diff --git a/pack-bitmap-write.c b/pack-bitmap-write.c
index 9c55c1531e..cab3eaa2ac 100644
--- a/pack-bitmap-write.c
+++ b/pack-bitmap-write.c
@@ -575,15 +575,15 @@ void bitmap_writer_select_commits(struct commit **indexed_commits,
 
 	QSORT(indexed_commits, indexed_commits_nr, date_compare);
 
-	if (writer.show_progress)
-		writer.progress = start_progress("Selecting bitmap commits", 0);
-
 	if (indexed_commits_nr < 100) {
 		for (i = 0; i < indexed_commits_nr; ++i)
 			push_bitmapped_commit(indexed_commits[i]);
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (writer.show_progress)
+		writer.progress = start_progress("Selecting bitmap commits", 0);
+
 	for (;;) {
 		struct commit *chosen = NULL;
 
diff --git a/progress.c b/progress.c
index 680c6a8bf9..0cdd875d37 100644
--- a/progress.c
+++ b/progress.c
@@ -311,32 +311,39 @@ struct progress *start_delayed_sparse_progress(const char *title,
 
 static void finish_if_sparse(struct progress *progress)
 {
-	if (progress &&
-	    progress->sparse &&
+	if (progress->sparse &&
 	    progress->last_value != progress->total)
 		display_progress(progress, progress->total);
 }
 
-void stop_progress(struct progress **p_progress)
+static void force_last_update(struct progress *progress, const char *msg)
 {
-	if (!p_progress)
-		BUG("don't provide NULL to stop_progress");
+	char *buf;
+	struct throughput *tp = progress->throughput;
 
-	finish_if_sparse(*p_progress);
-
-	if (*p_progress) {
-		trace2_data_intmax("progress", the_repository, "total_objects",
-				   (*p_progress)->total);
-
-		if ((*p_progress)->throughput)
-			trace2_data_intmax("progress", the_repository,
-					   "total_bytes",
-					   (*p_progress)->throughput->curr_total);
-
-		trace2_region_leave("progress", (*p_progress)->title, the_repository);
+	if (tp) {
+		uint64_t now_ns = progress_getnanotime(progress);
+		unsigned int misecs, rate;
+		misecs = ((now_ns - progress->start_ns) * 4398) >> 32;
+		rate = tp->curr_total / (misecs ? misecs : 1);
+		throughput_string(&tp->display, tp->curr_total, rate);
 	}
+	progress_update = 1;
+	buf = xstrfmt(", %s.\n", msg);
+	display(progress, progress->last_value, buf);
+	free(buf);
+}
 
-	stop_progress_msg(p_progress, _("done"));
+static void log_trace2(struct progress *progress)
+{
+	trace2_data_intmax("progress", the_repository, "total_objects",
+			   progress->total);
+
+	if (progress->throughput)
+		trace2_data_intmax("progress", the_repository, "total_bytes",
+				   progress->throughput->curr_total);
+
+	trace2_region_leave("progress", progress->title, the_repository);
 }
 
 void stop_progress_msg(struct progress **p_progress, const char *msg)
@@ -350,23 +357,12 @@ void stop_progress_msg(struct progress **p_progress, const char *msg)
 	if (!progress)
 		return;
 	*p_progress = NULL;
-	if (progress->last_value != -1) {
-		/* Force the last update */
-		char *buf;
-		struct throughput *tp = progress->throughput;
 
-		if (tp) {
-			uint64_t now_ns = progress_getnanotime(progress);
-			unsigned int misecs, rate;
-			misecs = ((now_ns - progress->start_ns) * 4398) >> 32;
-			rate = tp->curr_total / (misecs ? misecs : 1);
-			throughput_string(&tp->display, tp->curr_total, rate);
-		}
-		progress_update = 1;
-		buf = xstrfmt(", %s.\n", msg);
-		display(progress, progress->last_value, buf);
-		free(buf);
-	}
+	finish_if_sparse(progress);
+	if (progress->last_value != -1)
+		force_last_update(progress, msg);
+	log_trace2(progress);
+
 	clear_progress_signal();
 	strbuf_release(&progress->counters_sb);
 	if (progress->throughput)
diff --git a/progress.h b/progress.h
index f1913acf73..3a945637c8 100644
--- a/progress.h
+++ b/progress.h
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #ifndef PROGRESS_H
 #define PROGRESS_H
+#include "gettext.h"
 
 struct progress;
 
