diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 977940e..54785cb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.0.1-beta.25 (2026-06-25)
+
+### Improved — db push transport & progress (large-DB path)
+
+From round-3 feedback (a 166 MB full-parity push — the transform logic held; transport/progress needed polish):
+
+- **`db push` compresses the dump in transit** — scp now uses `-C` (SQL compresses ~5–10×), cutting upload time on large dumps. (#13)
+- **Non-interactive runs show progress** — when stdout isn't a TTY (pipe / CI / background), each phase prints a one-line marker to **stderr** (Backing up… / Uploading… / Importing… / Rewriting URLs…) instead of going silent until the final summary. (#14)
+- **`db push` summary reports timing** — adds an `elapsed: 144s (1.2 MB/s)` line. (#15)
+
 ## 0.0.1-beta.24 (2026-06-23)
 
 ### Added — db push prefix-safety, URL remap, sync mirroring & webroot, exec shell
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 71f8939..751cb3b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@instawp/cli",
-  "version": "0.0.1-beta.24",
+  "version": "0.0.1-beta.25",
   "description": "InstaWP CLI - Create and manage WordPress sites from the terminal",
   "type": "module",
   "bin": {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/output.test.ts b/src/__tests__/output.test.ts
index 4999089..a8747f7 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/output.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/output.test.ts
@@ -132,10 +132,27 @@ describe('output', () => {
       s.stop();
     });
 
-    it('returns an ora spinner in human mode', () => {
+    it('returns a working spinner in human mode', () => {
       const s = spinner('Loading...');
       expect(s.start).toBeTypeOf('function');
       expect(s.succeed).toBeTypeOf('function');
     });
+
+    it('emits a phase marker to stderr in non-TTY mode (heartbeat for long ops)', () => {
+      // The vitest runner is non-TTY, so spinner() returns the marker stub.
+      const spy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      spinner('Uploading...').start();
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(spy.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('Uploading...');
+    });
+
+    it('emits no marker in json mode (machine output stays clean)', () => {
+      setJsonMode(true);
+      const spy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      const s = spinner('Uploading...');
+      s.start();
+      s.succeed('done');
+      expect(spy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/__tests__/ssh-connection.test.ts b/src/__tests__/ssh-connection.test.ts
index f5faf68..8f01518 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/ssh-connection.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/ssh-connection.test.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ vi.mock('node:fs', async (importOriginal) => {
   };
 });
 
-const { spawnInteractiveSsh, execViaSsh, execViaSshStreamStdin, rsyncViaSsh } = await import('../lib/ssh-connection.js');
+const { spawnInteractiveSsh, execViaSsh, execViaSshStreamStdin, scpUpload, rsyncViaSsh } = await import('../lib/ssh-connection.js');
 
 const conn: SshConnection = {
   host: 'test.example.com',
@@ -140,6 +140,22 @@ describe('ssh-connection', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('scpUpload', () => {
+    it('enables compression (-C) and returns the exit code', () => {
+      mockSpawnSync.mockReturnValue({ status: 0, stdout: '', stderr: '' });
+
+      const code = scpUpload(conn, '/local/dump.sql', '/tmp/dump.sql');
+
+      expect(code).toBe(0);
+      const cmd = mockSpawnSync.mock.calls[0][0];
+      const args = mockSpawnSync.mock.calls[0][1] as string[];
+      expect(cmd).toBe('scp');
+      expect(args).toContain('-C');
+      expect(args).toContain('/local/dump.sql');
+      expect(args[args.length - 1]).toBe('testuser@test.example.com:/tmp/dump.sql');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('rsyncViaSsh', () => {
     it('builds correct rsync command for push', () => {
       mockSpawnSync.mockReturnValue({ status: 0 });
diff --git a/src/commands/db.ts b/src/commands/db.ts
index 4896445..5c794ae 100644
--- a/src/commands/db.ts
+++ b/src/commands/db.ts
@@ -221,6 +221,9 @@ Examples:
         }
       }
 
