diff --git a/superset/db_engine_specs.py b/superset/db_engine_specs.py
index 37600b861c..692a39587c 100644
--- a/superset/db_engine_specs.py
+++ b/superset/db_engine_specs.py
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ class PrestoEngineSpec(BaseEngineSpec):
     @classmethod
     def handle_cursor(cls, cursor, query, session):
         """Updates progress information"""
+        logging.info('Polling the cursor for progress')
         polled = cursor.poll()
         # poll returns dict -- JSON status information or ``None``
         # if the query is done
@@ -383,10 +384,14 @@ class PrestoEngineSpec(BaseEngineSpec):
                 total_splits = float(stats.get('totalSplits'))
                 if total_splits and completed_splits:
                     progress = 100 * (completed_splits / total_splits)
+                    logging.info(
+                        'Query progress: {} / {} '
+                        'splits'.format(completed_splits, total_splits))
                     if progress > query.progress:
                         query.progress = progress
                     session.commit()
             time.sleep(1)
+            logging.info('Polling the cursor for progress')
             polled = cursor.poll()
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/superset/migrations/versions/a6c18f869a4e_query_start_running_time.py b/superset/migrations/versions/a6c18f869a4e_query_start_running_time.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3be8ae06b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/superset/migrations/versions/a6c18f869a4e_query_start_running_time.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+"""query.start_running_time
+
+Revision ID: a6c18f869a4e
+Revises: 979c03af3341
+Create Date: 2017-03-28 11:28:41.387182
+
+"""
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = 'a6c18f869a4e'
+down_revision = '979c03af3341'
+
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    op.add_column(
+        'query',
+        sa.Column('start_running_time',
+        sa.Numeric(precision=20, scale=6),
+        nullable=True))
+
+
+def downgrade():
+    op.drop_column('query', 'start_running_time')
diff --git a/superset/models/core.py b/superset/models/core.py
index c31267f577..5889c7576f 100644
--- a/superset/models/core.py
+++ b/superset/models/core.py
@@ -830,6 +830,7 @@ class Query(Model):
     # Using Numeric in place of DateTime for sub-second precision
     # stored as seconds since epoch, allowing for milliseconds
     start_time = Column(Numeric(precision=3))
+    start_running_time = Column(Numeric(precision=3))
     end_time = Column(Numeric(precision=3))
     changed_on = Column(
         DateTime, default=datetime.utcnow, onupdate=datetime.utcnow, nullable=True)
diff --git a/superset/sql_lab.py b/superset/sql_lab.py
index 29cfc03609..d4ff8873a2 100644
--- a/superset/sql_lab.py
+++ b/superset/sql_lab.py
@@ -104,12 +104,17 @@ def get_sql_results(self, query_id, return_results=True, store_results=False):
         handle_error(msg)
 
     query.executed_sql = executed_sql
-    logging.info("Running query: \n{}".format(executed_sql))
+    query.status = QueryStatus.RUNNING
+    query.start_running_time = utils.now_as_float()
+    session.merge(query)
+    session.commit()
+    logging.info("Set query to 'running'")
+
     engine = database.get_sqla_engine(schema=query.schema)
     conn = engine.raw_connection()
     cursor = conn.cursor()
+    logging.info("Running query: \n{}".format(executed_sql))
     try:
-        print(query.executed_sql)
         logging.info(query.executed_sql)
         cursor.execute(
             query.executed_sql, **db_engine_spec.cursor_execute_kwargs)
@@ -118,8 +123,6 @@ def get_sql_results(self, query_id, return_results=True, store_results=False):
         conn.close()
         handle_error(db_engine_spec.extract_error_message(e))
 
-    query.status = QueryStatus.RUNNING
-    session.flush()
     try:
         logging.info("Handling cursor")
         db_engine_spec.handle_cursor(cursor, query, session)
@@ -156,6 +159,7 @@ def get_sql_results(self, query_id, return_results=True, store_results=False):
             schema=database.force_ctas_schema
         ))
     query.end_time = utils.now_as_float()
+    session.merge(query)
     session.flush()
 
     payload = {
@@ -173,7 +177,7 @@ def get_sql_results(self, query_id, return_results=True, store_results=False):
         results_backend.set(key, zlib.compress(payload))
         query.results_key = key
 
-    session.flush()
+    session.merge(query)
     session.commit()
 
     if return_results: