diff --git a/progress.c b/progress.c
index 277db8afa2..0eddf1804d 100644
--- a/progress.c
+++ b/progress.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ static void display(struct progress *progress, uint64_t n, const char *done)
 	const char *tp;
 	struct strbuf *counters_sb = &progress->counters_sb;
 	int show_update = 0;
+	int last_count_len = counters_sb->len;
 
 	if (progress->delay && (!progress_update || --progress->delay))
 		return;
@@ -115,21 +116,27 @@ static void display(struct progress *progress, uint64_t n, const char *done)
 	if (show_update) {
 		if (is_foreground_fd(fileno(stderr)) || done) {
 			const char *eol = done ? done : "\r";
+			size_t clear_len = counters_sb->len < last_count_len ?
+					last_count_len - counters_sb->len + 1 :
+					0;
+			/* The "+ 2" accounts for the ": ". */
+			size_t progress_line_len = progress->title_len +
+						counters_sb->len + 2;
+			int cols = term_columns();
 
-			term_clear_line();
 			if (progress->split) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "  %s%s", counters_sb->buf,
-					eol);
-			} else if (!done &&
-				   /* The "+ 2" accounts for the ": ". */
-				   term_columns() < progress->title_len +
-						    counters_sb->len + 2) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "%s:\n  %s%s",
-					progress->title, counters_sb->buf, eol);
+				fprintf(stderr, "  %s%*s", counters_sb->buf,
+					(int) clear_len, eol);
+			} else if (!done && cols < progress_line_len) {
+				clear_len = progress->title_len + 1 < cols ?
+					    cols - progress->title_len - 1 : 0;
+				fprintf(stderr, "%s:%*s\n  %s%s",
+					progress->title, (int) clear_len, "",
+					counters_sb->buf, eol);
 				progress->split = 1;
 			} else {
-				fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s%s", progress->title,
-					counters_sb->buf, eol);
+				fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s%*s", progress->title,
+					counters_sb->buf, (int) clear_len, eol);
 			}
 			fflush(stderr);
 		}
diff --git a/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh b/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh
index b86ddb60f2..92bac43257 100755
--- a/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh
+++ b/t/t5541-http-push-smart.sh
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ test_expect_success TTY 'push shows progress when stderr is a tty' '
 	cd "$ROOT_PATH"/test_repo_clone &&
 	test_commit noisy &&
 	test_terminal git push >output 2>&1 &&
-	test_i18ngrep "Writing objects" output
+	test_i18ngrep "^Writing objects" output
 '
 
 test_expect_success TTY 'push --quiet silences status and progress' '
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ test_expect_success TTY 'push --no-progress silences progress but not status' '
 	test_commit no-progress &&
 	test_terminal git push --no-progress >output 2>&1 &&
 	test_i18ngrep "^To http" output &&
-	test_i18ngrep ! "Writing objects" output
+	test_i18ngrep ! "^Writing objects" output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'push --progress shows progress to non-tty' '
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ test_expect_success 'push --progress shows progress to non-tty' '
 	test_commit progress &&
 	git push --progress >output 2>&1 &&
 	test_i18ngrep "^To http" output &&
-	test_i18ngrep "Writing objects" output
+	test_i18ngrep "^Writing objects" output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'http push gives sane defaults to reflog' '