@@ -18,7 +19,9 @@ struct progress *start_sparse_progress(const char *title, uint64_t total);
 struct progress *start_delayed_progress(const char *title, uint64_t total);
 struct progress *start_delayed_sparse_progress(const char *title,
 					       uint64_t total);
-void stop_progress(struct progress **progress);
-void stop_progress_msg(struct progress **progress, const char *msg);
-
+void stop_progress_msg(struct progress **p_progress, const char *msg);
+static inline void stop_progress(struct progress **p_progress)
+{
+	stop_progress_msg(p_progress, _("done"));
+}
 #endif
diff --git a/t/helper/test-progress.c b/t/helper/test-progress.c
index 5d05cbe789..6cc9735b60 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-progress.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-progress.c
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
  *
  * Reads instructions from standard input, one instruction per line:
  *
+ *   "start <total>[ <title>]" - Call start_progress(title, total),
+ *                               Uses the default title of "Working hard"
+ *                               if the " <title>" is omitted.
  *   "progress <items>" - Call display_progress() with the given item count
  *                        as parameter.
  *   "throughput <bytes> <millis> - Call display_throughput() with the given
@@ -10,6 +13,7 @@
  *                                  specify the time elapsed since the
  *                                  start_progress() call.
  *   "update" - Set the 'progress_update' flag.
+ *   "stop" - Call stop_progress().
  *
  * See 't0500-progress-display.sh' for examples.
  */
@@ -19,34 +23,50 @@
 #include "parse-options.h"
 #include "progress.h"
 #include "strbuf.h"
+#include "string-list.h"
 
 int cmd__progress(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
-	int total = 0;
-	const char *title;
+	const char *const default_title = "Working hard";
+	struct string_list titles = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 	struct strbuf line = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct progress *progress;
+	struct progress *progress = NULL;
 
 	const char *usage[] = {
-		"test-tool progress [--total=<n>] <progress-title>",
+		"test-tool progress <stdin",
 		NULL
 	};
 	struct option options[] = {
-		OPT_INTEGER(0, "total", &total, "total number of items"),
 		OPT_END(),
 	};
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, NULL, options, usage, 0);
-	if (argc != 1)
-		die("need a title for the progress output");
-	title = argv[0];
+	if (argc)
+		usage_with_options(usage, options);
 
 	progress_testing = 1;
-	progress = start_progress(title, total);
 	while (strbuf_getline(&line, stdin) != EOF) {
 		char *end;
 
-		if (skip_prefix(line.buf, "progress ", (const char **) &end)) {
+		if (skip_prefix(line.buf, "start ", (const char **) &end)) {
+			uint64_t total = strtoull(end, &end, 10);
+			const char *title;
+
+			/*
+			 * We can't use "end + 1" as an argument to
+			 * start_progress(), it doesn't xstrdup() its
+			 * "title" argument. We need to hold onto a
+			 * valid "char *" for it until the end.
+			 */
+			if (!*end)
+				title = default_title;
+			else if (*end == ' ')
+				title = string_list_insert(&titles, end + 1)->string;
+			else
+				die("invalid input: '%s'\n", line.buf);
+
+			progress = start_progress(title, total);
+		} else if (skip_prefix(line.buf, "progress ", (const char **) &end)) {
 			uint64_t item_count = strtoull(end, &end, 10);
 			if (*end != '\0')
 				die("invalid input: '%s'\n", line.buf);
@@ -63,12 +83,16 @@ int cmd__progress(int argc, const char **argv)
 				die("invalid input: '%s'\n", line.buf);
 			progress_test_ns = test_ms * 1000 * 1000;
 			display_throughput(progress, byte_count);
-		} else if (!strcmp(line.buf, "update"))
+		} else if (!strcmp(line.buf, "update")) {
 			progress_test_force_update();
-		else
+		} else if (!strcmp(line.buf, "stop")) {
+			stop_progress(&progress);
+		} else {
 			die("invalid input: '%s'\n", line.buf);
+		}
 	}
-	stop_progress(&progress);
+	strbuf_release(&line);
+	string_list_clear(&titles, 0);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t0500-progress-display.sh b/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
index 22058b503a..1eb3a8306b 100755
--- a/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
+++ b/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 test_description='progress display'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 show_cr () {
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ test_expect_success 'simple progress display' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	update
 	progress 1
 	update
@@ -25,8 +27,9 @@ test_expect_success 'simple progress display' '
 	progress 4
 	update
 	progress 5
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -41,11 +44,13 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with total' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 3
 	progress 1
 	progress 2
 	progress 3
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=3 "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -62,14 +67,14 @@ Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6:
 EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 100000 Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6
 	progress 100
 	progress 1000
 	progress 10000
 	progress 100000
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=100000 \
-		"Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6" \
-		<in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -88,16 +93,16 @@ Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6:
 EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 100000 Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6
 	update
 	progress 1
 	update
 	progress 2
 	progress 10000
 	progress 100000
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=100000 \
-		"Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6" \
-		<in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -116,14 +121,14 @@ Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6:
 EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 100000 Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6
 	progress 25000
 	progress 50000
 	progress 75000
 	progress 100000
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=100000 \
-		"Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6" \
-		<in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -140,14 +145,14 @@ Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6.........7.........:
 EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 100000 Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6.........7.........
 	progress 25000
 	progress 50000
 	progress 75000
 	progress 100000
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=100000 \
-		"Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6.........7........." \
-		<in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -164,12 +169,14 @@ test_expect_success 'progress shortens - crazy caller' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 1000
 	progress 100
 	progress 200
 	progress 1
 	progress 1000
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=1000 "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -185,6 +192,7 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with throughput' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	throughput 102400 1000
 	update
 	progress 10
@@ -197,8 +205,9 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with throughput' '
 	throughput 409600 4000
 	update
 	progress 40
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -214,6 +223,7 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with throughput and total' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 40
 	throughput 102400 1000
 	progress 10
 	throughput 204800 2000
@@ -222,8 +232,9 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with throughput and total' '
 	progress 30
 	throughput 409600 4000
 	progress 40
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress --total=40 "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -239,6 +250,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	throughput 409600 1000
 	update
 	progress 1
@@ -251,8 +263,9 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens' '
 	throughput 1638400 4000
 	update
 	progress 4
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -267,6 +280,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens a lot' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	throughput 1 1000
 	update
 	progress 1
@@ -276,8 +290,9 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens a lot' '
 	throughput 3145728 3000
 	update
 	progress 3
+	stop
 	EOF
-	test-tool progress "Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	test-tool progress <in 2>stderr &&
 
