diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 1ba428b8..a95734c8 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+- vips_sink_screen() should create its output images
+
+
 - how about something like vips_grid() which turns a tall thin one-band 
   image into a much smaller many-band image?
 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
index 47eb77fa..29a92a00 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/foreign.c
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
  * 	- pack and unpack rad to scrgb
  * 18/8/14
  * 	- fix conversion to 16-bit RGB, thanks John
+ * 18/6/15
+ * 	- forward progress signals from load
  */
 
 /*
@@ -758,6 +760,31 @@ vips_foreign_load_iscompat( VipsImage *a, VipsImage *b )
 	return( TRUE );
 }
 
+/* Forward pre-eval-post signals to our output image so our caller can see
+ * progress for load via disc or memory.
+ */
+
+static void
+vips_foreign_load_preeval( VipsImage *image, 
+	VipsProgress *progress, VipsForeignLoad *load )
+{
+	vips_image_preeval( load->out );
+}
+
+static void
+vips_foreign_load_eval( VipsImage *image, 
+	VipsProgress *progress, VipsForeignLoad *load )
+{
+	vips_image_eval( load->out, progress->npels );
+}
+
+static void
+vips_foreign_load_posteval( VipsImage *image, 
+	VipsProgress *progress, VipsForeignLoad *load )
+{
+	vips_image_posteval( load->out );
+}
+
 /* Our start function ... do the lazy open, if necessary, and return a region
  * on the new image.
  */
@@ -775,8 +802,20 @@ vips_foreign_load_start( VipsImage *out, void *a, void *b )
 		printf( "vips_foreign_load_start: triggering ->load()\n" );
 #endif /*DEBUG*/
 
-		/* Read the image in.
+		/* Read the image in. This may involve a long computation and
+		 * will finish with load->real holding the decompressed image. 
+		 *
+		 * We want our caller to be able to see this computation on
+		 * @out, so we need to forward the signals.
 		 */
+		g_signal_connect( load->real, "preeval",
+			G_CALLBACK( vips_foreign_load_preeval ), load );
+		g_signal_connect( load->real, "eval",
+			G_CALLBACK( vips_foreign_load_eval ), load );
+		g_signal_connect( load->real, "posteval",
+			G_CALLBACK( vips_foreign_load_posteval ), load );
+		vips_image_set_progress( load->real, TRUE );
+
 		if( class->load( load ) ||
 			vips_image_pio_input( load->real ) ) 
 			return( NULL );
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
index dd05d686..55c8c6aa 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ vips_image_save_cb( VipsImage *image, int *result )
 /* Progress feedback. 
  */
 
-static int
+static void
 vips_image_preeval_cb( VipsImage *image, VipsProgress *progress, int *last )
 {
 	int tile_width; 
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ vips_image_preeval_cb( VipsImage *image, VipsProgress *progress, int *last )
 	int nlines;
 
 	if( vips_image_get_typeof( image, "hide-progress" ) )
-		return( 0 ); 
+		return;
 
 	*last = -1;
 
@@ -766,15 +766,13 @@ vips_image_preeval_cb( VipsImage *image, VipsProgress *progress, int *last )
 		vips_concurrency_get(),
 		tile_width, tile_height, nlines );
 	printf( "\n" );
-
-	return( 0 );
 }
 
-static int
+static void
 vips_image_eval_cb( VipsImage *image, VipsProgress *progress, int *last )
 {
 	if( vips_image_get_typeof( image, "hide-progress" ) )
-		return( 0 ); 
+		return;
 
 	if( progress->percent != *last ) {
 		printf( _( "%s %s: %d%% complete" ), 
@@ -789,23 +787,19 @@ vips_image_eval_cb( VipsImage *image, VipsProgress *progress, int *last )
 		vips_region_dump_all();
 		 */
 	}
-
-	return( 0 );
 }
 
-static int
+static void
 vips_image_posteval_cb( VipsImage *image, VipsProgress *progress )
 {
 	if( vips_image_get_typeof( image, "hide-progress" ) )
-		return( 0 ); 
+		return;
 
 	/* Spaces at end help to erase the %complete message we overwrite.
 	 */
 	printf( _( "%s %s: done in %.3gs          \n" ), 
 		g_get_prgname(), image->filename, 
 		g_timer_elapsed( progress->start, NULL ) );
-
-	return( 0 );
 }
 
 /* Attach progress feedback, if required.