diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/AsyncReceiveCommits.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/AsyncReceiveCommits.java
index c991cb08db..1650043af9 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/AsyncReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/AsyncReceiveCommits.java
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.server.git;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Project;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ReceiveCommits.MessageSender;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.git.WorkQueue.Executor;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectControl;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.util.RequestScopePropagator;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.git.WorkQueue.Executor;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.Assisted;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.FactoryModuleBuilder;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
@@ -30,19 +31,15 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.ReceivePack;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.io.OutputStream;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
-import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 
 /** Hook that delegates to {@link ReceiveCommits} in a worker thread. */
 public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
   private static final Logger log =
       LoggerFactory.getLogger(AsyncReceiveCommits.class);
 
-  private final ReceiveCommits rc;
-  private final Executor executor;
-  private final RequestScopePropagator scopePropagator;
-
   public interface Factory {
     AsyncReceiveCommits create(ProjectControl projectControl,
         Repository repository);
@@ -70,7 +67,7 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
 
     @Override
     public void run() {
-      rc.processCommands(commands);
+      rc.processCommands(commands, progress);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -94,6 +91,35 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
     }
   }
 
+  private class MessageSenderOutputStream extends OutputStream {
+    private final MessageSender messageSender = rc.getMessageSender();
+
+    @Override
+    public void write(int b) {
+      messageSender.sendBytes(new byte[]{(byte)b});
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void write(byte[] what, int off, int len) {
+      messageSender.sendBytes(what, off, len);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void write(byte[] what) {
+      messageSender.sendBytes(what);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void flush() {
+      messageSender.flush();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private final ReceiveCommits rc;
+  private final Executor executor;
+  private final RequestScopePropagator scopePropagator;
+  private final MultiProgressMonitor progress;
+
   @Inject
   AsyncReceiveCommits(final ReceiveCommits.Factory factory,
       @ReceiveCommitsExecutor final Executor executor,
@@ -104,29 +130,25 @@ public class AsyncReceiveCommits implements PreReceiveHook {
     this.scopePropagator = scopePropagator;
     rc = factory.create(projectControl, repo);
     rc.getReceivePack().setPreReceiveHook(this);
+
+    progress = new MultiProgressMonitor(
+        new MessageSenderOutputStream(), "Updating changes");
   }
 
