diff --git a/simple_backup/simple_backup.py b/simple_backup/simple_backup.py
index 19e69b2..e73fb98 100755
--- a/simple_backup/simple_backup.py
+++ b/simple_backup/simple_backup.py
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import sys
 import os
 import pwd
-from typing import Callable, List, Optional, ParamSpec, TypedDict, TypeVar, Union
+import io
+import re
+from typing import Callable, Iterator, List, Optional, ParamSpec, TypedDict, TypeVar
 import warnings
 from functools import wraps
 from shutil import rmtree, which
@@ -647,24 +649,24 @@ class Backup:
             args.append('--rsync-path=sudo rsync')
 
         with Popen(args, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE, stderr=STDOUT, shell=False) as p:
-            output: Union[bytes, List[str]]
-            output, _ = p.communicate()
+            assert p.stdin is not None and isinstance(p.stdout, io.BufferedIOBase)
+            p.stdin.close()
+
+            output = [r for r in _read_records(p.stdout) if r != '']
 
             try:
                 del os.environ['SSHPASS']
             except KeyError:
                 pass
 
-            returncode = p.returncode
-
-        output = output.decode("utf-8").split('\n')
+            returncode = p.wait()
 
         if returncode == 0:
             if self._verbose:
                 logger.info('rsync: %s', output)
             else:
-                logger.info('rsync: %s', output[-3])
                 logger.info('rsync: %s', output[-2])
+                logger.info('rsync: %s', output[-1])
         else:
             self._returncode_log(returncode)
 
@@ -709,6 +711,21 @@ class Backup:
         return 0
 
 
+def _read_records(stream: io.BufferedIOBase) -> Iterator[str]:
+    """Yield rsync output as it arrives, split on '\\n' and '\\r' (which ends progress updates)"""
+
+    buffer = b''
+
+    while chunk := stream.read1(65536):
+        *records, buffer = re.split(rb'[\r\n]', buffer + chunk)
+
+        for r in records:
+            yield r.decode('utf-8', errors='replace')
+
+    if buffer != b'':
+        yield buffer.decode('utf-8', errors='replace')
+
+
 def _detect_user() -> Optional[str]:
     if os.geteuid() == 0:
         return os.getenv('SUDO_USER') or os.getenv('DOAS_USER')
diff --git a/tests/test_local.py b/tests/test_local.py
index 83a284a..0f2da3c 100644
--- a/tests/test_local.py
+++ b/tests/test_local.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Tests for local backups, with real rsync runs and with a fake Popen"""
 
+import io
 import os
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -195,6 +196,29 @@ class TestRsync:
         assert backups(out) == ['2026-10-14_11-00-00']
 
 
+class ChunkStream(io.BufferedIOBase):
+    """Returns the given chunks one per read1() call, like a pipe"""
+
+    def __init__(self, chunks: list[bytes]) -> None:
+        self.chunks = chunks
+
+    def read1(self, size: int = -1) -> bytes:
+        return self.chunks.pop(0) if self.chunks else b''
+
+
+class TestReadRecords:
+    def test_split_on_newline_and_cr(self) -> None:
+        stream = ChunkStream([b'file\n\r  1.00M  50%\r  2.00M 100%\n\nsent 1 bytes\ntotal'])
+
+        assert list(sb._read_records(stream)) == ['file', '', '  1.00M  50%', '  2.00M 100%', '', 'sent 1 bytes',
+                                                  'total']
+
+    def test_records_across_chunks(self) -> None:
+        stream = ChunkStream([b'fi', b'le\r', b'\nna', 'mé\n'.encode(), b'\xff\n'])
+
+        assert list(sb._read_records(stream)) == ['file', '', 'namé', '�']
+
+
 class FakePopen:
     """Stands in for rsync: creates the destination and returns a chosen return code"""
 
@@ -204,6 +228,8 @@ class FakePopen:
     def __init__(self, args: list[str], **kwargs: Any) -> None:
         FakePopen.calls.append(args)
         os.makedirs(args[args.index('/') + 1])
+        self.stdin = io.BytesIO()
+        self.stdout = io.BytesIO(b'sending incremental file list\nsent 1 bytes  received 2 bytes\ntotal size is 3\n')
 
     def __enter__(self) -> 'FakePopen':
         return self
@@ -211,8 +237,8 @@ class FakePopen:
     def __exit__(self, *args: Any) -> None:
         pass
 
-    def communicate(self) -> tuple[bytes, None]:
-        return b'sending incremental file list\nsent 1 bytes  received 2 bytes\ntotal size is 3\n', None
+    def wait(self) -> int:
+        return FakePopen.returncode
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
diff --git a/tests/test_remote.py b/tests/test_remote.py
index 9e3e7fb..18cc314 100644
--- a/tests/test_remote.py
+++ b/tests/test_remote.py
@@ -257,6 +257,8 @@ class RecordPopen:
 
     def __init__(self, args: list[str], **kwargs: Any) -> None:
         RecordPopen.calls.append(args)
+        self.stdin = io.BytesIO()
+        self.stdout = io.BytesIO(b'sent 1 bytes  received 2 bytes\ntotal size is 3\n')
 
     def __enter__(self) -> 'RecordPopen':
         return self
@@ -264,8 +266,8 @@ class RecordPopen:
     def __exit__(self, *args: Any) -> None:
         pass
 
-    def communicate(self) -> tuple[bytes, None]:
-        return b'sent 1 bytes  received 2 bytes\ntotal size is 3\n', None
+    def wait(self) -> int:
+        return RecordPopen.returncode
 
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures('connect')