diff --git a/demos/gtk-demo/assistant.c b/demos/gtk-demo/assistant.c
index 6cb5399f6b..a00c595370 100644
--- a/demos/gtk-demo/assistant.c
+++ b/demos/gtk-demo/assistant.c
@@ -9,12 +9,35 @@
 #include "demo-common.h"
 
 static GtkWidget *assistant = NULL;
+static GtkWidget *progress_bar = NULL;
+
+static gboolean
+apply_changes_gradually (gpointer data)
+{
+  gdouble fraction;
+
+  /* Work, work, work... */
+  fraction = gtk_progress_bar_get_fraction (GTK_PROGRESS_BAR (progress_bar));
+  fraction += 0.05;
+
+  if (fraction < 1.0)
+    {
+      gtk_progress_bar_set_fraction (GTK_PROGRESS_BAR (progress_bar), fraction);
+      return TRUE;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      /* Close automatically once changes are fully applied. */
+      gtk_widget_destroy (assistant);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+}
 
 static void
 on_assistant_apply (GtkWidget *widget, gpointer data)
 {
-  /* Apply here changes, this is a fictional
-     example, so we just do nothing here */
+  /* Start a timer to simulate changes taking a few seconds to apply. */
+  g_timeout_add (100, apply_changes_gradually, NULL);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -38,6 +61,13 @@ on_assistant_prepare (GtkWidget *widget, GtkWidget *page, gpointer data)
   title = g_strdup_printf ("Sample assistant (%d of %d)", current_page + 1, n_pages);
   gtk_window_set_title (GTK_WINDOW (widget), title);
   g_free (title);
+
+  /* The fourth page (counting from zero) is the progress page.  The
+  * user clicked Apply to get here so we tell the assistant to commit,
+  * which means the changes up to this point are permanent and cannot
+  * be cancelled or revisited. */
+  if (current_page == 3)
+      gtk_assistant_commit (GTK_ASSISTANT (widget));
 }
 
 static void
@@ -127,6 +157,26 @@ create_page3 (GtkWidget *assistant)
   g_object_unref (pixbuf);
 }
 
+static void
+create_page4 (GtkWidget *assistant)
+{
+  GtkWidget *page;
+
+  page = gtk_alignment_new (0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 0.0);
+
+  progress_bar = gtk_progress_bar_new ();
+  gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (page), progress_bar);
+
+  gtk_widget_show_all (page);
+  gtk_assistant_append_page (GTK_ASSISTANT (assistant), page);
+  gtk_assistant_set_page_type (GTK_ASSISTANT (assistant), page, GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_PROGRESS);
+  gtk_assistant_set_page_title (GTK_ASSISTANT (assistant), page, "Applying changes");
+
+  /* This prevents the assistant window from being
+   * closed while we're "busy" applying changes. */
+  gtk_assistant_set_page_complete (GTK_ASSISTANT (assistant), page, FALSE);
+}
+
 GtkWidget*
 do_assistant (GtkWidget *do_widget)
 {
@@ -142,6 +192,7 @@ do_assistant (GtkWidget *do_widget)
       create_page1 (assistant);
       create_page2 (assistant);
       create_page3 (assistant);
+      create_page4 (assistant);
 
       g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (assistant), "cancel",
 			G_CALLBACK (on_assistant_close_cancel), &assistant);
diff --git a/docs/reference/gtk/gtk-sections.txt b/docs/reference/gtk/gtk-sections.txt
index dda9c478af..733e32c779 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gtk/gtk-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/reference/gtk/gtk-sections.txt
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ gtk_assistant_get_page_complete
 gtk_assistant_add_action_widget
 gtk_assistant_remove_action_widget
 gtk_assistant_update_buttons_state
+gtk_assistant_commit
 
 <SUBSECTION Standard>
 GtkAssistantClass
diff --git a/gtk/gtk.symbols b/gtk/gtk.symbols
index 24ad5da00e..a4d54cf6f9 100644
--- a/gtk/gtk.symbols
+++ b/gtk/gtk.symbols
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ gtk_assistant_get_page_complete
 gtk_assistant_add_action_widget
 gtk_assistant_remove_action_widget
 gtk_assistant_update_buttons_state
+gtk_assistant_commit
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/gtk/gtkassistant.c b/gtk/gtkassistant.c
index 41ecd1311b..8f18f133e9 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkassistant.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkassistant.c
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ struct _GtkAssistantPrivate
   GtkAssistantPageFunc forward_function;
   gpointer forward_function_data;
   GDestroyNotify forward_data_destroy;
+
+  guint committed : 1;
 };
 
 static void     gtk_assistant_class_init         (GtkAssistantClass *class);
@@ -267,7 +269,7 @@ gtk_assistant_class_init (GtkAssistantClass *class)
    *
    * A handler for the ::apply signal should carry out the actions for which
    * the wizard has collected data. If the action takes a long time to complete,
-   * you might consider to put a page of type %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_PROGRESS
+   * you might consider putting a page of type %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_PROGRESS
    * after the confirmation page and handle this operation within the
    * #GtkAssistant::prepare signal of the progress page.
    *
@@ -472,6 +474,23 @@ compute_last_button_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
     gtk_widget_hide (assistant->last);
 }
 
