may try to fetch package from pypi.org
                     # see https://github.com/pypa/cibuildwheel/pull/369
                     call(
@@ -395,8 +394,9 @@ def build(options: Options, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
                         env=env,
                     )
                 elif build_frontend == "build":
-                    verbosity_setting = " ".join(verbosity_flags)
-                    extra_flags += (f"--config-setting={verbosity_setting}",)
+                    if not 0 <= build_options.build_verbosity < 2:
+                        msg = f"build_verbosity {build_options.build_verbosity} is not supported for build frontend. Ignoring."
+                        log.warning(msg)
                     build_env = env.copy()
                     if build_options.dependency_constraints:
                         constraint_path = (
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/windows.py b/cibuildwheel/windows.py
index 9d2ed1f1..2c0df37f 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/windows.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/windows.py
@@ -414,11 +414,10 @@ def build(options: Options, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
                 log.step("Building wheel...")
                 built_wheel_dir.mkdir()
 
-                verbosity_flags = get_build_verbosity_extra_flags(build_options.build_verbosity)
                 extra_flags = split_config_settings(build_options.config_settings, build_frontend)
 
                 if build_frontend == "pip":
-                    extra_flags += verbosity_flags
+                    extra_flags += get_build_verbosity_extra_flags(build_options.build_verbosity)
                     # Path.resolve() is needed. Without it pip wheel may try to fetch package from pypi.org
                     # see https://github.com/pypa/cibuildwheel/pull/369
                     call(
@@ -433,8 +432,9 @@ def build(options: Options, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
                         env=env,
                     )
                 elif build_frontend == "build":
-                    verbosity_setting = " ".join(verbosity_flags)
-                    extra_flags += (f"--config-setting={verbosity_setting}",)
+                    if not 0 <= build_options.build_verbosity < 2:
+                        msg = f"build_verbosity {build_options.build_verbosity} is not supported for build frontend. Ignoring."
+                        log.warning(msg)
                     build_env = env.copy()
                     if build_options.dependency_constraints:
                         constraints_path = (
diff --git a/docs/options.md b/docs/options.md
index 92371b04..1d1dfaf6 100644
--- a/docs/options.md
+++ b/docs/options.md
@@ -1393,7 +1393,7 @@ This option is not supported in the overrides section in `pyproject.toml`.
 ### `CIBW_BUILD_VERBOSITY` {: #build-verbosity}
 > Increase/decrease the output of pip wheel
 
-An number from 1 to 3 to increase the level of verbosity (corresponding to invoking pip with `-v`, `-vv`, and `-vvv`), between -1 and -3 (`-q`, `-qq`, and `-qqq`), or just 0 (default verbosity). These flags are useful while debugging a build when the output of the actual build invoked by `pip wheel` is required.
+An number from 1 to 3 to increase the level of verbosity (corresponding to invoking pip with `-v`, `-vv`, and `-vvv`), between -1 and -3 (`-q`, `-qq`, and `-qqq`), or just 0 (default verbosity). These flags are useful while debugging a build when the output of the actual build invoked by `pip wheel` is required. Has no effect on the `build` backend, which produces verbose output by default.
 
 Platform-specific environment variables are also available:<br/>
 `CIBW_BUILD_VERBOSITY_MACOS` | `CIBW_BUILD_VERBOSITY_WINDOWS` | `CIBW_BUILD_VERBOSITY_LINUX`