+      // Start the clock once the actual work begins (excludes prompt think-time).
+      const startedAt = Date.now();
+
       // Step 1: Backup
       if (takeBackup) {
         const backupSpin = spinner(`Backing up remote database to ~/${backupFilename}...`);
@@ -418,6 +421,10 @@ Examples:
         cleanupSpin.succeed('Cleanup complete');
       }
 
+      const elapsedSec = (Date.now() - startedAt) / 1000;
+      const rate = elapsedSec > 0 ? `${formatBytes(localSize / elapsedSec)}/s` : 'n/a';
+      const elapsedStr = `${elapsedSec < 10 ? elapsedSec.toFixed(1) : Math.round(elapsedSec)}s (${rate})`;
+
       success('Push complete', {
         site_id: site.id,
         backup_path: takeBackup ? backupRemotePath : null,
@@ -425,6 +432,7 @@ Examples:
         size_bytes: localSize,
         rewrote_prefix: remapFromPrefix ? `${remapFromPrefix} -> ${remotePrefix}` : null,
         search_replaced: srFrom && srTo ? `${srFrom} -> ${srTo}` : null,
+        elapsed: elapsedStr,
       });
 
       if (!isJsonMode() && takeBackup) {
diff --git a/src/lib/output.ts b/src/lib/output.ts
index 2e72e78..65ef03a 100644
--- a/src/lib/output.ts
+++ b/src/lib/output.ts
@@ -57,20 +57,32 @@ export function table(headers: string[], rows: Record<string, any>[]): void {
   console.log(t.toString());
 }
 
-function shouldSuppressSpinner(): boolean {
-  if (jsonMode) return true;
-  if (!process.stdout.isTTY) return true;
-  if (process.env.CI) return true;
-  if (process.env.INSTAWP_QUIET) return true;
-  if (process.env.NO_COLOR) return true;
-  return false;
+/** Truly silent: machine output (--json) or an explicit quiet request. */
+function spinnerSilent(): boolean {
+  return jsonMode || !!process.env.INSTAWP_QUIET;
 }
 
 export function spinner(text: string): Ora | { text: string; start: () => any; succeed: (t?: string) => void; fail: (t?: string) => void; stop: () => void } {
-  if (shouldSuppressSpinner()) {
+  if (spinnerSilent()) {
     return { text: '', start() { return this; }, succeed() {}, fail() {}, stop() {} };
   }
-  return ora(text);
+
+  // Animated spinner only on an interactive TTY (and when colors aren't disabled).
+  if (process.stdout.isTTY && !process.env.CI && !process.env.NO_COLOR) {
+    return ora(text);
+  }
+
+  // Non-interactive (pipe / CI / redirected / NO_COLOR): no animation, but emit
+  // one-line phase markers to STDERR so long operations show a heartbeat instead
+  // of going silent (e.g. a 144s db push looked hung). stderr keeps stdout/the
+  // final summary clean for capture. ora itself writes to stderr, so this matches.
+  return {
+    text,
+    start() { console.error(chalk.cyan('→') + ' ' + this.text); return this; },
+    succeed(t?: string) { console.error(chalk.green('✓') + ' ' + (t || this.text)); },
+    fail(t?: string) { console.error(chalk.red('✗') + ' ' + (t || this.text)); },
+    stop() {},
+  };
 }
 
 export function info(msg: string): void {
diff --git a/src/lib/ssh-connection.ts b/src/lib/ssh-connection.ts
index 53bba3e..77ac4dd 100644
--- a/src/lib/ssh-connection.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ssh-connection.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ function sshTarget(conn: SshConnection): string {
 function scpArgs(conn: SshConnection): string[] {
   ensureKnownHosts();
   return [
+    '-C', // compress in transit — SQL dumps compress ~5–10×; near-free on already-compressed inputs
     '-i', conn.privateKeyPath,
     '-P', String(conn.port),
     '-o', 'StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new',