+static void
+compute_progress_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
+{
+  GtkAssistantPrivate *priv = assistant->priv;
+  gint page_num, n_pages;
+
+  n_pages = gtk_assistant_get_n_pages (assistant);
+  page_num = gtk_assistant_get_current_page (assistant);
+
+  page_num = (priv->forward_function) (page_num, priv->forward_function_data);
+
+  if (page_num >= 0 && page_num < n_pages)
+    gtk_widget_show (assistant->forward);
+  else
+    gtk_widget_hide (assistant->forward);
+}
+
 static void
 set_assistant_header_image (GtkAssistant *assistant)
 {
@@ -509,7 +528,6 @@ set_assistant_buttons_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->cancel, TRUE);
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->forward, priv->current_page->complete);
       gtk_widget_grab_default (assistant->forward);
-      gtk_widget_show (assistant->cancel);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->forward);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->back);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->apply);
@@ -521,7 +539,6 @@ set_assistant_buttons_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->back, TRUE);
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->apply, priv->current_page->complete);
       gtk_widget_grab_default (assistant->apply);
-      gtk_widget_show (assistant->cancel);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->back);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->apply);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->forward);
@@ -533,7 +550,6 @@ set_assistant_buttons_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->back, TRUE);
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->forward, priv->current_page->complete);
       gtk_widget_grab_default (assistant->forward);
-      gtk_widget_show (assistant->cancel);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->back);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->forward);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->apply);
@@ -544,7 +560,6 @@ set_assistant_buttons_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->close, priv->current_page->complete);
       gtk_widget_grab_default (assistant->close);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->close);
-      gtk_widget_hide (assistant->cancel);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->back);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->forward);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->apply);
@@ -555,17 +570,23 @@ set_assistant_buttons_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->back, priv->current_page->complete);
       gtk_widget_set_sensitive (assistant->forward, priv->current_page->complete);
       gtk_widget_grab_default (assistant->forward);
-      gtk_widget_show (assistant->cancel);
       gtk_widget_show (assistant->back);
-      gtk_widget_show (assistant->forward);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->apply);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->close);
       gtk_widget_hide (assistant->last);
+      compute_progress_state (assistant);
       break;
     default:
       g_assert_not_reached ();
     }
 
+  if (priv->committed)
+    gtk_widget_hide (assistant->cancel);
+  else if (priv->current_page->type == GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_SUMMARY)
+    gtk_widget_hide (assistant->cancel);
+  else
+    gtk_widget_show (assistant->cancel);
+
   /* this is quite general, we don't want to
    * go back if it's the first page */
   if (!priv->visited_pages)
@@ -2259,6 +2280,35 @@ gtk_assistant_update_buttons_state (GtkAssistant *assistant)
   set_assistant_buttons_state (assistant);
 }
 
+/**
+ * gtk_assistant_commit:
+ * @assistant: a #GtkAssistant
+ *
+ * Erases the visited page history so the back button is not
+ * shown on the current page, and removes the cancel button
+ * from subsequent pages.
+ *
+ * Use this when the information provided up to the current
+ * page is hereafter deemed permanent and cannot be modified
+ * or undone.  For example, showing a progress page to track
+ * a long-running, unreversible operation after the user has
+ * clicked apply on a confirmation page.
+ *
+ * Since: 2.22
+ **/
+void
+gtk_assistant_commit (GtkAssistant *assistant)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_ASSISTANT (assistant));
+
+  g_slist_free (assistant->priv->visited_pages);
+  assistant->priv->visited_pages = NULL;
+
+  assistant->priv->committed = TRUE;
+
+  set_assistant_buttons_state (assistant);
+}
+
 
 
 /* accessible implementation */
diff --git a/gtk/gtkassistant.h b/gtk/gtkassistant.h
index 5f26325bfa..766b9d0eec 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkassistant.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkassistant.h
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
  * used to handle buttons sensitivity and visibility.
  *
  * Note that an assistant needs to end its page flow with a page of type
- * %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_CONFIRM or %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_SUMMARY to be correct.
+ * %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_CONFIRM, %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_SUMMARY or
+ * %GTK_ASSISTANT_PAGE_PROGRESS to be correct.
  */
 typedef enum
 {
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ void                  gtk_assistant_remove_action_widget  (GtkAssistant
 							   GtkWidget            *child);
 
 void                  gtk_assistant_update_buttons_state  (GtkAssistant *assistant);
+void                  gtk_assistant_commit                (GtkAssistant *assistant);
 
 G_END_DECLS