diff --git a/osbuild/main_cli.py b/osbuild/main_cli.py
index 28d5f740b..3afd97c4a 100644
--- a/osbuild/main_cli.py
+++ b/osbuild/main_cli.py
@@ -163,8 +163,6 @@ def osbuild_cli() -> int:
     monitor_name = args.monitor
     if not monitor_name:
         monitor_name = "NullMonitor" if args.json else "LogMonitor"
-    monitor = osbuild.monitor.make(monitor_name, args.monitor_fd, manifest)
-    monitor.log(f"starting {args.manifest_path}", origin="osbuild.main_cli")
 
     try:
         with ObjectStore(args.store) as object_store:
@@ -175,6 +173,9 @@ def osbuild_cli() -> int:
             debug_break = args.debug_break
 
             pipelines = manifest.depsolve(object_store, exports)
+            total_steps = len(manifest.sources) + len(pipelines)
+            monitor = osbuild.monitor.make(monitor_name, args.monitor_fd, total_steps)
+            monitor.log(f"starting {args.manifest_path}", origin="osbuild.main_cli")
 
             manifest.download(object_store, monitor, args.libdir)
 
diff --git a/osbuild/monitor.py b/osbuild/monitor.py
index fd1201c78..eebc4cc19 100644
--- a/osbuild/monitor.py
+++ b/osbuild/monitor.py
@@ -211,10 +211,9 @@ def write(self, text: str):
 class BaseMonitor(abc.ABC):
     """Base class for all pipeline monitors"""
 
-    def __init__(self, fd: int, manifest: Optional[osbuild.Manifest] = None) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, fd: int, _: int = 0) -> None:
         """Logging will be done to file descriptor `fd`"""
         self.out = TextWriter(fd)
-        self.manifest = manifest
 
     def begin(self, pipeline: osbuild.Pipeline):
         """Called once at the beginning of a pipeline"""
@@ -251,8 +250,8 @@ class LogMonitor(BaseMonitor):
     sequences will be used to highlight sections of the log.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, fd: int, manifest: Optional[osbuild.Manifest] = None):
-        super().__init__(fd, manifest)
+    def __init__(self, fd: int, total_steps: int = 0):
+        super().__init__(fd, total_steps)
         self.timer_start = 0
 
     def result(self, result):
@@ -308,10 +307,10 @@ def log(self, message, origin: Optional[str] = None):
 class JSONSeqMonitor(BaseMonitor):
     """Monitor that prints the log output of modules wrapped in json-seq objects with context and progress metadata"""
 
-    def __init__(self, fd: int, manifest: osbuild.Manifest):
-        super().__init__(fd, manifest)
+    def __init__(self, fd: int, total_steps: int):
+        super().__init__(fd, total_steps)
         self._ctx_ids: Set[str] = set()
-        self._progress = Progress("pipelines/sources", len(manifest.pipelines) + len(manifest.sources))
+        self._progress = Progress("pipelines/sources", total_steps)
         self._context = Context(origin="org.osbuild")
 
     def begin(self, pipeline: osbuild.Pipeline):
@@ -353,11 +352,11 @@ def _jsonseq(self, entry):
         self.out.write("\n")
 
 
-def make(name, fd, manifest):
+def make(name: str, fd: int, total_steps: int) -> BaseMonitor:
     module = sys.modules[__name__]
     monitor = getattr(module, name, None)
     if not monitor:
         raise ValueError(f"Unknown monitor: {name}")
     if not issubclass(monitor, BaseMonitor):
         raise ValueError(f"Invalid monitor: {name}")
-    return monitor(fd, manifest)
+    return monitor(fd, total_steps)
diff --git a/test/mod/test_monitor.py b/test/mod/test_monitor.py
index 7626d9fb7..77e20ec3e 100644
--- a/test/mod/test_monitor.py
+++ b/test/mod/test_monitor.py
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ def test_json_progress_monitor():
     manifest.add_pipeline(pl2, "", "")
 
     with tempfile.TemporaryFile() as tf:
-        mon = JSONSeqMonitor(tf.fileno(), manifest)
+        mon = JSONSeqMonitor(tf.fileno(), len(manifest.sources)+len(manifest.pipelines))
         mon.log("test-message-1")
         mon.log("test-message-2", origin="test.origin.override")
         mon.begin(manifest.pipelines["test-pipeline-first"])