diff --git a/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go b/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go
index c7262f80e..b5b813a48 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/cvo_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	apiextclientv1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/client/clientset/clientset/typed/apiextensions/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	clientset "github.com/openshift/client-go/config/clientset/versioned"
 	"github.com/openshift/client-go/config/clientset/versioned/fake"
 
+	"github.com/openshift/cluster-version-operator/lib"
 	"github.com/openshift/cluster-version-operator/pkg/payload"
 )
 
@@ -881,6 +883,21 @@ func TestOperator_sync(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "after desired update is cancelled, revert to progressing",
 			syncStatus: &SyncWorkerStatus{
 				Actual:   configv1.Update{Image: "image/image:v4.0.1", Version: "4.0.1"},
+				Current:  []*payload.Task{
+					{
+						Manifest: &lib.Manifest{
+							GVK: schema.GroupVersionKind{Kind: "Deployment", Version: "v1"},
+							Obj: &unstructured.Unstructured{
+								Object: map[string]interface{}{
+									"metadata": map[string]interface{}{
+										"namespace": "openshift-cluster-version",
+										"name":      "cluster-verion-operator",
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
 				Fraction: 0.334,
 			},
 			optr: Operator{
@@ -978,7 +995,7 @@ func TestOperator_sync(t *testing.T) {
 							{Type: configv1.OperatorAvailable, Status: configv1.ConditionFalse},
 							{Type: configv1.OperatorFailing, Status: configv1.ConditionFalse},
 							// we correct the message that was incorrect from the previous state
-							{Type: configv1.OperatorProgressing, Status: configv1.ConditionTrue, Message: "Working towards 4.0.1: 33% complete"},
+							{Type: configv1.OperatorProgressing, Status: configv1.ConditionTrue, Message: "Working towards 4.0.1: 33% complete (Deployment openshift-cluster-version/cluster-verion-operator)"},
 							{Type: configv1.RetrievedUpdates, Status: configv1.ConditionFalse},
 						},
 					},
diff --git a/pkg/cvo/status.go b/pkg/cvo/status.go
index f58b89572..1e4b5fc74 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/status.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/status.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 
@@ -259,7 +260,11 @@ func (optr *Operator) syncStatus(original, config *configv1.ClusterVersion, stat
 			case len(validationErrs) > 0:
 				message = fmt.Sprintf("Reconciling %s: the cluster version is invalid", version)
 			case status.Fraction > 0:
-				message = fmt.Sprintf("Working towards %s: %.0f%% complete", version, status.Fraction*100)
+				tasks := make([]string, 0, len(status.Current))
+				for _, task := range status.Current {
+					tasks = append(tasks, task.KindName())
+				}
+				message = fmt.Sprintf("Working towards %s: %.0f%% complete (%s)", version, status.Fraction*100, strings.Join(tasks, ", "))
 			case status.Step == "RetrievePayload":
 				if len(reason) == 0 {
 					reason = "DownloadingUpdate"
diff --git a/pkg/cvo/sync_worker.go b/pkg/cvo/sync_worker.go
index 96e0f165e..a627c5463 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/sync_worker.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/sync_worker.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type SyncWorkerStatus struct {
 	Step    string
 	Failure error
 
+	Current  []*payload.Task
 	Fraction float32
 
 	Completed   int
@@ -480,17 +481,21 @@ func (w *SyncWorker) apply(ctx context.Context, payloadUpdate *payload.Update, w
 
 			glog.V(4).Infof("Running sync for %s", task)
 			glog.V(5).Infof("Manifest: %s", string(task.Manifest.Raw))
+			cr.BeginTask(task)
 
 			ov, ok := getOverrideForManifest(work.Overrides, task.Manifest)
 			if ok && ov.Unmanaged {
+				cr.FinishTask(task, false)
 				glog.V(4).Infof("Skipping %s as unmanaged", task)
 				continue
 			}
 
 			if err := task.Run(ctx, version, w.builder, work.State); err != nil {
+				cr.FinishTask(task, false)
 				return err
 			}
-			cr.Inc()
+
+			cr.FinishTask(task, true)
 			glog.V(4).Infof("Done syncing for %s", task)
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -530,10 +535,34 @@ type consistentReporter struct {
 	reporter  StatusReporter
 }
 
