diff --git a/builtin/game/chatcommands.lua b/builtin/game/chatcommands.lua
index 5f9fcfc7bb4f61cae1a8d9c9701a55c17aae35ad..6a35c034e9268036cc23633f26d4b63ae715afd4 100644
--- a/builtin/game/chatcommands.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/chatcommands.lua
@@ -436,6 +436,31 @@ core.register_chatcommand("set", {
 	end,
 })
 
+local function emergeblocks_callback(pos, action, num_calls_remaining, ctx)
+	if ctx.total_blocks == 0 then
+		ctx.total_blocks   = num_calls_remaining + 1
+		ctx.current_blocks = 0
+	end
+	ctx.current_blocks = ctx.current_blocks + 1
+
+	if ctx.current_blocks == ctx.total_blocks then
+		core.chat_send_player(ctx.requestor_name,
+			string.format("Finished emerging %d blocks in %.2fms.",
+			ctx.total_blocks, (os.clock() - ctx.start_time) * 1000))
+	end
+end
+
+local function emergeblocks_progress_update(ctx)
+	if ctx.current_blocks ~= ctx.total_blocks then
+		core.chat_send_player(ctx.requestor_name,
+			string.format("emergeblocks update: %d/%d blocks emerged (%.1f%%)",
+			ctx.current_blocks, ctx.total_blocks,
+			(ctx.current_blocks / ctx.total_blocks) * 100))
+
+		core.after(2, emergeblocks_progress_update, ctx)
+	end
+end
+
 core.register_chatcommand("emergeblocks", {
 	params = "(here [radius]) | (<pos1> <pos2>)",
 	description = "starts loading (or generating, if inexistent) map blocks "
@@ -447,7 +472,16 @@ core.register_chatcommand("emergeblocks", {
 			return false, p2
 		end
 
-		core.emerge_area(p1, p2)
+		local context = {
+			current_blocks = 0,
+			total_blocks   = 0,
+			start_time     = os.clock(),
+			requestor_name = name
+		}
+
+		core.emerge_area(p1, p2, emergeblocks_callback, context)
+		core.after(2, emergeblocks_progress_update, context)
+
 		return true, "Started emerge of area ranging from " ..
 			core.pos_to_string(p1, 1) .. " to " .. core.pos_to_string(p2, 1)
 	end,
diff --git a/builtin/game/constants.lua b/builtin/game/constants.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ea3644cfbf6f82f7e6532226a5a5cf99b2cb4a78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builtin/game/constants.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+-- Minetest: builtin/constants.lua
+
+--
+-- Constants values for use with the Lua API
+--
+
+-- Block emerge status constants (for use with core.emerge_area)
+core.EMERGE_CANCELLED   = 0
+core.EMERGE_ERRORED     = 1
+core.EMERGE_FROM_MEMORY = 2
+core.EMERGE_FROM_DISK   = 3
+core.EMERGE_GENERATED   = 4
diff --git a/builtin/game/init.lua b/builtin/game/init.lua
index 72e3f009c5ccf140429ec1b2c21b929b6609d7b5..a6cfa3bf88cda6fc16bd62f6aac1533b1eae4fba 100644
--- a/builtin/game/init.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/init.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ local gamepath = scriptpath.."game"..DIR_DELIM
 
 dofile(commonpath.."vector.lua")
 
+dofile(gamepath.."constants.lua")
 dofile(gamepath.."item.lua")
 dofile(gamepath.."register.lua")
 
