diff --git a/src/fileio.c b/src/fileio.c
index 75facd55..0dcf95d5 100644
--- a/src/fileio.c
+++ b/src/fileio.c
@@ -130,7 +130,36 @@ char *fileio_fmtstr(FILEFMT format) {
     return "octal byte list";
   default:
     return "invalid format";
- };
+  }
+}
+
+int fileio_fmtchr(FILEFMT format) {
+  switch (format) {
+  case FMT_AUTO:
+    return 'a';
+  case FMT_SREC:
+    return 's';
+  case FMT_IHEX:
+    return 'i';
+  case FMT_IHXC:
+    return 'I';
+  case FMT_RBIN:
+    return 'r';
+  case FMT_ELF:
+    return 'e';
+  case FMT_IMM:
+    return 'm';
+  case FMT_BIN:
+    return 'b';
+  case FMT_DEC:
+    return 'd';
+  case FMT_HEX:
+    return 'h';
+  case FMT_OCT:
+    return 'o';
+  default:
+    return '?';
+  }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libavrdude.h b/src/libavrdude.h
index 74398df8..44ae0f7c 100644
--- a/src/libavrdude.h
+++ b/src/libavrdude.h
@@ -1020,6 +1020,8 @@ FILEFMT fileio_format(char c);
 
 char *fileio_fmtstr(FILEFMT format);
 
+int fileio_fmtchr(FILEFMT format);
+
 FILE *fileio_fopenr(const char *fname);
 
 int fileio_fmt_autodetect_fp(FILE *f);
@@ -1078,6 +1080,7 @@ UPDATE *dup_update(const UPDATE *upd);
 UPDATE *new_update(int op, const char *memstr, int filefmt, const char *fname);
 UPDATE *cmd_update(const char *cmd);
 extern void free_update(UPDATE *upd);
+char *update_str(const UPDATE *upd);
 int do_op(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const UPDATE *upd,
   enum updateflags flags);
 int memstats(const AVRPART *p, const char *memtype, int size, Filestats *fsp);
diff --git a/src/update.c b/src/update.c
index c2c6c8de..bd16aa48 100644
--- a/src/update.c
+++ b/src/update.c
@@ -145,6 +145,15 @@ void free_update(UPDATE * u)
     }
 }
 
+char *update_str(const UPDATE *upd) {
+  if(upd->cmdline)
+    return str_sprintf("-T %s", upd->cmdline);
+  return str_sprintf("-U %s:%c:%s:%c",
+    upd->memtype,
+    upd->op == DEVICE_READ? 'r': upd->op == DEVICE_WRITE? 'w': 'v',
+    upd->filename,
+    fileio_fmtchr(upd->format));
+}
 
 // Memory statistics considering holes after a file read returned size bytes
 int memstats(const AVRPART *p, const char *memtype, int size, Filestats *fsp) {
@@ -361,6 +370,13 @@ int do_op(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const UPDATE *upd, enum updat
   int rc;
   Filestats fs, fs_patched;
 
+  if(!upd->cmdline || !str_eq(upd->cmdline, "abort # Reset cache")) {
+    char *tofree;
+    msg_info("\v\n");
+    pmsg_info("processing %s\n", tofree = update_str(upd));
+    free(tofree);
+  }
+
   if(upd->cmdline)
     return terminal_line(pgm, p, upd->cmdline);