-func (r *consistentReporter) Inc() {
+// Begin task appends the given task to status.Current.
+func (r *consistentReporter) BeginTask(task *payload.Task) {
+	r.lock.Lock()
+	defer r.lock.Unlock()
+	r.status.Current = append(r.status.Current, task)
+}
+
+// FinishTask atomically removes the given task from status.Current
+// and, if success is true, increments done.
+func (r *consistentReporter) FinishTask(task *payload.Task, success bool) {
 	r.lock.Lock()
 	defer r.lock.Unlock()
-	r.done++
+
+	if success {
+		r.done++
+	}
+
+	for i, tsk := range r.status.Current {
+		if tsk == task {
+			copy(r.status.Current[i:], r.status.Current[i+1:])
+			r.status.Current[len(r.status.Current)-1] = nil
+			r.status.Current = r.status.Current[:len(r.status.Current)-1]
+			if len(r.status.Current) == 0 {
+				r.status.Current = nil
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (r *consistentReporter) Update() {
@@ -543,6 +572,7 @@ func (r *consistentReporter) Update() {
 	metricPayload.WithLabelValues(r.version, "applied").Set(float64(r.done))
 	copied := r.status
 	copied.Step = "ApplyResources"
+	copied.Current = append([]*payload.Task(nil), r.status.Current...)
 	copied.Fraction = float32(r.done) / float32(r.total)
 	r.reporter.Report(copied)
 }
@@ -552,6 +582,7 @@ func (r *consistentReporter) Error(err error) {
 	defer r.lock.Unlock()
 	copied := r.status
 	copied.Step = "ApplyResources"
+	copied.Current = append([]*payload.Task(nil), r.status.Current...)
 	copied.Fraction = float32(r.done) / float32(r.total)
 	copied.Failure = err
 	r.reporter.Report(copied)
@@ -572,6 +603,7 @@ func (r *consistentReporter) Complete() {
 	copied.Completed = r.completed + 1
 	copied.Initial = false
 	copied.Reconciling = true
+	copied.Current = nil
 	copied.Fraction = 1
 	r.reporter.Report(copied)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cvo/sync_worker_test.go b/pkg/cvo/sync_worker_test.go
index 5e122ddc8..c351e07fe 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/sync_worker_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/sync_worker_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cvo
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ func Test_statusWrapper_Report(t *testing.T) {
 					if !ok {
 						t.Fatalf("no event")
 					}
-					if evt != tt.next {
+					if !reflect.DeepEqual(evt, tt.next) {
 						t.Fatalf("unexpected: %#v", evt)
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/payload/task.go b/pkg/payload/task.go
index ae38983c7..de1ef346a 100644
--- a/pkg/payload/task.go
+++ b/pkg/payload/task.go
@@ -51,6 +51,15 @@ func (st *Task) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s \"%s/%s\" (%d of %d)", strings.ToLower(st.Manifest.GVK.Kind), ns, st.Manifest.Object().GetName(), st.Index, st.Total)
 }
 
+// KindName returns the kind, namespace (if set), and name of the task.
+func (st *Task) KindName() string {
+	ns := st.Manifest.Object().GetNamespace()
+	if len(ns) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", st.Manifest.GVK.Kind, st.Manifest.Object().GetName())
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s/%s", st.Manifest.GVK.Kind, ns, st.Manifest.Object().GetName())
+}
+
 // Run attempts to create the provided object until it succeeds or context is cancelled. It returns the
 // last error if context is cancelled.
 func (st *Task) Run(ctx context.Context, version string, builder ResourceBuilder, state State) error {