diff --git a/lib/progress.c b/lib/progress.c
index fdae3194c5..2fa0fa1228 100644
--- a/lib/progress.c
+++ b/lib/progress.c
@@ -63,54 +63,37 @@ static void time2str(char *r, curl_off_t seconds)
 }
 
 /* The point of this function would be to return a string of the input data,
-   but never longer than 5 columns (+ one zero byte).
+   but never longer than 6 columns (+ one zero byte).
    Add suffix k, M, G when suitable... */
-static char *max5data(curl_off_t bytes, char *max5)
+static char *max6data(curl_off_t bytes, char *max6)
 {
-#define ONE_KILOBYTE (curl_off_t)1024
-#define ONE_MEGABYTE (1024 * ONE_KILOBYTE)
-#define ONE_GIGABYTE (1024 * ONE_MEGABYTE)
-#define ONE_TERABYTE (1024 * ONE_GIGABYTE)
-#define ONE_PETABYTE (1024 * ONE_TERABYTE)
+  /* a signed 64-bit value is 8192 petabytes maximum */
+  const char unit[] = { 'k', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 0 };
+  int k = 0;
+  if(bytes < 1000000) {
+    msnprintf(max6, 7, "%5" CURL_FORMAT_CURL_OFF_T, bytes);
+    return max6;
+  }
 
-  if(bytes < 100000)
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%5" FMT_OFF_T, bytes);
-
-  else if(bytes < 10000 * ONE_KILOBYTE)
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%4" FMT_OFF_T "k", bytes/ONE_KILOBYTE);
-
-  else if(bytes < 100 * ONE_MEGABYTE)
-    /* 'XX.XM' is good as long as we are less than 100 megs */
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%2" FMT_OFF_T ".%0"
-              FMT_OFF_T "M", bytes/ONE_MEGABYTE,
-              (bytes%ONE_MEGABYTE) / (ONE_MEGABYTE/10) );
-
-  else if(bytes < 10000 * ONE_MEGABYTE)
-    /* 'XXXXM' is good until we are at 10000MB or above */
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%4" FMT_OFF_T "M", bytes/ONE_MEGABYTE);
-
-  else if(bytes < 100 * ONE_GIGABYTE)
-    /* 10000 MB - 100 GB, we show it as XX.XG */
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%2" FMT_OFF_T ".%0"
-              FMT_OFF_T "G", bytes/ONE_GIGABYTE,
-              (bytes%ONE_GIGABYTE) / (ONE_GIGABYTE/10) );
-
-  else if(bytes < 10000 * ONE_GIGABYTE)
-    /* up to 10000GB, display without decimal: XXXXG */
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%4" FMT_OFF_T "G", bytes/ONE_GIGABYTE);
-
-  else if(bytes < 10000 * ONE_TERABYTE)
-    /* up to 10000TB, display without decimal: XXXXT */
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%4" FMT_OFF_T "T", bytes/ONE_TERABYTE);
-
-  else
-    /* up to 10000PB, display without decimal: XXXXP */
-    msnprintf(max5, 6, "%4" FMT_OFF_T "P", bytes/ONE_PETABYTE);
-
-  /* 16384 petabytes (16 exabytes) is the maximum a 64-bit unsigned number can
-     hold, but our data type is signed so 8192PB will be the maximum. */
-
-  return max5;
+  do {
+    curl_off_t nbytes = bytes / 1024;
+    if(nbytes < 1000) {
+      /* xxx.yU */
+      msnprintf(max6, 7, "%3" CURL_FORMAT_CURL_OFF_T
+                ".%" CURL_FORMAT_CURL_OFF_T "%c", nbytes,
+                (bytes%1024) / (1024/10), unit[k]);
+      break;
+    }
+    else if(nbytes < 100000) {
+      /* xxxxxU */
+      msnprintf(max6, 7, "%5" CURL_FORMAT_CURL_OFF_T "%c", nbytes, unit[k]);
+      break;
+    }
+    bytes = nbytes;
+    k++;
+    DEBUGASSERT(unit[k]);
+  } while(unit[k]);
+  return max6;
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -503,7 +486,7 @@ static void pgrs_estimates(struct pgrs_dir *d,
 static void progress_meter(struct Curl_easy *data)
 {
   struct Progress *p = &data->progress;
-  char max5[6][10];
+  char max6[6][7];
   struct pgrs_estimate dl_estm;
   struct pgrs_estimate ul_estm;
   struct pgrs_estimate total_estm;
@@ -561,21 +544,21 @@ static void progress_meter(struct Curl_easy *data)
 
   fprintf(data->set.err,
           "\r"
-          "%3" FMT_OFF_T " %s  "
-          "%3" FMT_OFF_T " %s  "
-          "%3" FMT_OFF_T " %s  %s  %s %s %s %s %s",
+          "%3" FMT_OFF_T " %s "
+          "%3" FMT_OFF_T " %s "
+          "%3" FMT_OFF_T " %s %s %s  %s %s %s %s",
           total_estm.percent, /* 3 letters */           /* total % */
-          max5data(total_expected_size, max5[2]),       /* total size */
+          max6data(total_expected_size, max6[2]),       /* total size */
           dl_estm.percent, /* 3 letters */              /* rcvd % */
-          max5data(p->dl.cur_size, max5[0]),            /* rcvd size */
+          max6data(p->dl.cur_size, max6[0]),            /* rcvd size */
           ul_estm.percent, /* 3 letters */              /* xfer % */
-          max5data(p->ul.cur_size, max5[1]),            /* xfer size */
-          max5data(p->dl.speed, max5[3]),               /* avrg dl speed */
-          max5data(p->ul.speed, max5[4]),               /* avrg ul speed */
+          max6data(p->ul.cur_size, max6[1]),            /* xfer size */
+          max6data(p->dl.speed, max6[3]),               /* avrg dl speed */
+          max6data(p->ul.speed, max6[4]),               /* avrg ul speed */
           time_total,    /* 8 letters */                /* total time */
           time_spent,    /* 8 letters */                /* time spent */
           time_left,     /* 8 letters */                /* time left */
-          max5data(p->current_speed, max5[5])
+          max6data(p->current_speed, max6[5])
     );
 
   /* we flush the output stream to make it appear as soon as possible */