diff --git a/scripts/s3_media_upload b/scripts/s3_media_upload
index cddfb41..3a86587 100644
--- a/scripts/s3_media_upload
+++ b/scripts/s3_media_upload
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import humanize
 import psycopg2
 import tqdm
 import yaml
+import sys
 
 # Schema for our sqlite database cache
 SCHEMA = """
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ SCHEMA = """
     CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS deleted_idx ON media(known_deleted);
 """
 
+progress=True
 
 def parse_duration(string):
     """Parse a string into a duration supports suffix of d, m or y.
@@ -108,11 +110,17 @@ def run_check_delete(sqlite_conn, base_path):
     """Entry point for check-deleted command
     """
     deleted = []
-    for origin, media_id, filesystem_id, m_type in tqdm.tqdm(
-        get_not_deleted(sqlite_conn),
-        unit="files",
-        total=get_not_deleted_count(sqlite_conn),
-    ):
+    if progress:
+        it = tqdm.tqdm(
+                get_not_deleted(sqlite_conn),
+                unit="files",
+                total=get_not_deleted_count(sqlite_conn)
+        )
+    else:
+        it = get_not_deleted(sqlite_conn)
+        print("Checking on ", get_not_deleted_count(sqlite_conn), " undeleted files")
+
+    for origin, media_id, filesystem_id, m_type in it:
         if m_type == "local":
             file_path = os.path.join(
                 base_path,
@@ -246,7 +254,12 @@ def run_upload(
     deleted_bytes = 0
 
     # This is a progress bar
-    it = tqdm.tqdm(get_not_deleted(sqlite_conn), unit="files", total=total)
+    if progress:
+        it = tqdm.tqdm(get_not_deleted(sqlite_conn), unit="files", total=total)
+    else:
+        print("Uploading ", total, " files")
+        it = get_not_deleted(sqlite_conn)
+
     for origin, media_id, filesystem_id, m_type in it:
         rel_file_path = to_path(origin, filesystem_id, m_type)
 
@@ -327,6 +340,7 @@ def get_postgres_conn(parser):
 
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="s3_media_upload")
+    parser.add_argument("--no-progress", help="do not show progress bars", action="store_true", dest="no_progress")
     subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(help="command to run", dest="cmd")
 
     update_db_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
@@ -406,6 +420,8 @@ def main():
     )
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    if args.no_progress:
+        progress=False
 
     if args.cmd == "write":
         sqlite_conn = get_sqlite_conn(parser)