diff --git a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
index c890328b02..6cbe462a77 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-format-patch.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
 		   [(--reroll-count|-v) <n>]
 		   [--to=<email>] [--cc=<email>]
 		   [--[no-]cover-letter] [--quiet] [--notes[=<ref>]]
+		   [--progress]
 		   [<common diff options>]
 		   [ <since> | <revision range> ]
 
@@ -283,6 +284,9 @@ you can use `--suffix=-patch` to get `0001-description-of-my-change-patch`.
 	range are always formatted as creation patches, independently
 	of this flag.
 
+--progress::
+	Show progress reports on stderr as patches are generated.
+
 CONFIGURATION
 -------------
 You can specify extra mail header lines to be added to each message,
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index c6362cf92e..54b94107e5 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "version.h"
 #include "mailmap.h"
 #include "gpg-interface.h"
+#include "progress.h"
 
 /* Set a default date-time format for git log ("log.date" config variable) */
 static const char *default_date_mode = NULL;
@@ -1419,6 +1420,8 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	char *branch_name = NULL;
 	char *base_commit = NULL;
 	struct base_tree_info bases;
+	int show_progress = 0;
+	struct progress *progress = NULL;
 
 	const struct option builtin_format_patch_options[] = {
 		{ OPTION_CALLBACK, 'n', "numbered", &numbered, NULL,
@@ -1490,6 +1493,8 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_FILENAME(0, "signature-file", &signature_file,
 				N_("add a signature from a file")),
 		OPT__QUIET(&quiet, N_("don't print the patch filenames")),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "progress", &show_progress,
+			 N_("show progress while generating patches")),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 
@@ -1749,8 +1754,12 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		start_number--;
 	}
 	rev.add_signoff = do_signoff;
+
+	if (show_progress)
+		progress = start_progress_delay(_("Generating patches"), total, 0, 2);
 	while (0 <= --nr) {
 		int shown;
+		display_progress(progress, total - nr);
 		commit = list[nr];
 		rev.nr = total - nr + (start_number - 1);
 		/* Make the second and subsequent mails replies to the first */
@@ -1815,6 +1824,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (!use_stdout)
 			fclose(rev.diffopt.file);
 	}
+	stop_progress(&progress);
 	free(list);
 	free(branch_name);
 	string_list_clear(&extra_to, 0);