diff --git a/tools/console.js b/tools/console.js
index c6ad9007b3..9fa07e8a4c 100644
--- a/tools/console.js
+++ b/tools/console.js
@@ -516,12 +516,42 @@ _.extend(Console.prototype, {
 
   setPretty: function (pretty) {
     var self = this;
-    if (FORCE_PRETTY === undefined) {
-      self._pretty = pretty;
-    }
+    // If we're being forced, do nothing.
+    if (FORCE_PRETTY !== undefined)
+      return;
+    // If no change, do nothing.
+    if (self._pretty === pretty)
+      return;
+    self._pretty = pretty;
     self._updateProgressDisplay();
   },
 
+  // Runs f with the progress display visible (ie, with progress display enabled
+  // and pretty). Resets both flags to their original values after f runs.
+  withProgressDisplayVisible: function (f) {
+    var self = this;
+    var originalPretty = self._pretty;
+    var originalProgressDisplayEnabled = self._progressDisplayEnabled;
+
+    // Turn both flags on.
+    self._pretty = self._progressDisplayEnabled = true;
+
+    // Update the screen if anything changed.
+    if (!originalPretty || !originalProgressDisplayEnabled)
+      self._updateProgressDisplay();
+
+    try {
+      return f();
+    } finally {
+      // Reset the flags.
+      self._pretty = originalPretty;
+      self._progressDisplayEnabled = originalProgressDisplayEnabled;
+      // Update the screen if anything changed.
+      if (!originalPretty || !originalProgressDisplayEnabled)
+        self._updateProgressDisplay();
+    }
+  },
+
   setVerbose: function (verbose) {
     var self = this;
     self.verbose = verbose;
@@ -745,6 +775,9 @@ _.extend(Console.prototype, {
       enabled = true;
     }
 
+    if (self._progressDisplayEnabled === enabled)
+      return;
+
     self._progressDisplayEnabled = enabled;
     self._updateProgressDisplay();
   },
diff --git a/tools/main.js b/tools/main.js
index a7f0a09874..cd851d7f55 100644
--- a/tools/main.js
+++ b/tools/main.js
@@ -371,22 +371,18 @@ var springboard = function (rel, options) {
 
   // XXX split better
   try {
-    Console.setPretty(true);
-    Console.enableProgressDisplay(true);
-
-    buildmessage.enterJob({
-      title: "Downloading tools package " + toolsPkg + "@" + toolsVersion
-    }, function () {
-      tropohouse.default.maybeDownloadPackageForArchitectures({
-        packageName: toolsPkg,
-        version: toolsVersion,
-        architectures: [archinfo.host()],
-        definitelyNotLocal: true
+    Console.withProgressDisplayVisible(function () {
+      buildmessage.enterJob({
+        title: "Downloading tools package " + toolsPkg + "@" + toolsVersion
+      }, function () {
+        tropohouse.default.maybeDownloadPackageForArchitectures({
+          packageName: toolsPkg,
+          version: toolsVersion,
+          architectures: [archinfo.host()],
+          definitelyNotLocal: true
+        });
       });
     });
-
-    Console.enableProgressDisplay(false);
-    Console.setPretty(false);
   } catch (err) {
     // We have failed to download the tool that we are supposed to springboard
     // to! That's bad. Let's exit.
@@ -795,11 +791,9 @@ Fiber(function () {
         // Somehow we have a catalog that doesn't have any releases on the
         // default track. Try syncing, at least.  (This is a pretty unlikely
         // error case, since you should always start with a non-empty catalog.)
-        Console.setPretty(true);
-        Console.enableProgressDisplay(true);
-        alreadyRefreshed = catalog.refreshOrWarn();
-        Console.enableProgressDisplay(false);
-        Console.setPretty(false);
+        Console.withProgressDisplayVisible(function () {
+          alreadyRefreshed = catalog.refreshOrWarn();
+        });
         releaseName = release.latestKnown();
       }
       if (!releaseName) {
@@ -855,11 +849,9 @@ Fiber(function () {
         }
 
         // ATTEMPT 3: modern release, troposphere sync needed.
-        Console.setPretty(true);
-        Console.enableProgressDisplay(true);
-        alreadyRefreshed = catalog.refreshOrWarn();
-        Console.enableProgressDisplay(false);
-        Console.setPretty(false);
+        Console.withProgressDisplayVisible(function () {
+          alreadyRefreshed = catalog.refreshOrWarn();
+        });
 
         // Try to load the release even if the refresh failed, since it might
         // have failed on a later page than the one we needed.
@@ -1296,7 +1288,6 @@ commandName + ": You're not in a Meteor project directory.\n" +
     require('./profile-require.js').printReport();
 
   Console.setPretty(command.pretty);
-
   Console.enableProgressDisplay(true);
 
   // Run the command!