diff --git a/borg/archiver.py b/borg/archiver.py
index 588fe3954..c56023d66 100644
--- a/borg/archiver.py
+++ b/borg/archiver.py
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ class Archiver:
         # XXX: should auto-detect if it is an attic repository here
         repo = AtticRepositoryUpgrader(args.location.path, create=False)
         try:
-            repo.upgrade(args.dry_run, inplace=args.inplace)
+            repo.upgrade(args.dry_run, inplace=args.inplace, progress=args.progress)
         except NotImplementedError as e:
             print("warning: %s" % e)
         return self.exit_code
@@ -1156,6 +1156,9 @@ class Archiver:
                                           epilog=upgrade_epilog,
                                           formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
         subparser.set_defaults(func=self.do_upgrade)
+        subparser.add_argument('-p', '--progress', dest='progress',
+                               action='store_true', default=False,
+                               help="""show progress display while upgrading the repository""")
         subparser.add_argument('-n', '--dry-run', dest='dry_run',
                                default=False, action='store_true',
                                help='do not change repository')
diff --git a/borg/upgrader.py b/borg/upgrader.py
index 3bd5400f6..bb47429eb 100644
--- a/borg/upgrader.py
+++ b/borg/upgrader.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class AtticRepositoryUpgrader(Repository):
         kw['lock'] = False  # do not create borg lock files (now) in attic repo
         super().__init__(*args, **kw)
 
-    def upgrade(self, dryrun=True, inplace=False):
+    def upgrade(self, dryrun=True, inplace=False, progress=False):
         """convert an attic repository to a borg repository
 
         those are the files that need to be upgraded here, from most
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class AtticRepositoryUpgrader(Repository):
         try:
             self.convert_cache(dryrun)
             self.convert_repo_index(dryrun=dryrun, inplace=inplace)
-            self.convert_segments(segments, dryrun=dryrun, inplace=inplace)
+            self.convert_segments(segments, dryrun=dryrun, inplace=inplace, progress=progress)
             self.borg_readme()
         finally:
             self.lock.release()
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class AtticRepositoryUpgrader(Repository):
             fd.write('This is a Borg repository\n')
 
     @staticmethod
-    def convert_segments(segments, dryrun=True, inplace=False):
+    def convert_segments(segments, dryrun=True, inplace=False, progress=False):
         """convert repository segments from attic to borg
 
         replacement pattern is `s/ATTICSEG/BORG_SEG/` in files in
@@ -80,12 +80,14 @@ class AtticRepositoryUpgrader(Repository):
         segment_count = len(segments)
         pi = ProgressIndicatorPercent(total=segment_count, msg="Converting segments %3.0f%%", same_line=True)
         for i, filename in enumerate(segments):
-            pi.show(i)
+            if progress:
+                pi.show(i)
             if dryrun:
                 time.sleep(0.001)
             else:
                 AtticRepositoryUpgrader.header_replace(filename, ATTIC_MAGIC, MAGIC, inplace=inplace)
-        pi.finish()
+        if progress:
+            pi.finish()
 
     @staticmethod
     def header_replace(filename, old_magic, new_magic, inplace=True):