diff --git a/tool/rbuninstall.rb b/tool/rbuninstall.rb
index f0c286012cfd26..79a6aaa92c5044 100755
--- a/tool/rbuninstall.rb
+++ b/tool/rbuninstall.rb
@@ -21,15 +21,33 @@
   end
   $dirs = []
   $files = []
+  COLUMNS = $tty && (ENV["COLUMNS"]&.to_i || begin require 'io/console/size'; rescue; else IO.console_size&.at(1); end)&.then do |n|
+    n-1 if n > 1
+  end
+  if COLUMNS
+    $column = 0
+    def message(str = nil)
+      $stdout.print "\b \b" * $column
+      if str
+        if str.size > COLUMNS
+          str = "..." + str[(-COLUMNS+3)..-1]
+        end
+        $stdout.print str
+      end
+      $stdout.flush
+      $column = str&.size || 0
+    end
+  else
+    alias message puts
+  end
 }
 list = ($_.chomp!('/') ? $dirs : $files)
 list << $_
 END {
   status = true
   $\ = nil
-  ors = (!$dryrun and $tty) ? "\e[K\r" : "\n"
   $files.each do |file|
-    print "rm #{file}#{ors}"
+    message "rm #{file}"
     unless $dryrun
       file = File.join($destdir, file) if $destdir
       begin
@@ -47,7 +65,7 @@
   end
   while dir = $dirs.pop
     dir = File.dirname(dir) while File.basename(dir) == '.'
-    print "rmdir #{dir}#{ors}"
+    message "rmdir #{dir}"
     unless $dryrun
       realdir = $destdir ? File.join($destdir, dir) : dir
       begin
@@ -68,6 +86,6 @@
       end
     end
   end
-  print ors.chomp
+  message
   exit(status)
 }