diff --git a/cmd/cli/desktop/progress.go b/cmd/cli/desktop/progress.go
index c771b6c5..3dc2b714 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/desktop/progress.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/desktop/progress.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonmessage"
 	"github.com/docker/go-units"
 	"github.com/docker/model-runner/cmd/cli/pkg/standalone"
+	"github.com/docker/model-runner/pkg/distribution/oci"
 )
 
 // DisplayProgress displays progress messages from a model pull/push operation
@@ -155,6 +156,9 @@ func writeDockerProgress(w io.Writer, msg *ProgressMessage, layerStatus map[stri
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	// Detect if this is a push operation based on the sentinel layer ID
+	isPush := layerID == oci.UploadingLayerID
+
 	// Determine status based on progress
 	var status string
 	var progressDetail *jsonmessage.JSONProgress
@@ -162,13 +166,21 @@ func writeDockerProgress(w io.Writer, msg *ProgressMessage, layerStatus map[stri
 	if msg.Layer.Current == 0 {
 		status = "Waiting"
 	} else if msg.Layer.Current < msg.Layer.Size {
-		status = "Downloading"
+		if isPush {
+			status = "Uploading"
+		} else {
+			status = "Downloading"
+		}
 		progressDetail = &jsonmessage.JSONProgress{
 			Current: int64(msg.Layer.Current),
 			Total:   int64(msg.Layer.Size),
 		}
 	} else if msg.Layer.Current >= msg.Layer.Size && msg.Layer.Size > 0 {
-		status = "Pull complete"
+		if isPush {
+			status = "Push complete"
+		} else {
+			status = "Pull complete"
+		}
 		progressDetail = &jsonmessage.JSONProgress{
 			Current: int64(msg.Layer.Current),
 			Total:   int64(msg.Layer.Size),
diff --git a/pkg/distribution/internal/progress/reporter.go b/pkg/distribution/internal/progress/reporter.go
index acfcf15d..b5e0cf74 100644
--- a/pkg/distribution/internal/progress/reporter.go
+++ b/pkg/distribution/internal/progress/reporter.go
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (r *Reporter) Updates() chan<- oci.Update {
 			now := time.Now()
 			var layerSize uint64
 			var layerID string
-			if r.layer != nil { // In case of Push there is no layer yet
+			if r.layer != nil { // In case of Pull
 				id, err := r.layer.DiffID()
 				if err != nil {
 					r.err = err
@@ -97,8 +97,10 @@ func (r *Reporter) Updates() chan<- oci.Update {
 					continue
 				}
 				layerSize = safeUint64(size)
-			} else {
-				layerSize = safeUint64(p.Total)
+			} else { // In case of Push there is no layer yet
+				// Use imageSize as layer is not known at this point
+				layerSize = r.imageSize
+				layerID = oci.UploadingLayerID // Fake ID for push operations to enable progress display
 			}
 			incrementalBytes := p.Complete - lastComplete
 
diff --git a/pkg/distribution/oci/progress.go b/pkg/distribution/oci/progress.go
index 9e2026bf..d65ae237 100644
--- a/pkg/distribution/oci/progress.go
+++ b/pkg/distribution/oci/progress.go
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package oci
 
+// UploadingLayerID is a sentinel layer ID used to identify push operations.
+// During push, there is no real layer available yet, so this fake ID signals
+// that the operation is an upload rather than a download.
+const UploadingLayerID = "uploading"
+
 // Update represents a progress update during image operations.
 type Update struct {
 	Complete int64
diff --git a/pkg/distribution/oci/remote/remote.go b/pkg/distribution/oci/remote/remote.go
index d7344bfe..ce9d9888 100644
--- a/pkg/distribution/oci/remote/remote.go
+++ b/pkg/distribution/oci/remote/remote.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/core/remotes/docker"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/v2/plugins/content/local"
 	"github.com/containerd/errdefs"
+	"github.com/docker/model-runner/pkg/distribution/internal/progress"
 	"github.com/docker/model-runner/pkg/distribution/oci"
 	"github.com/docker/model-runner/pkg/distribution/oci/authn"
 	"github.com/docker/model-runner/pkg/distribution/oci/reference"
@@ -771,7 +772,14 @@ func Write(ref reference.Reference, img oci.Image, opts ...Option) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("pushing layer: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		if _, err := io.Copy(cw, rc); err != nil {
+		// Wrap the reader with progress tracking to report incremental upload progress
+		// Uses the shared progress.Reader from internal/progress package
+		var reader io.Reader = rc
+		if o.progress != nil {
+			reader = progress.NewReaderWithOffset(rc, o.progress, completed)
+		}
+
+		if _, err := io.Copy(cw, reader); err != nil {
 			cw.Close()
 			rc.Close()
 			closeProgress(o.progress)