   @Override
   public void onPreReceive(final ReceivePack rp,
       final Collection<ReceiveCommand> commands) {
-    Future<?> workerFuture = executor.submit(
-        scopePropagator.wrap(new Worker(commands)));
-    Exception err = null;
     try {
-      workerFuture.get();
+      progress.waitFor(executor.submit(
+          scopePropagator.wrap(new Worker(commands))));
     } catch (ExecutionException e) {
-      err = e;
-    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-      err = e;
-    }
-    if (err != null) {
-      log.warn("Error in ReceiveCommits", err);
+      log.warn("Error in ReceiveCommits", e);
       rc.getMessageSender().sendError("internal error while processing changes");
       // ReceiveCommits has tried its best to catch errors, so anything at this
       // point is very bad.
       for (final ReceiveCommand c : commands) {
         if (c.getResult() == ReceiveCommand.Result.NOT_ATTEMPTED) {
-          ReceiveCommits.reject(c, "internal error");
+          rc.reject(c, "internal error");
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MultiProgressMonitor.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MultiProgressMonitor.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d6dd38ac9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MultiProgressMonitor.java
@@ -0,0 +1,284 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2012 The Android Open Source Project
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package com.google.gerrit.server.git;
+
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.OutputStream;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.CancellationException;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Future;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
+import java.util.List;
+
+/**
+ * Progress reporting interface that multiplexes multiple sub-tasks.
+ * <p>
+ * Output is of the format:
+ * <pre>
+ *   Task: subA: 1, subB: 75% (3/4) (-)\r
+ *   Task: subA: 2, subB: 75% (3/4), subC: 1 (\)\r
+ *   Task: subA: 2, subB: 100% (4/4), subC: 1 (|)\r
+ *   Task: subA: 4, subB: 100% (4/4), subC: 4, done    \n
+ * </pre>
+ * <p>
+ * Callers should try to keep task and sub-task descriptions short, since the
+ * output should fit on one terminal line. (Note that git clients do not accept
+ * terminal control characters, so true multi-line progress messages would be
+ * impossible.)
+ */
+public class MultiProgressMonitor {
+  private static final Logger log =
+      LoggerFactory.getLogger(MultiProgressMonitor.class);
+
+  /** Constant indicating the total work units cannot be predicted. */
+  public static final int UNKNOWN = 0;
+
+  private static final char[] SPINNER_STATES = new char[]{'-', '\\', '|', '/'};
+  private static final char NO_SPINNER = ' ';
+
+  /** Handle for a sub-task. */
+  public class Task {
+    private final String name;
+    private final int total;
+    private volatile int count;
+    private int lastPercent;
+
+    Task(final String subTaskName, final int totalWork) {
+      this.name = subTaskName;
+      this.total = totalWork;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Indicate that work has been completed on this sub-task.
+     * <p>
+     * Must be called from the worker thread.
+     *
+     * @param completed number of work units completed.
+     */
+    public void update(final int completed) {
+      count += completed;
+      if (total != UNKNOWN) {
+        int percent = count * 100 / total;
+        if (percent > lastPercent) {
+          lastPercent = percent;
+          wakeUp();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Indicate that this sub-task is finished.
+     * <p>
+     * Must be called from the worker thread.
+     */
+    public void end() {
+      if (total == UNKNOWN && count > 0) {
+        wakeUp();
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  private final OutputStream out;
+  private final String taskName;
+  private final List<Task> tasks = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<Task>();
+  private int spinnerIndex;
+  private char spinnerState = NO_SPINNER;
+  private boolean done;
+  private boolean write = true;
+
+  private final long maxIntervalNanos;
+
+  /**
+   * Create a new progress monitor for multiple sub-tasks.
+   *
+   * @param out stream for writing progress messages.
+   * @param taskName name of the overall task.
+   */
+  public MultiProgressMonitor(final OutputStream out, final String taskName) {
+    this(out, taskName, 500, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Create a new progress monitor for multiple sub-tasks.
+   *
+   * @param out stream for writing progress messages.
+   * @param taskName name of the overall task.
+   * @param maxIntervalTime maximum interval between progress messages.
+   * @param maxIntervalUnit time unit for progress interval.
