diff --git a/t/helper/test-progress.c b/t/helper/test-progress.c
index 50fd3be3dad..45ccbafa9da 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 +23,43 @@
 #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 list = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
+	const struct string_list_item *item;
 	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);
+			if (*end == '\0') {
+				progress = start_progress(default_title, total);
+			} else if (*end == ' ') {
+				item = string_list_insert(&list, end + 1);
+				progress = start_progress(item->string, 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);
@@ -65,12 +78,14 @@ int cmd__progress(int argc, const char **argv)
 			display_throughput(progress, byte_count);
 		} else if (!strcmp(line.buf, "update")) {
 			progress_test_force_update();
+		} 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(&list, 0);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t0500-progress-display.sh b/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
index f37cf2eb9c9..27ab4218b01 100755
--- a/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
+++ b/t/t0500-progress-display.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ test_expect_success 'simple progress display' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	update
 	progress 1
 	update
@@ -26,8 +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
@@ -42,11 +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
@@ -63,14 +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
@@ -89,16 +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
@@ -117,14 +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
@@ -141,14 +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
@@ -165,12 +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
@@ -186,6 +192,7 @@ test_expect_success 'progress display with throughput' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	throughput 102400 1000
 	update
 	progress 10
@@ -198,8 +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
@@ -215,6 +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
@@ -223,8 +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
@@ -240,6 +250,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	throughput 409600 1000
 	update
 	progress 1
@@ -252,8 +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
@@ -268,6 +280,7 @@ test_expect_success 'cover up after throughput shortens a lot' '
 	EOF
 
 	cat >in <<-\EOF &&
+	start 0
 	throughput 1 1000
 	update
 	progress 1
@@ -277,8 +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
@@ -286,6 +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
@@ -298,10 +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 &&
