diff --git a/dvc/progress.py b/dvc/progress.py
index ea0faa2ca..b25f07d43 100644
--- a/dvc/progress.py
+++ b/dvc/progress.py
@@ -126,6 +126,16 @@ class Progress(object):
             self.refresh()
         self._lock.release()
 
+    def __call__(self, seq, name="", total=None):
+        if total is None:
+            total = len(seq)
+
+        self.update_target(name, 0, total)
+        for done, item in enumerate(seq, start=1):
+            yield item
+            self.update_target(name, done, total)
+        self.finish_target(name)
+
 
 class ProgressCallback(object):
     def __init__(self, total):
diff --git a/dvc/remote/base.py b/dvc/remote/base.py
index fa85fa170..870a51a55 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/base.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/base.py
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ from multiprocessing import cpu_count
 import dvc.prompt as prompt
 from dvc.config import Config
 from dvc.exceptions import DvcException, ConfirmRemoveError
-from dvc.utils import tmp_fname
+from dvc.progress import progress
+from dvc.utils import LARGE_DIR_SIZE, tmp_fname
 from dvc.state import StateBase
 
 
@@ -161,6 +162,15 @@ class RemoteBase(object):
         p_info = path_info.copy()
         dpath = p_info["path"]
         for root, dirs, files in self.walk(path_info):
+            if len(files) > LARGE_DIR_SIZE:
+                msg = (
+                    "Computing md5 for a large directory {}. "
+                    "This is only done once."
+                )
+                relpath = self.ospath.relpath(root)
+                logger.info(msg.format(relpath))
+                files = progress(files, name=relpath)
+
             for fname in files:
                 path = self.ospath.join(root, fname)
                 p_info["path"] = path
diff --git a/tests/func/test_remote.py b/tests/func/test_remote.py
index 528a8ff06..71f5ca0ad 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_remote.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_remote.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import configobj
+from mock import patch
 
 from dvc.main import main
 from dvc.command.remote import CmdRemoteAdd
@@ -169,3 +170,16 @@ class TestRemoteShouldHandleUppercaseRemoteName(TestDvc):
 
         ret = main(["push", "-r", self.upper_case_remote_name])
         self.assertEqual(ret, 0)
+
+
+def test_large_dir_progress(repo_dir, dvc):
+    from dvc.utils import LARGE_DIR_SIZE
+    from dvc.progress import progress
+
+    # Create a "large dir"
+    for i in range(LARGE_DIR_SIZE + 1):
+        repo_dir.create(os.path.join("gen", "{}.txt".format(i)), str(i))
+
+    with patch.object(progress, "update_target") as update_target:
+        dvc.add("gen")
+        assert update_target.called