+   */
+  public MultiProgressMonitor(final OutputStream out, final String taskName,
+      long maxIntervalTime, TimeUnit maxIntervalUnit) {
+    this.out = out;
+    this.taskName = taskName;
+    maxIntervalNanos = NANOSECONDS.convert(maxIntervalTime, maxIntervalUnit);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Wait for a task managed by a {@link Future}.
+   * <p>
+   * Must be called from the main thread, <em>not</em> the worker thread. Once
+   * the worker thread calls {@link #end()}, the future has an additional
+   * <code>maxInterval</code> to finish before it is forcefully cancelled and
+   * {@link ExecutionException} is thrown.
+   *
+   * @param workerFuture a future that returns when the worker thread is
+   *     finished.
+   *
+   * @throws ExecutionException if this thread or the worker thread was
+   *     interrupted, the worker was cancelled, or the worker timed out.
+   */
+  public void waitFor(Future<?> workerFuture) throws ExecutionException {
+    synchronized (this) {
+      long left = maxIntervalNanos;
+      while (!done) {
+        long start = System.nanoTime();
+        try {
+          NANOSECONDS.timedWait(this, left);
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+          throw new ExecutionException(e);
+        }
+
+        // Send an update on every wakeup (manual or spurious), but only move
+        // the spinner every maxInterval.
+        left -= System.nanoTime() - start;
+        if (left <= 0) {
+          moveSpinner();
+          left = maxIntervalNanos;
+        }
+        sendUpdate();
+        if (!done && workerFuture.isDone()) {
+          // The worker may not have called end() explicitly, which is likely a
+          // programming error.
+          log.warn("MultiProgressMonitor worker did not call end()"
+              + " before returning");
+          end();
+        }
+      }
+      sendDone();
+    }
+
+    // The loop exits as soon as the worker calls end(), but we give it another
+    // maxInterval to finish up and return.
+    try {
+      workerFuture.get(maxIntervalNanos, NANOSECONDS);
+    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+      throw new ExecutionException(e);
+    } catch (CancellationException e) {
+      throw new ExecutionException(e);
+    } catch (TimeoutException e) {
+      workerFuture.cancel(true);
+      throw new ExecutionException(e);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private synchronized void wakeUp() {
+    notifyAll();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Begin a sub-task.
+   *
+   * @param subTask sub-task name.
+   * @param subTaskWork total work units in sub-task, or {@link #UNKNOWN}.
+   * @return sub-task handle.
+   */
+  public Task beginSubTask(final String subTask, final int subTaskWork) {
+    Task task = new Task(subTask, subTaskWork);
+    tasks.add(task);
+    return task;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * End the overall task.
+   * <p>
+   * Must be called from the worker thread.
+   */
+  public synchronized void end() {
+    done = true;
+    wakeUp();
+  }
+
+  private void sendDone() {
+    spinnerState = NO_SPINNER;
+    StringBuilder s = format();
+    s.append(", done    \n");
+    send(s);
+  }
+
+  private void moveSpinner() {
+    spinnerIndex = (spinnerIndex + 1) % SPINNER_STATES.length;
+    spinnerState = SPINNER_STATES[spinnerIndex];
+  }
+
+  private void sendUpdate() {
+    send(format());
+  }
+
+  private StringBuilder format() {
+    StringBuilder s = new StringBuilder().append("\r").append(taskName)
+        .append(':');
+
+    if (!tasks.isEmpty()) {
+      boolean first = true;
+      for (Task t : tasks) {
+        int count = t.count;
+        if (count == 0) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        if (!first) {
+          s.append(',');
+        } else {
+          first = false;
+        }
+
+        s.append(' ').append(t.name).append(": ");
+        if (t.total == UNKNOWN) {
+          s.append(count);
+        } else {
+          s.append(String.format("%d%% (%d/%d)",
+              count * 100 / t.total,
+              count, t.total));
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (spinnerState != NO_SPINNER) {
+      // Don't output a spinner until the alarm fires for the first time.
+      s.append(" (").append(spinnerState).append(')');
+    }
+    return s;
+  }
+
+  private void send(StringBuilder s) {
+    if (write) {
+      try {
+        out.write(Constants.encode(s.toString()));
+        out.flush();
+      } catch (IOException e) {
+        write = false;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
index aa19c1e264..544673d0f0 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ReceiveCommits.java
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 package com.google.gerrit.server.git;
 
