diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_generate.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_generate.go
index 3c5ddffd5..b1dfcee5d 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_generate.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_generate.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/terminal"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/ui/progress"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/ui/termstatus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra/doc"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -30,7 +32,9 @@ Exit status is 1 if there was any error.
 `,
 		DisableAutoGenTag: true,
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			return runGenerate(opts, args)
+			term, cancel := setupTermstatus()
+			defer cancel()
+			return runGenerate(opts, globalOptions, args, term)
 		},
 	}
 	opts.AddFlags(cmd.Flags())
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@ func (opts *generateOptions) AddFlags(f *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	f.StringVar(&opts.PowerShellCompletionFile, "powershell-completion", "", "write powershell completion `file` (`-` for stdout)")
 }
 
-func writeManpages(root *cobra.Command, dir string) error {
+func writeManpages(root *cobra.Command, dir string, printer progress.Printer) error {
 	// use a fixed date for the man pages so that generating them is deterministic
 	date, err := time.Parse("Jan 2006", "Jan 2017")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -67,13 +71,13 @@ func writeManpages(root *cobra.Command, dir string) error {
 		Date:    &date,
 	}
 
-	Verbosef("writing man pages to directory %v\n", dir)
+	printer.P("writing man pages to directory %v", dir)
 	return doc.GenManTree(root, header, dir)
 }
 
-func writeCompletion(filename string, shell string, generate func(w io.Writer) error) (err error) {
+func writeCompletion(filename string, shell string, generate func(w io.Writer) error, printer progress.Printer) (err error) {
 	if terminal.StdoutIsTerminal() {
-		Verbosef("writing %s completion file to %v\n", shell, filename)
+		printer.P("writing %s completion file to %v", shell, filename)
 	}
 	var outWriter io.Writer
 	if filename != "-" {
@@ -111,15 +115,16 @@ func checkStdoutForSingleShell(opts generateOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func runGenerate(opts generateOptions, args []string) error {
+func runGenerate(opts generateOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []string, term *termstatus.Terminal) error {
 	if len(args) > 0 {
 		return errors.Fatal("the generate command expects no arguments, only options - please see `restic help generate` for usage and flags")
 	}
 
+	printer := newTerminalProgressPrinter(gopts.JSON, gopts.verbosity, term)
 	cmdRoot := newRootCommand()
 
 	if opts.ManDir != "" {
-		err := writeManpages(cmdRoot, opts.ManDir)
+		err := writeManpages(cmdRoot, opts.ManDir, printer)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -131,28 +136,28 @@ func runGenerate(opts generateOptions, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	if opts.BashCompletionFile != "" {
-		err := writeCompletion(opts.BashCompletionFile, "bash", cmdRoot.GenBashCompletion)
+		err := writeCompletion(opts.BashCompletionFile, "bash", cmdRoot.GenBashCompletion, printer)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
 	if opts.FishCompletionFile != "" {
-		err := writeCompletion(opts.FishCompletionFile, "fish", func(w io.Writer) error { return cmdRoot.GenFishCompletion(w, true) })
+		err := writeCompletion(opts.FishCompletionFile, "fish", func(w io.Writer) error { return cmdRoot.GenFishCompletion(w, true) }, printer)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
 	if opts.ZSHCompletionFile != "" {
-		err := writeCompletion(opts.ZSHCompletionFile, "zsh", cmdRoot.GenZshCompletion)
+		err := writeCompletion(opts.ZSHCompletionFile, "zsh", cmdRoot.GenZshCompletion, printer)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
 	if opts.PowerShellCompletionFile != "" {
-		err := writeCompletion(opts.PowerShellCompletionFile, "powershell", cmdRoot.GenPowerShellCompletion)
+		err := writeCompletion(opts.PowerShellCompletionFile, "powershell", cmdRoot.GenPowerShellCompletion, printer)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_generate_integration_test.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_generate_integration_test.go
index 0480abc04..0a5d4361a 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_generate_integration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_generate_integration_test.go
@@ -1,13 +1,23 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	rtest "github.com/restic/restic/internal/test"
+	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/ui/termstatus"
 )
 
+func testRunGenerate(gopts GlobalOptions, opts generateOptions) ([]byte, error) {
+	buf, err := withCaptureStdout(gopts, func(gopts GlobalOptions) error {
+		return withTermStatus(gopts, func(ctx context.Context, term *termstatus.Terminal) error {
+			return runGenerate(opts, gopts, []string{}, term)
+		})
+	})
+	return buf.Bytes(), err
+}
+
 func TestGenerateStdout(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -21,20 +31,14 @@ func TestGenerateStdout(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
-			globalOptions.stdout = buf
-			err := runGenerate(tc.opts, []string{})
+			output, err := testRunGenerate(globalOptions, tc.opts)
 			rtest.OK(t, err)
-			completionString := buf.String()
-			rtest.Assert(t, strings.Contains(completionString, "# "+tc.name+" completion for restic"), "has no expected completion header")
+			rtest.Assert(t, strings.Contains(string(output), "# "+tc.name+" completion for restic"), "has no expected completion header")
 		})
 	}
 
 	t.Run("Generate shell completions to stdout for two shells", func(t *testing.T) {
-		buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
-		globalOptions.stdout = buf
-		opts := generateOptions{BashCompletionFile: "-", FishCompletionFile: "-"}
-		err := runGenerate(opts, []string{})
+		_, err := testRunGenerate(globalOptions, generateOptions{BashCompletionFile: "-", FishCompletionFile: "-"})
 		rtest.Assert(t, err != nil, "generate shell completions to stdout for two shells fails")
 	})
 }