diff --git a/src/emucore/Console.cxx b/src/emucore/Console.cxx
index ebe3d43b4..20ffc7748 100644
--- a/src/emucore/Console.cxx
+++ b/src/emucore/Console.cxx
@@ -1028,8 +1028,15 @@ unique_ptr<Controller> Console::getControllerPort(const Controller::Type type,
       break;
 
     case Controller::Type::KidVid:
-      controller = make_unique<KidVid>(port, myEvent, myOSystem, *mySystem, romMd5);
+    {
+      Controller::onMessageCallbackForced callback = [&os = myOSystem](const string& msg, bool force) {
+        bool devSettings = os.settings().getBool("dev.settings");
+        if(force || os.settings().getBool(devSettings ? "dev.extaccess" : "plr.extaccess"))
+          os.frameBuffer().showTextMessage(msg);
+      };
+      controller = make_unique<KidVid>(port, myEvent, myOSystem, *mySystem, romMd5, callback);
       break;
+    }
 
     case Controller::Type::MindLink:
       controller = make_unique<MindLink>(port, myEvent, *mySystem);
diff --git a/src/emucore/Control.hxx b/src/emucore/Control.hxx
index 62e1b8747..1e7bbfa7e 100644
--- a/src/emucore/Control.hxx
+++ b/src/emucore/Control.hxx
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ class Controller : public Serializable
       Callback type for general controller messages
     */
     using onMessageCallback = std::function<void(const string&)>;
+    using onMessageCallbackForced = std::function<void(const string&, bool force)>;
 
   public:
     /**
diff --git a/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx b/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx
index 02141b2e0..c06043eb9 100644
--- a/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx
+++ b/src/emucore/KidVid.cxx
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 KidVid::KidVid(Jack jack, const Event& event, const OSystem& osystem,
-               const System& system, const string& romMd5)
+               const System& system, const string& romMd5,
+               const onMessageCallbackForced& callback)
   : Controller(jack, event, system, Controller::Type::KidVid),
     myEnabled{myJack == Jack::Right},
-    myOSystem{osystem}
+    myOSystem{osystem},
+    myCallback{callback}
 {
   // Right now, there are only two games that use the KidVid
   if(romMd5 == "ee6665683ebdb539e89ba620981cb0f6")
@@ -115,10 +117,21 @@ void KidVid::update()
     }
     if(myTape)
     {
+      static constexpr uInt32 gameNumber[4] = { 3, 1, 2, 3 };
+      static constexpr const char* gameName[6] = {
+        "Harmony Smurf", "Handy Smurf", "Greedy Smurf",
+        "Big Number Hunt", "Great Letter Roundup", "Spooky Spelling Bee"
+      };
+
       myIdx = myGame == Game::BBears ? NumBlockBits : 0; // KVData48/KVData44
       myBlockIdx = NumBlockBits;
       myBlock = 0;
       openSampleFiles();
+
+      ostringstream msg;
+      msg << "Game #" << gameNumber[myTape - 1] << " - \""
+        << gameName[gameNumber[myTape - 1] + (myGame == Game::Smurfs ? -1 : 2)] << "\"";
+      myCallback(msg.str(), true);
     }
   }
 
@@ -281,6 +294,10 @@ void KidVid::setNextSong()
     const string& fileName = (temp < 10) ? "KVSHARED.WAV" : getFileName();
     myOSystem.sound().playWav(myOSystem.baseDir().getPath() + fileName,
                               ourSongStart[temp], mySongLength);
+    ostringstream msg;
+    msg << "Read song #" << mySongPointer << " (" << fileName << ")";
+    myCallback(msg.str(), false);
+
 #ifdef DEBUG_BUILD
     cerr << fileName << ": " << (ourSongPositions[mySongPointer] & 0x7f) << endl;
 #endif
diff --git a/src/emucore/KidVid.hxx b/src/emucore/KidVid.hxx
index 2fc854f17..b4c9cbacd 100644
--- a/src/emucore/KidVid.hxx
+++ b/src/emucore/KidVid.hxx
@@ -41,14 +41,16 @@ class KidVid : public Controller
     /**
       Create a new KidVid controller plugged into the specified jack
 
-      @param jack    The jack the controller is plugged into
-      @param event   The event object to use for events
-      @param osystem The OSystem object to use
-      @param system  The system using this controller
-      @param romMd5  The md5 of the ROM using this controller
+      @param jack      The jack the controller is plugged into
+      @param event     The event object to use for events
+      @param osystem   The OSystem object to use
+      @param system    The system using this controller
+      @param romMd5    The md5 of the ROM using this controller
+      @param callback  Called to pass messages back to the parent controller
     */
     KidVid(Jack jack, const Event& event, const OSystem& osystem,
-           const System& system, const string& romMd5);
+           const System& system, const string& romMd5,
+           const onMessageCallbackForced& callback);
     ~KidVid() override = default;
 
   public:
@@ -118,6 +120,9 @@ class KidVid : public Controller
 
     const OSystem& myOSystem;
 
+    // Sends messages back to the parent class
+    Controller::onMessageCallbackForced myCallback;
+
     // Indicates if the sample files have been found
     bool myFilesFound{false};