+import static com.google.gerrit.server.git.MultiProgressMonitor.UNKNOWN;
+
 import com.google.gerrit.common.ChangeHooks;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.PageLinks;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.ApprovalType;
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountResolver;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.config.CanonicalWebUrl;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.config.TrackingFooters;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.git.MultiProgressMonitor.Task;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.mail.CreateChangeSender;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.mail.EmailException;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.mail.MergedSender;
@@ -119,6 +122,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
     void sendError(String what);
     void sendBytes(byte[] what);
     void sendBytes(byte[] what, int off, int len);
+    void flush();
   }
 
   private class ReceivePackMessageSender implements MessageSender {
@@ -134,11 +138,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
 
     @Override
     public void sendBytes(byte[] what) {
-      try {
-        rp.getMessageOutputStream().write(what);
-      } catch (IOException e) {
-        // Ignore write failures (matching JGit behavior).
-      }
+      sendBytes(what, 0, what.length);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -149,6 +149,15 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
         // Ignore write failures (matching JGit behavior).
       }
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public void flush() {
+      try {
+        rp.getMessageOutputStream().flush();
+      } catch (IOException e) {
+        // Ignore write failures (matching JGit behavior).
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   private static class Message {
@@ -206,6 +215,10 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
   private final SubmoduleOp.Factory subOpFactory;
 
   private final List<Message> messages = new ArrayList<Message>();
+  private Task newProgress;
+  private Task replaceProgress;
+  private Task closeProgress;
+  private Task commandProgress;
   private MessageSender messageSender;
 
   @Inject
@@ -406,14 +419,23 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
     }
   }
 
-  void processCommands(final Collection<ReceiveCommand> commands) {
+  void processCommands(final Collection<ReceiveCommand> commands,
+      final MultiProgressMonitor progress) {
     try {
+      newProgress = progress.beginSubTask("new", UNKNOWN);
+      replaceProgress = progress.beginSubTask("updated", UNKNOWN);
+      closeProgress = progress.beginSubTask("closed", UNKNOWN);
+      commandProgress = progress.beginSubTask("refs", commands.size());
+
       parseCommands(commands);
       if (newChange != null
           && newChange.getResult() == ReceiveCommand.Result.NOT_ATTEMPTED) {
         createNewChanges();
       }
+      newProgress.end();
+
       doReplaces();
+      replaceProgress.end();
 
       for (final ReceiveCommand c : commands) {
         if (c.getResult() == Result.OK) {
@@ -456,8 +478,12 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
             Branch.NameKey destBranch = new Branch.NameKey(project.getNameKey(), c.getRefName());
             hooks.doRefUpdatedHook(destBranch, c.getOldId(), c.getNewId(), currentUser.getAccount());
           }
+          commandProgress.update(1);
         }
       }
+      closeProgress.end();
+      commandProgress.end();
+      progress.end();
 
       if (!allNewChanges.isEmpty() && canonicalWebUrl != null) {
         final String url = canonicalWebUrl;
@@ -538,7 +564,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
           continue;
       }
 
-      if (cmd.getResult() != ReceiveCommand.Result.NOT_ATTEMPTED){
+      if (cmd.getResult() != ReceiveCommand.Result.NOT_ATTEMPTED) {
         continue;
       }
 
@@ -983,6 +1009,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
         reject(newChange, "database error");
         return;
       }
+      newProgress.update(1);
     }
     newChange.setResult(ReceiveCommand.Result.OK);
   }
@@ -1124,6 +1151,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
     for (final ReplaceRequest request : replaceByChange.values()) {
       try {
         doReplace(request);
+        replaceProgress.update(1);
       } catch (IOException err) {
         log.error("Error computing replacement patch for change "
             + request.ontoChange + ", commit " + request.newCommit.name(), err);
@@ -1841,6 +1869,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
         if (ref != null) {
           rw.parseBody(c);
           closeChange(cmd, PatchSet.Id.fromRef(ref.getName()), c);
+          closeProgress.update(1);
           continue;
         }
 
@@ -1858,6 +1887,7 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
         final PatchSet.Id psi = doReplace(req);
         if (psi != null) {
           closeChange(req.cmd, psi, req.newCommit);
+          closeProgress.update(1);
         }
       }
 
@@ -2026,12 +2056,13 @@ public class ReceiveCommits {
     return new RevId(src.getId().name());
   }
 
-  private static void reject(final ReceiveCommand cmd) {
+  private void reject(final ReceiveCommand cmd) {
     reject(cmd, "prohibited by Gerrit");
   }
 
-  static void reject(final ReceiveCommand cmd, final String why) {
+  void reject(final ReceiveCommand cmd, final String why) {
     cmd.setResult(ReceiveCommand.Result.REJECTED_OTHER_REASON, why);
+    commandProgress.update(1);
   }
 
   private static boolean isHead(final Ref ref) {