diff --git a/lib/classes/output/stored_progress_bar.php b/lib/classes/output/stored_progress_bar.php
index 41fd66c0c32..18f2e5a988a 100644
--- a/lib/classes/output/stored_progress_bar.php
+++ b/lib/classes/output/stored_progress_bar.php
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
     /** @var bool Can use output buffering. */
     protected static $supportsoutputbuffering = true;
 
+    /** @var bool Flag to indicate the Javascript module has been initialised already. */
+    protected static $jsloaded = false;
+
     /** @var int DB record ID */
     protected $recordid;
 
@@ -41,15 +44,19 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
     /**
      * This overwrites the progress_bar::__construct method.
      *
+     * The stored progress bar does not need to check NO_OUTPUT_BUFFERING since it outputs to the page
+     * then polls for updates asynchronously, rather than waiting for synchronous updates in later output.
+     *
      * @param string $idnumber
+     * @param int $width The suggested width.
+     * @param bool $autostart Whether to start the progress bar right away.
      */
-    public function __construct($idnumber) {
+    public function __construct(string $idnumber, int $width = 0, bool $autostart = true) {
 
         $this->clock = \core\di::get(\core\clock::class);
 
         // Construct from the parent.
-        parent::__construct($idnumber, 0, true);
-
+        parent::__construct($idnumber, $width, $autostart);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -125,10 +132,10 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
     /**
      * Set the time we started the process.
      *
-     * @param int $value
+     * @param ?int $value
      * @return void
      */
-    protected function set_time_started(int $value): void {
+    protected function set_time_started(?int $value): void {
         $this->timestart = $value;
     }
 
@@ -185,17 +192,33 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
         return $this->message;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Initialise Javascript for stored progress bars.
+     *
+     * The javascript polls the status of all progress bars on the page, so it only needs to be initialised once.
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function init_js(): void {
+        global $PAGE;
+        if (self::$jsloaded) {
+            return;
+        }
+        $PAGE->requires->js_call_amd('core/stored_progress', 'init', [
+            self::get_timeout(),
+        ]);
+        self::$jsloaded = true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get the content to display the progress bar and start polling via AJAX
      *
      * @return string
      */
     public function get_content(): string {
-        global $CFG, $PAGE, $OUTPUT;
+        global $OUTPUT;
 
-        $PAGE->requires->js_call_amd('core/stored_progress', 'init', [
-            self::get_timeout(),
-        ]);
+        $this->init_js();
 
         $context = $this->export_for_template($OUTPUT);
         return $OUTPUT->render_from_template('core/progress_bar', $context);
@@ -208,11 +231,15 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
      * @return array
      */
     public function export_for_template(\renderer_base $output): array {
+        $class = 'stored-progress-bar';
+        if (empty($this->timestart)) {
+            $class .= ' stored-progress-notstarted';
+        }
         return [
             'id' => $this->recordid,
             'idnumber' => $this->idnumber,
             'width' => $this->width,
-            'class' => 'stored-progress-bar',
+            'class' => $class,
             'value' => $this->percent,
             'message' => $this->message,
             'error' => $this->haserrored,
@@ -233,8 +260,19 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
             $OUTPUT->render_progress_bar($this);
         }
 
-        // Delete any existing records for this.
-        $this->clear_records();
+        $record = $DB->get_record('stored_progress', ['idnumber' => $this->idnumber]);
+        if ($record) {
+            if ($record->timestart == 0) {
+                // Set the timestart now and return.
+                $record->timestart = $this->timestart;
+                $DB->update_record('stored_progress', $record);
+                $this->recordid = $record->id;
+                return $this->recordid;
+            } else {
+                // Delete any existing records for this.
+                $this->clear_records();
+            }
+        }
 
         // Create new progress record.
         $this->recordid = $DB->insert_record('stored_progress', [
@@ -362,4 +400,25 @@ class stored_progress_bar extends progress_bar {
         return $CFG->progresspollinterval ?? 5;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Store a progress bar record in a pending state.
+     *
+     * @return int ID of the DB record
+     */
+    public function store_pending(): int {
+        global $DB;
+
+        // Delete any existing records for this.
+        $this->clear_records();
+
+        // Create new progress record.
+        $this->recordid = $DB->insert_record('stored_progress', [
+            'idnumber' => $this->idnumber,
+            'timestart' => $this->timestart,
+            'message' => '',
+        ]);
+
+        return $this->recordid;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/lib/classes/task/stored_progress_task_trait.php b/lib/classes/task/stored_progress_task_trait.php
index ae79ccf913e..2fc835f5554 100644
--- a/lib/classes/task/stored_progress_task_trait.php
+++ b/lib/classes/task/stored_progress_task_trait.php
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@
 
 namespace core\task;
 
+use core\progress\db_updater;
+use core\progress\stored;
+use core\output\stored_progress_bar;
+
 /**
  * Trait to use in tasks to automatically add stored progress functionality.
  *
@@ -25,10 +29,44 @@ namespace core\task;
  * @author     Conn Warwicker <conn.warwicker@catalyst-eu.net>
  */
 trait stored_progress_task_trait {
-
-    /** @var \core\output\stored_progress_bar|null $progress */
+    /** @var ?stored_progress_bar $progress */
     protected $progress = null;
 
+    /**
+     * Construct a unique name for the progress bar.
+     *
+     * For adhoc tasks, this will need the ID in it. For scheduled tasks just the class name.
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    protected function get_progress_name(): string {
+        if (method_exists($this, 'get_id')) {
+            return get_class($this) . '_' . $this->get_id();
+        } else {
+            return get_class($this);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initialise a stored progress record.
+     */
+    public function initialise_stored_progress(): void {
+        $this->progress = new stored_progress_bar(
+            stored_progress_bar::convert_to_idnumber($this->get_progress_name()),
+            autostart: false,
+        );
+        $this->progress->store_pending();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a stored object for the stored progress record.
+     *
+     * @return stored
+     */
+    public function get_progress(): stored {
+        return new stored($this->progress);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Start a stored progress bar implementation for the task this trait is used in.
      *
@@ -40,16 +78,8 @@ trait stored_progress_task_trait {
         // To get around the issue in MDL-80770, we are manually setting the renderer to cli.
         $OUTPUT = $PAGE->get_renderer('core', null, 'cli');
 
-        // Construct a unique name for the progress bar.
-        // For adhoc tasks, this will need the ID in it. For scheduled tasks just the class name.
-        if (method_exists($this, 'get_id')) {
-            $name = get_class($this) . '_' . $this->get_id();
-        } else {
-            $name = get_class($this);
-        }
-
-        $this->progress = new \core\output\stored_progress_bar(
-            \core\output\stored_progress_bar::convert_to_idnumber($name)
+        $this->progress = new stored_progress_bar(
+            stored_progress_bar::convert_to_idnumber($this->get_progress_name())
         );
 
         // Start the progress.
diff --git a/lib/templates/progress_bar.mustache b/lib/templates/progress_bar.mustache
index 13190c416f3..984a4024773 100644
--- a/lib/templates/progress_bar.mustache
+++ b/lib/templates/progress_bar.mustache
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     </div>
     <div class="d-flex">
         <div style="flex: 1 1 0; min-width: 0;">
-            <div id="{{idnumber}}_status" class="text-truncate">&nbsp;</div>
+            <div id="{{idnumber}}_status" class="text-truncate">{{message}}</div>
         </div>
         <div class="text-end ps-3" style="flex: 0 0 content">
             <span id="{{idnumber}}_estimate" class="">&nbsp;</span>