diff --git a/engine/cli/commands/engine_install_cmd.cc b/engine/cli/commands/engine_install_cmd.cc
index 42fd78ae0..a0d008c60 100644
--- a/engine/cli/commands/engine_install_cmd.cc
+++ b/engine/cli/commands/engine_install_cmd.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "engine_install_cmd.h"
+#include <future>
 #include "server_start_cmd.h"
 #include "utils/download_progress.h"
 #include "utils/engine_constants.h"
@@ -31,9 +32,16 @@ bool EngineInstallCmd::Exec(const std::string& engine,
     }
   }
 
+  DownloadProgress dp;
+  dp.Connect(host_, port_);
+  // engine can be small, so need to start ws first
+  auto dp_res = std::async(std::launch::deferred,
+                           [&dp, &engine] { return dp.Handle(engine); });
+  CLI_LOG("Validating download items, please wait..")
+
   httplib::Client cli(host_ + ":" + std::to_string(port_));
   Json::Value json_data;
-  json_data["version"] =  version.empty() ? "latest" : version;
+  json_data["version"] = version.empty() ? "latest" : version;
   auto data_str = json_data.toStyledString();
   cli.set_read_timeout(std::chrono::seconds(60));
   auto res = cli.Post("/v1/engines/install/" + engine, httplib::Headers(),
@@ -43,18 +51,19 @@ bool EngineInstallCmd::Exec(const std::string& engine,
     if (res->status != httplib::StatusCode::OK_200) {
       auto root = json_helper::ParseJsonString(res->body);
       CLI_LOG(root["message"].asString());
+      dp.ForceStop();
       return false;
+    } else {
+      CLI_LOG("Start downloading..");
     }
   } else {
     auto err = res.error();
     CTL_ERR("HTTP error: " << httplib::to_string(err));
+    dp.ForceStop();
     return false;
   }
 
-  CLI_LOG("Start downloading ...")
-  DownloadProgress dp;
-  dp.Connect(host_, port_);
-  if (!dp.Handle(engine))
+  if (!dp_res.get())
     return false;
 
   bool check_cuda_download = !system_info_utils::GetCudaVersion().empty();
diff --git a/engine/cli/commands/model_pull_cmd.cc b/engine/cli/commands/model_pull_cmd.cc
index 566d1e755..edcd84d63 100644
--- a/engine/cli/commands/model_pull_cmd.cc
+++ b/engine/cli/commands/model_pull_cmd.cc
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ std::optional<std::string> ModelPullCmd::Exec(const std::string& host, int port,
     return std::nullopt;
   }
 
-  CLI_LOG("Start downloading ...")
+  CLI_LOG("Start downloading..")
   DownloadProgress dp;
   bool force_stop = false;
 
diff --git a/engine/cli/utils/download_progress.cc b/engine/cli/utils/download_progress.cc
index 4f40d47cb..ba1aa5a5c 100644
--- a/engine/cli/utils/download_progress.cc
+++ b/engine/cli/utils/download_progress.cc
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ bool DownloadProgress::Connect(const std::string& host, int port) {
 
 bool DownloadProgress::Handle(const std::string& id) {
   assert(!!ws_);
+  uint64_t total = std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max();
   status_ = DownloadStatus::DownloadStarted;
   std::unique_ptr<indicators::DynamicProgress<indicators::ProgressBar>> bars;
 
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<indicators::ProgressBar>> items;
   indicators::show_console_cursor(false);
-  auto handle_message = [this, &bars, &items, id](const std::string& message) {
+  auto handle_message = [this, &bars, &items, &total,
+                         id](const std::string& message) {
     CTL_INF(message);
 
     auto pad_string = [](const std::string& str,
@@ -70,7 +72,10 @@ bool DownloadProgress::Handle(const std::string& id) {
     for (int i = 0; i < ev.download_task_.items.size(); i++) {
       auto& it = ev.download_task_.items[i];
       uint64_t downloaded = it.downloadedBytes.value_or(0);
-      uint64_t total = it.bytes.value_or(std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max());
+      if (total == 0 || total == std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max()) {
+        total = it.bytes.value_or(std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max());
+        CTL_INF("Updated - total: " << total);
+      }
       if (ev.type_ == DownloadStatus::DownloadUpdated) {
         (*bars)[i].set_option(indicators::option::PrefixText{
             pad_string(it.id) +