diff --git a/t/helper/test-progress.c b/t/helper/test-progress.c
index 5d05cbe789..685c0a7c49 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),
+ *                                 when "start" use a title of
+ *                                 "Working hard" with a total of 0.
  *   "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.
  */
@@ -22,31 +26,41 @@
 
 int cmd__progress(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
-	int total = 0;
-	const char *title;
+	const char *default_title = "Working hard";
+	char *detached_title = NULL;
 	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 (!strcmp(line.buf, "start")) {
+			progress = start_progress(default_title, 0);
+		} else if (skip_prefix(line.buf, "start ", (const char **) &end)) {
+			uint64_t total = strtoull(end, &end, 10);
+			if (*end == '\0') {
+				progress = start_progress(default_title, total);
+			} else if (*end == ' ') {
+				free(detached_title);
+				detached_title = strbuf_detach(&line, NULL);
+				progress = start_progress(end + 1, total);
+			} else {
+				die("invalid input: '%s'\n", line.buf);
+			}
+		} 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 +77,15 @@ 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);
+	free(detached_title);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t0500-progress-display.sh b/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
index 22058b503a..ca96ac1fa5 100755
--- a/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
+++ b/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ test_expect_success 'simple progress display' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	update
 	progress 1
 	update
@@ -25,8 +26,9 @@ 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 +43,13 @@ 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 +66,14 @@ 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 +92,15 @@ Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6:
 EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
-	update
+	start 100000 Working hard.......2.........3.........4.........5.........6
 	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 +119,14 @@ 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 +143,14 @@ 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 +167,14 @@ 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 +190,7 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with throughput' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start
 	throughput 102400 1000
 	update
 	progress 10
@@ -197,8 +203,9 @@ 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 +221,7 @@ 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 +230,9 @@ 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 +248,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start
 	throughput 409600 1000
 	update
 	progress 1
@@ -251,8 +261,9 @@ 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 +278,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens a lot' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start
 	throughput 1 1000
 	update
 	progress 1
@@ -276,8 +288,9 @@ 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 +298,7 @@ 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 +311,11 @@ 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 &&
