diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp
index c6f016b7971..4fa87815601 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ void BlenderSession::create_session()
 	SceneParams scene_params = BlenderSync::get_scene_params(b_scene);
 	SessionParams session_params = BlenderSync::get_session_params(b_scene, background);
 
+	/* reset status/progress */
+	last_status= "";
+	last_progress= -1.0f;
+
 	/* create scene */
 	scene = new Scene(scene_params);
 
@@ -264,8 +268,14 @@ void BlenderSession::update_status_progress()
 	if(substatus.size() > 0)
 		status += " | " + substatus;
 
-	RE_engine_update_stats((RenderEngine*)b_engine.ptr.data, "", status.c_str());
-	RE_engine_update_progress((RenderEngine*)b_engine.ptr.data, progress);
+	if(status != last_status) {
+		RE_engine_update_stats((RenderEngine*)b_engine.ptr.data, "", status.c_str());
+		last_status = status;
+	}
+	if(progress != last_progress) {
+		RE_engine_update_progress((RenderEngine*)b_engine.ptr.data, progress);
+		last_progress = progress;
+	}
 }
 
 void BlenderSession::tag_update()
diff --git a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.h b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.h
index 8608ddd2658..e30b60c3d63 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.h
+++ b/intern/cycles/blender/blender_session.h
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ public:
 	BL::SpaceView3D b_v3d;
 	BL::RegionView3D b_rv3d;
 
+	string last_status;
+	float last_progress;
+
 	int width, height;
 };
 
diff --git a/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp b/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
index 50f7017bacf..2deb83674cc 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
@@ -170,8 +170,10 @@ void Session::run_gpu()
 
 		if(params.background) {
 			/* if no work left and in background mode, we can stop immediately */
-			if(no_tiles)
+			if(no_tiles) {
+				progress.set_status("Finished");
 				break;
+			}
 		}
 		else {
 			/* if in interactive mode, and we are either paused or done for now,
@@ -305,8 +307,10 @@ void Session::run_cpu()
 
 		if(params.background) {
 			/* if no work left and in background mode, we can stop immediately */
-			if(no_tiles)
+			if(no_tiles) {
+				progress.set_status("Finished");
 				break;
+			}
 		}
 		else {
 			/* if in interactive mode, and we are either paused or done for now,