diff --git a/admin/tool/generator/classes/backend.php b/admin/tool/generator/classes/backend.php
index e06d0d3cd07..634ef6eeb41 100644
--- a/admin/tool/generator/classes/backend.php
+++ b/admin/tool/generator/classes/backend.php
@@ -61,16 +61,6 @@ abstract class tool_generator_backend {
      */
     protected $progress;
 
-    /**
-     * @var int Epoch time at which last dot was displayed
-     */
-    protected $lastdot;
-
-    /**
-     * @var int Epoch time at which last percentage was displayed
-     */
-    protected $lastpercentage;
-
     /**
      * @var int Epoch time at which current step (current set of dots) started
      */
@@ -81,6 +71,11 @@ abstract class tool_generator_backend {
      */
     protected $size;
 
+    /**
+     * @var progrss_bar progressbar
+     */
+    protected $progressbar;
+
     /**
      * Generic generator class
      *
@@ -132,24 +127,14 @@ abstract class tool_generator_backend {
         if (!$this->progress) {
             return;
         }
-        if (CLI_SCRIPT) {
-            echo '* ';
-        } else {
-            echo html_writer::start_tag('li');
-        }
-        echo get_string('progress_' . $langstring, $module, $a);
-        if (!$leaveopen) {
-            if (CLI_SCRIPT) {
-                echo "\n";
-            } else {
-                echo html_writer::end_tag('li');
-            }
-        } else {
-            echo ': ';
-            $this->lastdot = time();
-            $this->lastpercentage = $this->lastdot;
-            $this->starttime = microtime(true);
-        }
+
+        $this->langstring = $langstring;
+        $this->module = $module;
+        $this->aparam = $a;
+
+        $this->starttime = microtime(true);
+        $this->progressbar = new progress_bar();
+        $this->progressbar->create();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -164,24 +149,13 @@ abstract class tool_generator_backend {
             return;
         }
         $now = time();
-        if ($now == $this->lastdot) {
-            return;
-        }
-        $this->lastdot = $now;
-        if (CLI_SCRIPT) {
-            echo '.';
-        } else {
-            echo ' . ';
-        }
-        if ($now - $this->lastpercentage >= 30) {
-            echo round(100.0 * $number / $total, 1) . '%';
-            $this->lastpercentage = $now;
-        }
 
         // Update time limit so PHP doesn't time out.
         if (!CLI_SCRIPT) {
             core_php_time_limit::raise(120);
         }
+        $status = get_string('progress_' . $this->langstring, $this->module, $number);
+        $this->progressbar->update($number, $total, $status);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -191,11 +165,8 @@ abstract class tool_generator_backend {
         if (!$this->progress) {
             return;
         }
-        echo get_string('done', 'tool_generator', round(microtime(true) - $this->starttime, 1));
-        if (CLI_SCRIPT) {
-            echo "\n";
-        } else {
-            echo html_writer::end_tag('li');
-        }
+        $status = get_string('progress_' . $this->langstring, $this->module, $this->aparam);
+        $done = get_string('done', 'tool_generator', round(microtime(true) - $this->starttime, 1));
+        $this->progressbar->update_full(100, $status . ' - ' . $done);
     }
 }
diff --git a/admin/tool/generator/classes/course_backend.php b/admin/tool/generator/classes/course_backend.php
index 5117f3ae8b9..5228651f474 100644
--- a/admin/tool/generator/classes/course_backend.php
+++ b/admin/tool/generator/classes/course_backend.php
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ class tool_generator_course_backend extends tool_generator_backend {
 
         // Log total time.
         $this->log('coursecompleted', round(microtime(true) - $entirestart, 1));
+        $this->end_log();
 
         if ($this->progress && !CLI_SCRIPT) {
             echo html_writer::end_tag('ul');
@@ -286,7 +287,9 @@ class tool_generator_course_backend extends tool_generator_backend {
             $courserecord['summary_format'] = $this->summaryformat;
         }
 
-        return $this->generator->create_course($courserecord, array('createsections' => true));
+        $return = $this->generator->create_course($courserecord, array('createsections' => true));
+        $this->end_log();
+        return $return;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -303,6 +306,7 @@ class tool_generator_course_backend extends tool_generator_backend {
         // Get existing users in order. We will 'fill up holes' in this up to
         // the required number.
         $this->log('checkaccounts', $count);
+        $this->end_log();
         $nextnumber = 1;
         $rs = $DB->get_recordset_select('user', $DB->sql_like('username', '?'),
                 array('tool_generator_%'), 'username', 'id, username');