@@ -25,4 +26,3 @@ dofile(gamepath.."features.lua")
 dofile(gamepath.."voxelarea.lua")
 dofile(gamepath.."forceloading.lua")
 dofile(gamepath.."statbars.lua")
-
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index 5ad88b12167b523d6c8b55e7fa1a4b3fd6f46343..57940a5dd4b18bb070e73c467ec5293e8536498c 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -2039,9 +2039,19 @@ and `minetest.auth_reload` call the authetification handler.
     * `pos1` and `pos2` are optional and default to mapchunk minp and maxp.
 * `minetest.clear_objects()`
     * clear all objects in the environments
-* `minetest.emerge_area(pos1, pos2)`
-    * queues all mapblocks in the area from pos1 to pos2, inclusive, for emerge
-    * i.e. asynchronously loads blocks from disk, or if inexistent, generates them
+* `minetest.emerge_area(pos1, pos2, [callback], [param])`
+    * Queue all blocks in the area from `pos1` to `pos2`, inclusive, to be asynchronously
+    * fetched from memory, loaded from disk, or if inexistent, generates them.
+    * If `callback` is a valid Lua function, this will be called for each block emerged.
+    * The function signature of callback is:
+    *   `function EmergeAreaCallback(blockpos, action, calls_remaining, param)`
+    * - `blockpos` is the *block* coordinates of the block that had been emerged
+    * - `action` could be one of the following constant values:
+    *   `core.EMERGE_CANCELLED`, `core.EMERGE_ERRORED`, `core.EMERGE_FROM_MEMORY`,
+    *   `core.EMERGE_FROM_DISK`, `core.EMERGE_GENERATED`
+    * - `calls_remaining` is the number of callbacks to be expected after this one
+    * - `param` is the user-defined parameter passed to emerge_area (or nil if the
+    *   parameter was absent)
 * `minetest.delete_area(pos1, pos2)`
     * delete all mapblocks in the area from pos1 to pos2, inclusive
 * `minetest.line_of_sight(pos1, pos2, stepsize)`: returns `boolean, pos`
diff --git a/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.cpp b/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.cpp
index b8717597a8f46f207b519c54fc784910c428505b..a1b11bfe16b727c07878b4a768edf0ecc0d425fc 100644
--- a/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.cpp
+++ b/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.cpp
@@ -157,3 +157,42 @@ void ScriptApiEnv::initializeEnvironment(ServerEnvironment *env)
 	}
 	lua_pop(L, 1);
 }
+
+void ScriptApiEnv::on_emerge_area_completion(
+	v3s16 blockpos, int action, ScriptCallbackState *state)
+{
+	Server *server = getServer();
+
+	// Note that the order of these locks is important!  Envlock must *ALWAYS*
+	// be acquired before attempting to acquire scriptlock, or else ServerThread
+	// will try to acquire scriptlock after it already owns envlock, thus
+	// deadlocking EmergeThread and ServerThread
+	MutexAutoLock envlock(server->m_env_mutex);
+
+	SCRIPTAPI_PRECHECKHEADER
+
+	int error_handler = PUSH_ERROR_HANDLER(L);
+
+	lua_rawgeti(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, state->callback_ref);
+	luaL_checktype(L, -1, LUA_TFUNCTION);
+
+	push_v3s16(L, blockpos);
+	lua_pushinteger(L, action);
+	lua_pushinteger(L, state->refcount);
+	lua_rawgeti(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, state->args_ref);
+
+	setOriginDirect(state->origin.c_str());
+
+	try {
+		PCALL_RES(lua_pcall(L, 4, 0, error_handler));
+	} catch (LuaError &e) {
+		server->setAsyncFatalError(e.what());
+	}
+
+	lua_pop(L, 1); // Pop error handler
+
+	if (state->refcount == 0) {
+		luaL_unref(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, state->callback_ref);
+		luaL_unref(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX, state->args_ref);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.h b/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.h
index 180cfabd063560489de4d8e9c9fd2d0393b462a6..0d98e627f4ac96778c3411d39bb0ff272a788456 100644
--- a/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.h
+++ b/src/script/cpp_api/s_env.h
@@ -24,19 +24,22 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "irr_v3d.h"
 
 class ServerEnvironment;
-struct MapgenParams;
+struct ScriptCallbackState;
 
-class ScriptApiEnv
-		: virtual public ScriptApiBase
-{
+class ScriptApiEnv : virtual public ScriptApiBase {
 public:
-	// On environment step
+	// Called on environment step
 	void environment_Step(float dtime);
-	// After generating a piece of map
-	void environment_OnGenerated(v3s16 minp, v3s16 maxp,u32 blockseed);
 
-	//called on player event
-	void player_event(ServerActiveObject* player, std::string type);
+	// Called after generating a piece of map
+	void environment_OnGenerated(v3s16 minp, v3s16 maxp, u32 blockseed);
+
+	// Called on player event
+	void player_event(ServerActiveObject *player, std::string type);
+
+	// Called after emerge of a block queued from core.emerge_area()
+	void on_emerge_area_completion(v3s16 blockpos, int action,
+		ScriptCallbackState *state);
 
 	void initializeEnvironment(ServerEnvironment *env);
 };
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp
index 6ffca6f0f36d6bd1b917c786ec4cd2f55c512b83..084b1b4408fd8655bfa586e55f523f86fbf2575b 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,21 @@ void LuaABM::trigger(ServerEnvironment *env, v3s16 p, MapNode n,
 	lua_pop(L, 1); // Pop error handler
 }
 
