diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/ProgressBar.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/ProgressBar.php
index 7f4b2efb8d..0b64b18a1d 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/ProgressBar.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/ProgressBar.php
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ class ProgressBar
     private $barChar;
     private $emptyBarChar = '-';
     private $progressChar = '>';
-    private $format = null;
+    private $format;
+    private $internalFormat;
     private $redrawFreq = 1;
 
     /**
@@ -72,8 +73,6 @@ class ProgressBar
             }
         }
 
-        $this->setFormat($this->determineBestFormat());
-
         $this->startTime = time();
     }
 
@@ -310,16 +309,8 @@ class ProgressBar
      */
     public function setFormat($format)
     {
-        // try to use the _nomax variant if available
-        if (!$this->max && null !== self::getFormatDefinition($format.'_nomax')) {
-            $this->format = self::getFormatDefinition($format.'_nomax');
-        } elseif (null !== self::getFormatDefinition($format)) {
-            $this->format = self::getFormatDefinition($format);
-        } else {
-            $this->format = $format;
-        }
-
-        $this->formatLineCount = substr_count($this->format, "\n");
+        $this->format = null;
+        $this->internalFormat = $format;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -441,6 +432,10 @@ class ProgressBar
             return;
         }
 
+        if (null === $this->format) {
+            $this->setRealFormat($this->internalFormat ?: $this->determineBestFormat());
+        }
+
         // these 3 variables can be removed in favor of using $this in the closure when support for PHP 5.3 will be dropped.
         $self = $this;
         $output = $this->output;
@@ -475,9 +470,32 @@ class ProgressBar
             return;
         }
 
+        if (null === $this->format) {
+            $this->setRealFormat($this->internalFormat ?: $this->determineBestFormat());
+        }
+
         $this->overwrite(str_repeat("\n", $this->formatLineCount));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the progress bar format.
+     *
+     * @param string $format The format
+     */
+    private function setRealFormat($format)
+    {
+        // try to use the _nomax variant if available
+        if (!$this->max && null !== self::getFormatDefinition($format.'_nomax')) {
+            $this->format = self::getFormatDefinition($format.'_nomax');
+        } elseif (null !== self::getFormatDefinition($format)) {
+            $this->format = self::getFormatDefinition($format);
+        } else {
+            $this->format = $format;
+        }
+
+        $this->formatLineCount = substr_count($this->format, "\n");
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the progress bar maximal steps.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/ProgressBarTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/ProgressBarTest.php
index 78f537543e..7d18c11847 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/ProgressBarTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/ProgressBarTest.php
@@ -106,6 +106,53 @@ class ProgressBarTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         );
     }
 
+    public function testFormat()
+    {
+        $expected =
+            $this->generateOutput('  0/10 [>---------------------------]   0%').
+            $this->generateOutput(' 10/10 [============================] 100%').
+            $this->generateOutput(' 10/10 [============================] 100%')
+        ;
+
+        // max in construct, no format
+        $bar = new ProgressBar($output = $this->getOutputStream(), 10);
+        $bar->start();
+        $bar->advance(10);
+        $bar->finish();
+
+        rewind($output->getStream());
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, stream_get_contents($output->getStream()));
+
+        // max in start, no format
+        $bar = new ProgressBar($output = $this->getOutputStream());
+        $bar->start(10);
+        $bar->advance(10);
+        $bar->finish();
+
+        rewind($output->getStream());
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, stream_get_contents($output->getStream()));
+
+        // max in construct, explicit format before
+        $bar = new ProgressBar($output = $this->getOutputStream(), 10);
+        $bar->setFormat('normal');
+        $bar->start();
+        $bar->advance(10);
+        $bar->finish();
+
+        rewind($output->getStream());
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, stream_get_contents($output->getStream()));
+
+        // max in start, explicit format before
+        $bar = new ProgressBar($output = $this->getOutputStream());
+        $bar->setFormat('normal');
+        $bar->start(10);
+        $bar->advance(10);
+        $bar->finish();
+
+        rewind($output->getStream());
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, stream_get_contents($output->getStream()));
+    }
+
     public function testCustomizations()
     {
         $bar = new ProgressBar($output = $this->getOutputStream(), 10);