 	show_cr <stderr >out &&
 	test_cmp expect out
@@ -285,6 +300,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens a lot' '
 
 test_expect_success 'progress generates traces' '
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 40
 	throughput 102400 1000
 	update
 	progress 10
@@ -297,10 +313,11 @@ test_expect_success 'progress generates traces' '
 	throughput 409600 4000
 	update
 	progress 40
+	stop
 	EOF
 
-	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/trace.event" test-tool progress --total=40 \
-		"Working hard" <in 2>stderr &&
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$(pwd)/trace.event" test-tool progress \
+		<in 2>stderr &&
 
 	# t0212/parse_events.perl intentionally omits regions and data.
 	test_region progress "Working hard" trace.event &&
@@ -308,4 +325,54 @@ test_expect_success 'progress generates traces' '
 	grep "\"key\":\"total_bytes\",\"value\":\"409600\"" trace.event
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'progress generates traces: stop / start' '
+	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
+	stop
+	EOF
+
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$PWD/trace-startstop.event" test-tool progress \
+		<in 2>stderr &&
+	test_region progress "Working hard" trace-startstop.event
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'progress generates traces: start without stop' '
+	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
+	EOF
+
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$PWD/trace-start.event" \
+	LSAN_OPTIONS=detect_leaks=0 \
+	test-tool progress \
+		<in 2>stderr &&
+	grep region_enter.*progress trace-start.event &&
+	! grep region_leave.*progress trace-start.event
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'progress generates traces: stop without start' '
+	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	stop
+	EOF
+
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$PWD/trace-stop.event" test-tool progress \
+		<in 2>stderr &&
+	! grep region_enter.*progress trace-stop.event &&
+	! grep region_leave.*progress trace-stop.event
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'progress generates traces: start with active progress bar (no stops)' '
+	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0 One
+	start 0 Two
+	EOF
+
+	GIT_TRACE2_EVENT="$PWD/trace-2start.event" \
+	LSAN_OPTIONS=detect_leaks=0 \
+	test-tool progress \
+		<in 2>stderr &&
+	grep region_enter.*progress.*One trace-2start.event &&
+	grep region_enter.*progress.*Two trace-2start.event &&
+	! grep region_leave trace-2start.event
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t5316-pack-delta-depth.sh b/t/t5316-pack-delta-depth.sh
index df524f7b6d..e9045009a1 100755
--- a/t/t5316-pack-delta-depth.sh
+++ b/t/t5316-pack-delta-depth.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,11 @@ test_expect_success 'create series of packs' '
 			echo $cur &&
 			echo "$(git rev-parse :file) file"
 		} | git pack-objects --stdout >tmp &&
-		git index-pack --stdin --fix-thin <tmp || return 1
+		GIT_TRACE2_EVENT=$PWD/trace \
+		git index-pack -v --stdin --fix-thin <tmp || return 1 &&
+		grep -c region_enter.*progress trace >enter &&
+		grep -c region_leave.*progress trace >leave &&
+		test_cmp enter leave &&
 		prev=$cur
 	done
 '