diff --git a/docs/documentation/build.md b/docs/documentation/build.md
index 01fedf0e3c88..2aa151aff024 100644
--- a/docs/documentation/build.md
+++ b/docs/documentation/build.md
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ Note: service worker support is experimental and subject to change.
 <details>
   <summary>progress</summary>
   <p>
-    <code>--progress</code> (aliases: <code>-pr</code>) <em>default value: true</<em>
+    <code>--progress</code> (aliases: <code>-pr</code>) <em>default value: true inside TTY, false otherwise</<em>
   </p>
   <p>
     Log progress to the console while building.
diff --git a/docs/documentation/eject.md b/docs/documentation/eject.md
index 860617431d1e..d1c55e34a6a0 100644
--- a/docs/documentation/eject.md
+++ b/docs/documentation/eject.md
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ ng eject
 <details>
   <summary>progress</summary>
   <p>
-    <code>--progress</code> (aliases: <code>-pr</code>) <em>default value: true</em>
+    <code>--progress</code> (aliases: <code>-pr</code>) <em>default value: true inside TTY, false otherwise</em>
   </p>
   <p>
     Log progress to the console while building.
diff --git a/docs/documentation/serve.md b/docs/documentation/serve.md
index 40977675af13..65de3edb8b0b 100644
--- a/docs/documentation/serve.md
+++ b/docs/documentation/serve.md
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ All the build Options are available in serve, below are the additional options.
 <details>
   <summary>progress</summary>
   <p>
-    <code>--progress</code> (aliases: <code>-pr</code>) <em>default value: true</em>
+    <code>--progress</code> (aliases: <code>-pr</code>) <em>default value: true inside TTY, false otherwise</em>
   </p>
   <p>
     Log progress to the console while building.
diff --git a/docs/documentation/test.md b/docs/documentation/test.md
index 3d5f466ba098..0faaf96b93ac 100644
--- a/docs/documentation/test.md
+++ b/docs/documentation/test.md
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ You can run tests with coverage via `--code-coverage`. The coverage report will
 <details>
   <summary>progress</summary>
   <p>
-    <code>--progress</code> <em>default value: true</em>
+    <code>--progress</code> <em>default value: true inside TTY, false otherwise</em>
   </p>
   <p>
     Log progress to the console while in progress.
diff --git a/docs/documentation/xi18n.md b/docs/documentation/xi18n.md
index eeed938f1961..5e030d0c8e85 100644
--- a/docs/documentation/xi18n.md
+++ b/docs/documentation/xi18n.md
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 <details>
   <summary>progress</summary>
   <p>
-    <code>--progress</code>
+    <code>--progress</code> <em>default value: true inside TTY, false otherwise</<em>
   </p>
   <p>
     Log progress to the console while running.
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/commands/build.ts b/packages/@angular/cli/commands/build.ts
index 09180561f791..64bd4f823461 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/commands/build.ts
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/commands/build.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@ export const baseBuildCommandOptions: any = [
     type: Boolean,
     aliases: ['pr'],
     description: 'Log progress to the console while building.',
-    default: buildConfigDefaults['progress']
+    default: typeof buildConfigDefaults['progress'] !== 'undefined'
+      ? buildConfigDefaults['progress']
+      : process.stdout.isTTY === true
   },
   {
     name: 'i18n-file',
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/commands/test.ts b/packages/@angular/cli/commands/test.ts
index 40fa3ebaa69c..d4213dca1b8b 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/commands/test.ts
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/commands/test.ts
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ const TestCommand = Command.extend({
     {
       name: 'progress',
       type: Boolean,
-      default: testConfigDefaults['progress'],
-      description: 'Log progress to the console while in progress.'
+      description: 'Log progress to the console while in progress.',
+      default: typeof testConfigDefaults['progress'] !== 'undefined'
+        ? testConfigDefaults['progress']
+        : process.stdout.isTTY === true,
     },
     {
       name: 'browsers',
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/commands/xi18n.ts b/packages/@angular/cli/commands/xi18n.ts
index afaea034de80..6589ca2ca6f0 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/commands/xi18n.ts
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/commands/xi18n.ts
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ const Xi18nCommand = Command.extend({
     {
       name: 'progress',
       type: Boolean,
-      default: true,
-      description: 'Log progress to the console while running.'
+      description: 'Log progress to the console while running.',
+      default: process.stdout.isTTY === true,
     },
     {
       name: 'app',
diff --git a/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json b/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json
index 8520dcc1c9b9..6e38ae682e2f 100644
--- a/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json
+++ b/packages/@angular/cli/lib/config/schema.json
@@ -476,8 +476,7 @@
             },
             "progress": {
               "description": "The ssl key used by the server.",
-              "type": "boolean",
-              "default": true
+              "type": "boolean"
             },
             "poll": {
               "description": "Enable and define the file watching poll time period (milliseconds).",