diff --git a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
index 8f8db97ae..77c580350 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbAsIfFlatRegion.cc
@@ -1045,6 +1045,8 @@ void region_cop_impl (AsIfFlatRegion *region, db::Shapes *output_to, db::Compoun
 {
   db::local_processor<db::Polygon, db::Polygon, TR> proc;
   proc.set_base_verbosity (region->base_verbosity ());
+  proc.set_description (region->progress_desc ());
+  proc.set_report_progress (region->report_progress ());
 
   db::RegionIterator polygons (region->begin_merged ());
 
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.h b/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.h
index 1b4f595b5..024bb9350 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbDeepShapeStore.h
@@ -264,8 +264,8 @@ public:
 private:
   int m_threads;
   double m_max_area_ratio;
-  bool m_reject_odd_polygons;
   size_t m_max_vertex_count;
+  bool m_reject_odd_polygons;
   tl::Variant m_text_property_name;
   std::vector<std::set<db::cell_index_type> > m_breakout_cells;
   int m_text_enlargement;
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc b/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc
index 72f5ba68d..68bc38156 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.cc
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::local_processor (db::Layout *layout, db::Cell *top,
   : mp_subject_layout (layout), mp_intruder_layout (layout),
     mp_subject_top (top), mp_intruder_top (top),
     mp_subject_breakout_cells (breakout_cells), mp_intruder_breakout_cells (breakout_cells),
-    m_nthreads (0), m_max_vertex_count (0), m_area_ratio (0.0), m_base_verbosity (30), m_progress (0), mp_progress (0)
+    m_report_progress (true), m_nthreads (0), m_max_vertex_count (0), m_area_ratio (0.0), m_base_verbosity (30), m_progress (0), mp_progress (0)
 {
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
@@ -1228,7 +1228,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::local_processor (db::Layout *subject_layout, db::Ce
   : mp_subject_layout (subject_layout), mp_intruder_layout (intruder_layout),
     mp_subject_top (subject_top), mp_intruder_top (intruder_top),
     mp_subject_breakout_cells (subject_breakout_cells), mp_intruder_breakout_cells (intruder_breakout_cells),
-    m_nthreads (0), m_max_vertex_count (0), m_area_ratio (0.0), m_base_verbosity (30), m_progress (0), mp_progress (0)
+    m_report_progress (true), m_nthreads (0), m_max_vertex_count (0), m_area_ratio (0.0), m_base_verbosity (30), m_progress (0), mp_progress (0)
 {
   //  .. nothing yet ..
 }
@@ -1654,8 +1654,10 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::compute_results (local_processor_contexts<TS, TI, T
 
   //  prepare a progress for the computation tasks
   size_t comp_effort = 0;
-  for (typename local_processor_contexts<TS, TI, TR>::iterator c = contexts.begin (); c != contexts.end (); ++c) {
-    comp_effort += c->second.size ();
+  if (m_report_progress) {
+    for (typename local_processor_contexts<TS, TI, TR>::iterator c = contexts.begin (); c != contexts.end (); ++c) {
+      comp_effort += c->second.size ();
+    }
   }
 
   tl::RelativeProgress progress (description (op), comp_effort, 1);
@@ -1738,7 +1740,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::compute_results (local_processor_contexts<TS, TI, T
 
     try {
 
-      mp_progress = &progress;
+      mp_progress = m_report_progress ? &progress : 0;
 
       for (db::Layout::bottom_up_const_iterator bu = mp_subject_layout->begin_bottom_up (); bu != mp_subject_layout->end_bottom_up (); ++bu) {
 
@@ -2026,7 +2028,7 @@ namespace
 template <class TS, class TI>
 struct interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo
 {
-  interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo (shape_interactions<TS, TI> *, unsigned int)
+  interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo (shape_interactions<TS, TI> *, unsigned int, bool, const std::string &)
   {
     //  can't have self-interactions with different types
     tl_assert (false);
@@ -2046,8 +2048,8 @@ struct interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo
 template <class T>
 struct interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo<T, T>
 {
-  interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo (shape_interactions<T, T> *interactions, unsigned int intruder_layer_index)
-    : m_scanner (), m_rec (interactions, intruder_layer_index)
+  interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo (shape_interactions<T, T> *interactions, unsigned int intruder_layer_index, bool report_progress, const std::string &progress_description)
+    : m_scanner (report_progress, progress_description), m_rec (interactions, intruder_layer_index)
   {
     //  .. nothing yet ..
   }
@@ -2080,6 +2082,26 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::run_flat (const generic_shape_iterator<TS> &subject
   tl_assert (mp_subject_top == 0);
   tl_assert (mp_intruder_top == 0);
 
+  std::string process_description, scan_description;
+
+  if (m_report_progress) {
+
+    process_description = description (op);
+    if (process_description.empty ()) {
+      process_description = tl::to_string (tr ("Processing"));
+    } else {
+      process_description += tl::to_string (tr (" (processing)"));
+    }
+
+    scan_description = description (op);
+    if (scan_description.empty ()) {
+      scan_description = tl::to_string (tr ("Scanning"));
+    } else {
+      scan_description += tl::to_string (tr (" (scan)"));
+    }
+
+  }
+
   shape_interactions<TS, TI> interactions;
 
   bool needs_isolated_subjects = (op->on_empty_intruder_hint () != OnEmptyIntruderHint::Drop);
@@ -2129,7 +2151,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::run_flat (const generic_shape_iterator<TS> &subject
 
         if (*il == subjects && ! ff) {
 
-          interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo<TS, TI> scanner (&interactions, il_index);
+          interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo<TS, TI> scanner (&interactions, il_index, m_report_progress, scan_description);
 
           for (typename shape_interactions<TS, TI>::subject_iterator s = interactions.begin_subjects (); s != interactions.end_subjects (); ++s) {
             scanner.insert (&s->second, s->first);
@@ -2139,7 +2161,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::run_flat (const generic_shape_iterator<TS> &subject
 
