diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 49bfc827..eb804c22 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [4.2.2]
+
+### Added
+
+- improved progress bar and status bar message
+
 ## [4.2.1] - 2022-05-21
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/src/ConfigOfExecGroup.ts b/src/ConfigOfExecGroup.ts
index 9cc4f332..e69b064e 100644
--- a/src/ConfigOfExecGroup.ts
+++ b/src/ConfigOfExecGroup.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { debugBreak } from './util/DevelopmentHelper';
 import { FrameworkType } from './framework/Framework';
 import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import { getModiTime } from './Util';
+import { SubProgressReporter } from './util/ProgressReporter';
 
 ///
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ export class ConfigOfExecGroup implements vscode.Disposable {
 
   private readonly _executables: Map<string /*fsPath*/, AbstractExecutable> = new Map();
 
-  async load(): Promise<unknown[]> {
+  async load(progressReporter: SubProgressReporter): Promise<unknown[]> {
     const pattern = await this._pathProcessor(this._pattern);
 
     this._shared.log.info('pattern', this._pattern, this._shared.workspaceFolder.uri.fsPath, pattern);
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ export class ConfigOfExecGroup implements vscode.Disposable {
       this._shared.log.exceptionS(e, "Couldn't watch pattern");
     }
 
+    progressReporter.setMax(filePaths.length);
     const suiteCreationAndLoadingTasks: Promise<void>[] = [];
 
     for (let i = 0; i < filePaths.length; i++) {
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ export class ConfigOfExecGroup implements vscode.Disposable {
           } catch (reason) {
             this._shared.log.debug('Not an executable:', file, reason);
           }
+          progressReporter.incrementBy1();
         })(),
       );
     }
diff --git a/src/WorkspaceManager.ts b/src/WorkspaceManager.ts
index ff32fb1f..8bf2b864 100644
--- a/src/WorkspaceManager.ts
+++ b/src/WorkspaceManager.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { ConfigOfExecGroup } from './ConfigOfExecGroup';
 import { generateId } from './Util';
 import { AbstractTest } from './framework/AbstractTest';
 import { TestItemManager } from './TestItemManager';
+import { ProgressReporter } from './util/ProgressReporter';
 
 //TODO:release if workspace contains ".vscode/testMate.cpp.json" we have to start loading the tests
 export class WorkspaceManager implements vscode.Disposable {
@@ -209,10 +210,12 @@ export class WorkspaceManager implements vscode.Disposable {
   async load(): Promise<void> {
     this._executableConfig.forEach(c => c.dispose());
 
+    const sbm = vscode.window.setStatusBarMessage('TestMate C++: loading tests...');
+
     return vscode.window.withProgress(
       { location: { viewId: 'workbench.view.extension.test' } },
       async (
-        _progress: vscode.Progress<{ message?: string; increment?: number }>,
+        progress: vscode.Progress<{ message?: string; increment?: number }>,
         _token: vscode.CancellationToken,
       ): Promise<void> => {
         await new Promise<void>(r => setTimeout(r, 500)); // there are some race condition, this fixes it: maybe async dispose would fix it too?
@@ -220,8 +223,15 @@ export class WorkspaceManager implements vscode.Disposable {
         const configuration = this._getConfiguration(this.log);
         const executableConfig = configuration.getExecutableConfigs(this._shared);
         this._executableConfig = executableConfig;
+        const progressReporter = new ProgressReporter(progress);
 
-        await Promise.allSettled(executableConfig.map(x => x.load().catch(e => this.log.errorS(e))));
+        await Promise.allSettled(
+          executableConfig.map(x => {
+            const subProgressReporter = progressReporter.createSubProgressReporter();
+            return x.load(subProgressReporter).catch(e => this.log.errorS(e));
+          }),
+        );
+        sbm.dispose();
       },
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/util/ProgressReporter.ts b/src/util/ProgressReporter.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..03b0b7d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/ProgressReporter.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+
+export class ProgressReporter {
+  constructor(private readonly progress: vscode.Progress<{ message?: string; increment?: number }>) {}
+
+  private readonly subs: SubProgressReporter[] = [];
+  private alreadySetCount = 0;
+  private maxValue = 0;
+  private currentValue = 0;
+  private reportedPercent = 0;
+
+  createSubProgressReporter(): SubProgressReporter {
+    const s = new SubProgressReporter(this);
+    this.subs.push(s);
+    return s;
+  }
+
+  _setMax(_sub: SubProgressReporter, max: number): void {
+    this.alreadySetCount++;
+    this.maxValue += max;
+  }
+
+  _incrementBy1(_sub: SubProgressReporter): void {
+    this.currentValue++;
+
+    if (this.alreadySetCount === this.subs.length) {
+      const currentPercent = Math.floor((100 * this.currentValue) / this.maxValue);
+      if (currentPercent > this.reportedPercent) {
+        this.progress.report({ increment: currentPercent - this.reportedPercent });
+        this.reportedPercent = currentPercent;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export class SubProgressReporter {
+  constructor(private readonly parent: ProgressReporter) {}
+
+  setMax(max: number): void {
+    this.parent._setMax(this, max);
+  }
+
+  incrementBy1(): void {
+    this.parent._incrementBy1(this);
+  }
+}