diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ce110e9..ffd71d0 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
-project(fun VERSION 0.37.47 LANGUAGES C)
+project(fun VERSION 0.37.48 LANGUAGES C)
 
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 99)
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
diff --git a/examples/progress.fun b/examples/progress.fun
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..82f754b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/progress.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env fun
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2025 Johannes Findeisen <you@hanez.org>
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-01-12
+ */
+
+// Demonstrates system library includes after installation to /usr/lib/fun
+
+// includes can also be done with a leading # like in C, but some programmers maybe like more clean code without a
+// leading #.
+include <io/console.fun>
+include <utils/datetime.fun>  // for sleep()
+
+c = Console()
+
+print("Progress demo: 0..100")
+
+total = 100
+for i in range(0, total + 1)
+  c.progress(i, total, "Downloading")
+  sleep(30)  // milliseconds
+
+print("\nMultiple phases demo")
+
+// Phase 1
+phase_total = 40
+for i in range(0, phase_total + 1)
+  c.progress(i, phase_total, "Phase 1")
+  sleep(20)
+
+// Phase 2
+phase_total = 60
+for i in range(0, phase_total + 1)
+  c.progress(i, phase_total, "Phase 2")
+  sleep(15)
diff --git a/examples/progress_inline.fun b/examples/progress_inline.fun
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42cb3b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/progress_inline.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env fun
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://fun-lang.xyz/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2026-01-13
+ */
+
+// Realtime progress bar demo without printing extra newlines.
+// It only updates a single console line in-place. The progress()
+// helper emits one trailing newline automatically at 100%.
+
+include <io/console.fun>
+include <utils/datetime.fun>  // for sleep()
+
+c = Console()
+
+total = 100
+for i in range(0, total + 1)
+  c.progress(i, total, "Downloading")
+  sleep(20)  // milliseconds
+
+// Done. No additional prints/newlines here; progress() already
+// finalized the line when it reached 100%.
diff --git a/lib/io/console.fun b/lib/io/console.fun
index c312e8f..c7f76ba 100644
--- a/lib/io/console.fun
+++ b/lib/io/console.fun
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <strings.fun>
+#include <io/process.fun>
 
 class Console()
   // Print a prompt and read a line (no trailing newline)
@@ -48,5 +49,65 @@ class Console()
         return 0
       // otherwise loop again
 
-  fun progress(this, length)
-    return length
+  // Internal: best-effort terminal columns via `tput cols` (fallback to 80)
+  fun term_cols(this)
+    // Use builtin proc_run directly to avoid any method dispatch quirks
+    r = proc_run("tput cols")
+    if (r["code"] == 0)
+      s = str_trim(r["out"])   // trim trailing newline
+      if (len(s) > 0)
+        n = to_number(s)
+        if (n > 0)
+          return n
+    // Fallback if tput not available or not a TTY
+    return 80
+
+  // Draw/update a full-width progress bar on a single console line.
+  // - current: Number (0..total)
+  // - total:   Number (>0)
+  // - label:   Optional text shown left of the bar
+  // Returns the integer percent [0..100]. Adds a newline automatically at 100%.
+  fun progress(this, current, total, label)
+    cur = to_number(current)
+    tot = to_number(total)
+    if (tot <= 0)
+      tot = 1
+    pct = to_number((cur * 100) / tot)
+    if (pct < 0)
+      pct = 0
+    if (pct > 100)
+      pct = 100
+
+    cols = this.term_cols()
+
+    lbl = to_string(label)
+    if (len(lbl) > 0)
+      prefix = lbl + " "
+    else
+      prefix = ""
+
+    perc_str = to_string(pct) + "%"
+    // We render: [====....] plus percent; keep the whole line within terminal width
+    // Compute bar width: terminal cols minus prefix, brackets, space, and percent.
+    fixed = len(prefix) + 2 + 1 + len(perc_str)   // [] + space + percent
+    bar_w = cols - fixed
+    if (bar_w < 10)
+      bar_w = 10  // minimal bar width for visibility
+
+    filled = to_number((bar_w * pct) / 100)
+    if (filled < 0)
+      filled = 0
+    if (filled > bar_w)
+      filled = bar_w
+
+    bar = "[" + str_repeat("=", filled) + str_repeat(" ", bar_w - filled) + "]"
+    line = prefix + bar + " " + perc_str
+
+    // In-place update: CR + full-width content (we already fit to cols), no newline
+    echo("\r" + line)
+
+    // When done, end the line cleanly
+    if (cur >= tot)
+      print("")
+
+    return pct
diff --git a/src/vm.c b/src/vm.c
index f21d110..61e347f 100644
--- a/src/vm.c
+++ b/src/vm.c
@@ -503,10 +503,6 @@ void vm_print_output(VM *vm) {
             printf("\n");
         }
     }
-    /* If the last item was partial (from echo), terminate the line for cleanliness */
-    if (vm->output_count > 0 && vm->output_is_partial[vm->output_count - 1]) {
-        printf("\n");
-    }
 }
 
 void vm_run(VM *vm, Bytecode *entry) {
@@ -853,6 +849,18 @@ void vm_run(VM *vm, Bytecode *entry) {
                 }
                 break;
         }
+
+        /* Stream console output in realtime for scripts:
+         * When PRINT/ECHO pushed items into the VM's output buffer, flush them
+         * immediately to stdout and clear the buffer to avoid end-of-run bursts.
+         * This keeps REPL compatibility (REPL still prints after each submit),
+         * while regular script execution shows progress bars live.
+         */
+        if (inst.op == OP_PRINT || inst.op == OP_ECHO) {
+            vm_print_output(vm);
+            vm_clear_output(vm);
+            fflush(stdout);
+        }
     }
     g_active_vm = NULL;
 }