         } else {
 
-          db::box_scanner2<TS, unsigned int, TI, unsigned int> scanner;
+          db::box_scanner2<TS, unsigned int, TI, unsigned int> scanner (m_report_progress, scan_description);
           interaction_registration_shape2shape<TS, TI> rec (0 /*layout*/, &interactions, il_index);
 
           for (typename shape_interactions<TS, TI>::subject_iterator s = interactions.begin_subjects (); s != interactions.end_subjects (); ++s) {
@@ -2195,7 +2217,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::run_flat (const generic_shape_iterator<TS> &subject
 
         if (*il == subjects && ! ff) {
 
-          interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo<TS, TI> scanner (&interactions, il_index);
+          interaction_registration_shape1_scanner_combo<TS, TI> scanner (&interactions, il_index, m_report_progress, scan_description);
 
           addressable_shape_delivery<TS> is (subjects.confined (common_box, true));
           unsigned int id = id_first;
@@ -2208,7 +2230,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::run_flat (const generic_shape_iterator<TS> &subject
 
         } else {
 
-          db::box_scanner2<TS, unsigned int, TI, unsigned int> scanner;
+          db::box_scanner2<TS, unsigned int, TI, unsigned int> scanner (m_report_progress, scan_description);
           interaction_registration_shape2shape<TS, TI> rec (0 /*layout*/, &interactions, il_index);
 
           if (*il == subjects) {
@@ -2265,7 +2287,7 @@ local_processor<TS, TI, TR>::run_flat (const generic_shape_iterator<TS> &subject
 
     std::vector<std::unordered_set<TR> > result;
     result.resize (result_shapes.size ());
-    op->compute_local (mp_subject_layout, interactions, result, m_max_vertex_count, m_area_ratio);
+    op->compute_local (mp_subject_layout, interactions, result, m_max_vertex_count, m_area_ratio, m_report_progress, process_description);
 
     for (std::vector<db::Shapes *>::const_iterator r = result_shapes.begin (); r != result_shapes.end (); ++r) {
       if (*r) {
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.h b/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.h
index ab480c493..88ec91ac0 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbHierProcessor.h
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ public:
     return m_interactions.end ();
   }
 
+  size_t size () const
+  {
+    return m_interactions.size ();
+  }
+
   size_t num_interactions () const
   {
     return m_interactions.size ();
@@ -428,6 +433,11 @@ public:
     m_description = d;
   }
 
+  void set_report_progress (bool rp)
+  {
+    m_report_progress = rp;
+  }
+
   void set_base_verbosity (int vb)
   {
     m_base_verbosity = vb;
@@ -479,6 +489,7 @@ private:
   const std::set<db::cell_index_type> *mp_subject_breakout_cells;
   const std::set<db::cell_index_type> *mp_intruder_breakout_cells;
   std::string m_description;
+  bool m_report_progress;
   unsigned int m_nthreads;
   size_t m_max_vertex_count;
   double m_area_ratio;
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbLocalOperation.h b/src/db/db/dbLocalOperation.h
index cf3d0b98b..eb488bede 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbLocalOperation.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbLocalOperation.h
@@ -29,10 +29,13 @@
 
 #include "dbLayout.h"
 #include "dbEdgeBoolean.h"
+#include "tlProgress.h"
+#include "tlInternational.h"
 
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <unordered_set>
 #include <vector>
+#include <memory>
 
 namespace db
 {
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ public:
    *
    *  If the operation requests single subject mode, the interactions will be split into single subject/intruder clusters
    */
-  void compute_local (db::Layout *layout, const shape_interactions<TS, TI> &interactions, std::vector<std::unordered_set<TR> > &results, size_t max_vertex_count, double area_ratio) const
+  void compute_local (db::Layout *layout, const shape_interactions<TS, TI> &interactions, std::vector<std::unordered_set<TR> > &results, size_t max_vertex_count, double area_ratio, bool report_progress = false, const std::string &progress_desc = std::string ()) const
   {
     if (interactions.num_subjects () <= 1 || ! requests_single_subjects ()) {
 
@@ -100,6 +103,11 @@ public:
 
     } else {
 
+      std::auto_ptr<tl::RelativeProgress> progress;
+      if (report_progress) {
+        progress.reset (new tl::RelativeProgress (progress_desc, interactions.size ()));
+      }
+
       for (typename shape_interactions<TS, TI>::iterator i = interactions.begin (); i != interactions.end (); ++i) {
 
         const TS &subject_shape = interactions.subject_shape (i->first);
@@ -122,6 +130,10 @@ public:
 
         do_compute_local (layout, single_interactions, results, max_vertex_count, area_ratio);
 
+        if (progress.get ()) {
+          ++*progress;
+        }
+
       }
 
     }
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbRegionDelegate.h b/src/db/db/dbRegionDelegate.h
index e6d4d568b..593e4ed1d 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbRegionDelegate.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbRegionDelegate.h
@@ -311,7 +311,6 @@ public:
 
   virtual void insert_into (Layout *layout, db::cell_index_type into_cell, unsigned int into_layer) const = 0;
 
-protected:
   const std::string &progress_desc () const
   {
     return m_progress_desc;
@@ -322,6 +321,7 @@ protected:
     return m_report_progress;
   }
 
+protected:
   virtual void merged_semantics_changed () { }
   virtual void min_coherence_changed () { }