diff --git a/.github/workflows/mason_logger.yaml b/.github/workflows/mason_logger.yaml
index e6accde4d..83a3e33bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mason_logger.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mason_logger.yaml
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Analyze
         run: dart analyze --fatal-infos --fatal-warnings .
 
+      - name: Verify CI
+        run: dart example/test.dart
+
       - name: Run Tests
         run: |
           dart pub global activate coverage 1.2.0
diff --git a/packages/mason_logger/example/test.dart b/packages/mason_logger/example/test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1997dda56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mason_logger/example/test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import 'package:mason_logger/mason_logger.dart';
+
+Future<void> main() async {
+  final logger = Logger();
+  final progress = logger.progress('Calculating');
+  await Future<void>.delayed(const Duration(seconds: 1));
+  progress.update('Almost done');
+  await Future<void>.delayed(const Duration(seconds: 1));
+  progress.complete('Done');
+}
diff --git a/packages/mason_logger/lib/src/progress.dart b/packages/mason_logger/lib/src/progress.dart
index fda929742..1b77af967 100644
--- a/packages/mason_logger/lib/src/progress.dart
+++ b/packages/mason_logger/lib/src/progress.dart
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ class Progress {
     _stopwatch
       ..reset()
       ..start();
+
+    // The animation is only shown when it would be meaningful.
+    // Do not animate if the stdio type is not a terminal.
+    if (io.stdioType(_stdout) != io.StdioType.terminal) {
+      final frames = _options.animation.frames;
+      final char = frames.isEmpty ? '' : frames.first;
+      final prefix = char.isEmpty ? char : '${lightGreen.wrap(char)} ';
+      _write('$prefix$_message...');
+      return;
+    }
+
     _timer = Timer.periodic(const Duration(milliseconds: 80), _onTick);
   }
 
@@ -62,7 +73,7 @@ class Progress {
 
   final Stopwatch _stopwatch;
 
-  late final Timer _timer;
+  Timer? _timer;
 
   String _message;
 
@@ -74,26 +85,26 @@ class Progress {
     _write(
       '''$_clearLine${lightGreen.wrap('✓')} ${update ?? _message} $_time\n''',
     );
-    _timer.cancel();
+    _timer?.cancel();
   }
 
   /// End the progress and mark it as failed.
   void fail([String? update]) {
-    _timer.cancel();
+    _timer?.cancel();
     _write('$_clearLine${red.wrap('✗')} ${update ?? _message} $_time\n');
     _stopwatch.stop();
   }
 
   /// Update the progress message.
   void update(String update) {
-    _write(_clearLine);
+    if (_timer != null) _write(_clearLine);
     _message = update;
     _onTick(_timer);
   }
 
   /// Cancel the progress and remove the written line.
   void cancel() {
-    _timer.cancel();
+    _timer?.cancel();
     _write(_clearLine);
     _stopwatch.stop();
   }
@@ -103,7 +114,7 @@ class Progress {
         '\r'; // bring cursor to the start of the current line
   }
 
-  void _onTick(Timer _) {
+  void _onTick(Timer? _) {
     _index++;
     final frames = _options.animation.frames;
     final char = frames.isEmpty ? '' : frames[_index % frames.length];