diff --git a/test/base.h b/test/base.h
index ad804813..39e2c357 100644
--- a/test/base.h
+++ b/test/base.h
@@ -35,9 +35,11 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 #if defined(_WIN32) || defined(_WIN64) || defined(_WINDOWS)
+#include <io.h>
 #else
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _BSD_SOURCE
diff --git a/test/config.cc b/test/config.cc
index c1d2a76d..02a4f955 100644
--- a/test/config.cc
+++ b/test/config.cc
@@ -339,6 +339,8 @@ void dump(const char *title) {
            global::config::cleanup_after ? "Yes" : "No");
 
   log_info("failfast: %s\n", global::config::failfast ? "Yes" : "No");
+  log_info("progress indicator: %s\n",
+           global::config::progress_indicator ? "Yes" : "No");
 }
 
 } /* namespace config */
diff --git a/test/main.cc b/test/main.cc
index 009b3e01..8cc21e51 100644
--- a/test/main.cc
+++ b/test/main.cc
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ void actor_params::set_defaults(void) {
   global::config::cleanup_before = true;
   global::config::cleanup_after = true;
   global::config::failfast = true;
+  global::config::progress_indicator = osal_istty(STDERR_FILENO);
 }
 
 namespace global {
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ bool dump_config;
 bool cleanup_before;
 bool cleanup_after;
 bool failfast;
+bool progress_indicator;
 } /* namespace config */
 
 } /* namespace global */
@@ -272,6 +274,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *const argv[]) {
     if (config::parse_option(argc, argv, narg, "failfast",
                              global::config::failfast))
       continue;
+    if (config::parse_option(argc, argv, narg, "progress",
+                             global::config::progress_indicator))
+      continue;
 
     if (*argv[narg] != '-')
       testcase_setup(argv[narg], params, last_space_id);
diff --git a/test/osal-unix.cc b/test/osal-unix.cc
index c44ade47..88a10f11 100644
--- a/test/osal-unix.cc
+++ b/test/osal-unix.cc
@@ -270,3 +270,5 @@ void osal_udelay(unsigned us) {
     now = chrono::now_motonic();
   } while (until.fixedpoint > now.fixedpoint);
 }
+
+bool osal_istty(int fd) { return isatty(fd) == 1; }
diff --git a/test/osal-windows.cc b/test/osal-windows.cc
index 2c540f44..57f7f547 100644
--- a/test/osal-windows.cc
+++ b/test/osal-windows.cc
@@ -303,3 +303,5 @@ void osal_udelay(unsigned us) {
     now = chrono::now_motonic();
   } while (now.fixedpoint < until.fixedpoint);
 }
+
+bool osal_istty(int fd) { return _isatty(fd) != 0; }
diff --git a/test/osal.h b/test/osal.h
index 7eac2ad8..29d52219 100644
--- a/test/osal.h
+++ b/test/osal.h
@@ -30,3 +30,4 @@ mdbx_pid_t osal_getpid(void);
 int osal_delay(unsigned seconds);
 void osal_udelay(unsigned us);
 void osal_yield(void);
+bool osal_istty(int fd);
diff --git a/test/test.cc b/test/test.cc
index d19d684c..cded3e2a 100644
--- a/test/test.cc
+++ b/test/test.cc
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ int testcase::oom_callback(MDBX_env *env, int pid, mdbx_tid_t tid, uint64_t txn,
                pid, (size_t)tid, txn, gap);
 
   if (self->should_continue()) {
-    osal_yield();
+    /* osal_yield(); */
     osal_udelay(retry * 100);
     return 1 /* always retry */;
   }
@@ -239,11 +239,38 @@ bool testcase::wait4start() {
   return true;
 }
 
+void testcase::kick_progress(bool active) const {
+  static chrono::time last;
+  chrono::time now = chrono::now_motonic();
+
+  if (active) {
+    static int last_point = -1;
+    int point = (now.fixedpoint >> 29) & 3;
+    if (point != last_point) {
+      last = now;
+      fprintf(stderr, "%c\b", "-\\|/"[last_point = point]);
+      fflush(stderr);
+    }
+  } else if (now.fixedpoint - last.fixedpoint >
+             chrono::from_seconds(2).fixedpoint) {
+    last = now;
+    fprintf(stderr, "%c\b", "@*"[now.utc & 1]);
+    fflush(stderr);
+  }
+}
+
 void testcase::report(size_t nops_done) {
+  assert(nops_done > 0);
+  if (!nops_done)
+    return;
+
   nops_completed += nops_done;
   log_verbose("== complete +%" PRIuPTR " iteration, total %" PRIuPTR " done",
               nops_done, nops_completed);
 
+  if (global::config::progress_indicator)
+    kick_progress(true);
+
   if (config.signal_nops && !signalled &&
       config.signal_nops <= nops_completed) {
     log_trace(">> signal(n-ops %" PRIuPTR ")", nops_completed);
@@ -295,6 +322,9 @@ bool testcase::should_continue() const {
   if (config.params.test_nops && nops_completed >= config.params.test_nops)
     result = false;
 
+  if (result && global::config::progress_indicator)
+    kick_progress(false);
+
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test.h b/test/test.h
index 7b43357b..34083805 100644
--- a/test/test.h
+++ b/test/test.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ extern bool dump_config;
 extern bool cleanup_before;
 extern bool cleanup_after;
 extern bool failfast;
+extern bool progress_indicator;
 } /* namespace config */
 
 } /* namespace global */
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ protected:
   void txn_restart(bool abort, bool readonly);
   void fetch_canary();
   void update_canary(uint64_t increment);
+  void kick_progress(bool active) const;
 
   MDBX_dbi db_table_open(bool create);
   void db_table_drop(MDBX_dbi handle);