diff --git a/linkcheck/Config.py b/linkcheck/Config.py
index 5417f064..bad69fc7 100644
--- a/linkcheck/Config.py
+++ b/linkcheck/Config.py
@@ -406,6 +406,8 @@ class Configuration (dict):
         except ConfigParser.Error, msg: debug(NIGHTMARE, msg)
         try: self["quiet"] = cfgparser.getboolean(section, "quiet")
         except ConfigParser.Error, msg: debug(NIGHTMARE, msg)
+        try: self["status"] = cfgparser.getboolean(section, "status")
+        except ConfigParser.Error, msg: debug(NIGHTMARE, msg)
         try: self["warnings"] = cfgparser.getboolean(section, "warnings")
         except ConfigParser.Error, msg: debug(NIGHTMARE, msg)
         try:
diff --git a/linkchecker b/linkchecker
index cb1f3dbf..b215d2a9 100755
--- a/linkchecker
+++ b/linkchecker
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ For single-letter option arguments the space is not a necessity. So
         For local file urls, only local files are internal. For
         http and ftp urls, all urls at the same domain name are internal.
 --status
-        Regularly print numbers of urls checked and still to check.
+        Print check status every 5 seconds to stderr.
 -t num, --threads=num
         Generate no more than num threads. Default number of threads is 5.
         To disable threading specify a non-positive number.
diff --git a/linkchecker.1 b/linkchecker.1
index 437fe5bd..c4af7598 100644
--- a/linkchecker.1
+++ b/linkchecker.1
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ Check only the syntax of external links, do not try to connect to them.
 For local file urls, only local files are internal. For
 http and ftp urls, all urls at the same domain name are internal.
 .TP
+\fB--status\fP
+Print check status every 5 seconds to stderr.
+.TP
 \fB-t \fInum\fP, \fB--threads=\fInum\fP
 Generate no more than \fInum\fP threads. Default number of threads is 5.
 To disable threading specify a non-positive number.