diff --git a/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php b/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php
index ad5ac4aee17..2cd375416ef 100644
--- a/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/moodle2/backup_final_task.class.php
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ class backup_final_task extends backup_task {
         $this->built = true;
     }
 
+    public function get_weight() {
+        // The final task takes ages, so give it 20 times the weight of a normal task.
+        return 20;
+    }
+
 // Protected API starts here
 
     /**
diff --git a/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php b/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php
index 7b3cab16bc4..74790941b7b 100644
--- a/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php
+++ b/backup/util/plan/base_plan.class.php
@@ -158,10 +158,23 @@ abstract class base_plan implements checksumable, executable {
         if (!$this->built) {
             throw new base_plan_exception('base_plan_not_built');
         }
+
+        // Calculate the total weight of all tasks and start progress tracking.
+        $progress = $this->get_progress();
+        $totalweight = 0;
+        foreach ($this->tasks as $task) {
+            $totalweight += $task->get_weight();
+        }
+        $progress->start_progress($this->get_name(), $totalweight);
+
+        // Build and execute all tasks.
         foreach ($this->tasks as $task) {
             $task->build();
             $task->execute();
         }
+
+        // Finish progress tracking.
+        $progress->end_progress();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/backup/util/plan/base_task.class.php b/backup/util/plan/base_task.class.php
index 523679c7a20..e167b89dd6c 100644
--- a/backup/util/plan/base_task.class.php
+++ b/backup/util/plan/base_task.class.php
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ abstract class base_task implements checksumable, executable, loggable {
         return $this->settings;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the weight of this task, an approximation of the amount of time
+     * it will take. By default this value is 1. It can be increased for longer
+     * tasks.
+     *
+     * @return int Weight
+     */
+    public function get_weight() {
+        return 1;
+    }
+
     public function get_setting($name) {
         // First look in task settings
         $result = null;
@@ -159,6 +170,13 @@ abstract class base_task implements checksumable, executable, loggable {
         if ($this->executed) {
             throw new base_task_exception('base_task_already_executed', $this->name);
         }
+
+        // Starts progress based on the weight of this task and number of steps.
+        $progress = $this->get_progress();
+        $progress->start_progress($this->get_name(), count($this->steps), $this->get_weight());
+        $done = 0;
+
+        // Execute all steps.
         foreach ($this->steps as $step) {
             $result = $step->execute();
             // If step returns array, it will be forwarded to plan
@@ -166,11 +184,16 @@ abstract class base_task implements checksumable, executable, loggable {
             if (is_array($result) and !empty($result)) {
                 $this->add_result($result);
             }
+            $done++;
+            $progress->progress($done);
         }
         // Mark as executed if any step has been executed
         if (!empty($this->steps)) {
             $this->executed = true;
         }
+
+        // Finish progress for this task.
+        $progress->end_progress();
     }
 
     /**