diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_check.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_check.go
index 3c4c9daa9..5f03c446b 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_check.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_check.go
@@ -226,7 +226,8 @@ func runCheck(ctx context.Context, opts CheckOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args
 	}
 
 	Verbosef("load indexes\n")
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(ctx)
+	bar := newIndexProgress(gopts.Quiet, gopts.JSON)
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(ctx, bar)
 
 	errorsFound := false
 	suggestIndexRebuild := false
diff --git a/internal/checker/checker.go b/internal/checker/checker.go
index 85e078a08..a5bb43731 100644
--- a/internal/checker/checker.go
+++ b/internal/checker/checker.go
@@ -113,13 +113,42 @@ func computePackTypes(ctx context.Context, idx restic.MasterIndex) map[restic.ID
 }
 
 // LoadIndex loads all index files.
-func (c *Checker) LoadIndex(ctx context.Context) (hints []error, errs []error) {
+func (c *Checker) LoadIndex(ctx context.Context, p *progress.Counter) (hints []error, errs []error) {
 	debug.Log("Start")
 
+	indexList, err := backend.MemorizeList(ctx, c.repo.Backend(), restic.IndexFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		// abort if an error occurs while listing the indexes
+		return hints, append(errs, err)
+	}
+
+	if p != nil {
+		var numIndexFiles uint64
+		err := indexList.List(ctx, restic.IndexFile, func(fi restic.FileInfo) error {
+			_, err := restic.ParseID(fi.Name)
+			if err != nil {
+				debug.Log("unable to parse %v as an ID", fi.Name)
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			numIndexFiles++
+			return nil
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return hints, append(errs, err)
+		}
+		p.SetMax(numIndexFiles)
+		defer p.Done()
+	}
+
 	packToIndex := make(map[restic.ID]restic.IDSet)
-	err := index.ForAllIndexes(ctx, c.repo.Backend(), c.repo, func(id restic.ID, index *index.Index, oldFormat bool, err error) error {
+	err = index.ForAllIndexes(ctx, indexList, c.repo, func(id restic.ID, index *index.Index, oldFormat bool, err error) error {
 		debug.Log("process index %v, err %v", id, err)
 
+		if p != nil {
+			p.Add(1)
+		}
+
 		if oldFormat {
 			debug.Log("index %v has old format", id)
 			hints = append(hints, &ErrOldIndexFormat{id})
diff --git a/internal/checker/checker_test.go b/internal/checker/checker_test.go
index 6405ecfbd..ee7e2867c 100644
--- a/internal/checker/checker_test.go
+++ b/internal/checker/checker_test.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func TestCheckRepo(t *testing.T) {
 	repo := repository.TestOpenLocal(t, repodir)
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func TestMissingPack(t *testing.T) {
 	test.OK(t, repo.Backend().Remove(context.TODO(), packHandle))
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestUnreferencedPack(t *testing.T) {
 	test.OK(t, repo.Backend().Remove(context.TODO(), indexHandle))
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func TestUnreferencedBlobs(t *testing.T) {
 	sort.Sort(unusedBlobsBySnapshot)
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, true)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ func TestModifiedIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) == 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected errors not found")
 	}
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func TestDuplicatePacksInIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	repo := repository.TestOpenLocal(t, repodir)
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(hints) == 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("did not get expected checker hints for duplicate packs in indexes")
 	}
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ func TestCheckerModifiedData(t *testing.T) {
 
 	chkr := checker.New(checkRepo, false)
 
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ func TestCheckerNoDuplicateTreeDecodes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	chkr := checker.New(checkRepo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ func TestCheckerBlobTypeConfusion(t *testing.T) {
 		delayRepo.Unblock()
 	}()
 
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(ctx)
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(ctx, nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
 	}
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ func loadBenchRepository(t *testing.B) (*checker.Checker, restic.Repository, fun
 	repo := repository.TestOpenLocal(t, repodir)
 
 	chkr := checker.New(repo, false)
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		defer cleanup()
 		t.Fatalf("expected no errors, got %v: %v", len(errs), errs)
diff --git a/internal/checker/testing.go b/internal/checker/testing.go
index 0668406d8..fe1679393 100644
--- a/internal/checker/testing.go
+++ b/internal/checker/testing.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 func TestCheckRepo(t testing.TB, repo restic.Repository) {
 	chkr := New(repo, true)
 
-	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := chkr.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	if len(errs) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("errors loading index: %v", errs)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/index/master_index_test.go b/internal/index/master_index_test.go
index 493d11ace..bf8ec3f41 100644
--- a/internal/index/master_index_test.go
+++ b/internal/index/master_index_test.go
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ func testIndexSave(t *testing.T, version uint) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	hints, errs := checker.LoadIndex(context.TODO())
+	hints, errs := checker.LoadIndex(context.TODO(), nil)
 	for _, h := range hints {
 		t.Logf("hint: %v\n", h)
 	}