+void LuaEmergeAreaCallback(v3s16 blockpos, EmergeAction action, void *param)
+{
+	ScriptCallbackState *state = (ScriptCallbackState *)param;
+	assert(state != NULL);
+	assert(state->script != NULL);
+	assert(state->refcount > 0);
+
+	state->refcount--;
+
+	state->script->on_emerge_area_completion(blockpos, action, state);
+
+	if (state->refcount == 0)
+		delete state;
+}
+
 // Exported functions
 
 // set_node(pos, node)
@@ -748,24 +763,46 @@ int ModApiEnvMod::l_line_of_sight(lua_State *L)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-
-// emerge_area(p1, p2)
-// emerge mapblocks in area p1..p2
+// emerge_area(p1, p2, [callback, context])
+// emerge mapblocks in area p1..p2, calls callback with context upon completion
 int ModApiEnvMod::l_emerge_area(lua_State *L)
 {
 	GET_ENV_PTR;
 
+	EmergeCompletionCallback callback = NULL;
+	ScriptCallbackState *state = NULL;
+
 	EmergeManager *emerge = getServer(L)->getEmergeManager();
 
 	v3s16 bpmin = getNodeBlockPos(read_v3s16(L, 1));
 	v3s16 bpmax = getNodeBlockPos(read_v3s16(L, 2));
 	sortBoxVerticies(bpmin, bpmax);
 
+	size_t num_blocks = VoxelArea(bpmin, bpmax).getVolume();
+	assert(num_blocks != 0);
+
+	if (lua_isfunction(L, 3)) {
+		callback = LuaEmergeAreaCallback;
+
+		lua_pushvalue(L, 3);
+		int callback_ref = luaL_ref(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX);
+
+		lua_pushvalue(L, 4);
+		int args_ref = luaL_ref(L, LUA_REGISTRYINDEX);
+
+		state = new ScriptCallbackState;
+		state->script       = getServer(L)->getScriptIface();
+		state->callback_ref = callback_ref;
+		state->args_ref     = args_ref;
+		state->refcount     = num_blocks;
+		state->origin       = getScriptApiBase(L)->getOrigin();
+	}
+
 	for (s16 z = bpmin.Z; z <= bpmax.Z; z++)
 	for (s16 y = bpmin.Y; y <= bpmax.Y; y++)
 	for (s16 x = bpmin.X; x <= bpmax.X; x++) {
-		v3s16 chunkpos(x, y, z);
-		emerge->enqueueBlockEmerge(PEER_ID_INEXISTENT, chunkpos, false, true);
+		emerge->enqueueBlockEmergeEx(v3s16(x, y, z), PEER_ID_INEXISTENT,
+			BLOCK_EMERGE_ALLOW_GEN | BLOCK_EMERGE_FORCE_QUEUE, callback, state);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h
index 8354379f3ddaa33cf26185eb4298afab770093ca..424556d4b238ed63f7b8ae52bd90b2e3a6e434a4 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_env.h
@@ -172,8 +172,7 @@ class ModApiEnvMod : public ModApiBase {
 	static void Initialize(lua_State *L, int top);
 };
 
-class LuaABM : public ActiveBlockModifier
-{
+class LuaABM : public ActiveBlockModifier {
 private:
 	int m_id;
 
@@ -219,4 +218,12 @@ class LuaABM : public ActiveBlockModifier
 			u32 active_object_count, u32 active_object_count_wider);
 };
 
+struct ScriptCallbackState {
+	GameScripting *script;
+	int callback_ref;
+	int args_ref;
+	unsigned int refcount;
+	std::string origin;
+};
+
 #endif /* L_ENV_H_ */
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index a4be7d3fb78039be4fec1abc44dd86ecd658b630..3ec889971f409adcce2e7639e37ce791fdbec9da 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -378,6 +378,9 @@ class Server : public con::PeerHandler, public MapEventReceiver,
 	// Bind address
 	Address m_bind_addr;
 
+	// Environment mutex (envlock)
+	Mutex m_env_mutex;
+
 private:
 
 	friend class EmergeThread;
@@ -518,7 +521,6 @@ class Server : public con::PeerHandler, public MapEventReceiver,
 
 	// Environment
 	ServerEnvironment *m_env;
-	Mutex m_env_mutex;
 
 	// server connection
 	con::Connection m_con;