diff --git a/lua/playing.lua b/lua/playing.lua
index 942b8836..ff503a6c 100644
--- a/lua/playing.lua
+++ b/lua/playing.lua
@@ -226,7 +226,18 @@ return screen:new {
         end
       end),
       playback.track:bind(function(track)
-        if not track then return end
+        if not track then
+          if queue.loading:get() then
+            title:set { text = "Loading..." }
+          else
+            title:set { text = "" }
+          end
+          artist:set { text = "" }
+          cur_time:set { text = format_time(0) }
+          end_time:set { text = format_time(0) }
+          scrubber:set { value = 0 }
+          return
+        end
         if track.duration then
           end_time:set { text = format_time(track.duration) }
         else
diff --git a/src/tangara/audio/audio_events.hpp b/src/tangara/audio/audio_events.hpp
index 50fd4b00..a141832e 100644
--- a/src/tangara/audio/audio_events.hpp
+++ b/src/tangara/audio/audio_events.hpp
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ struct QueueUpdate : tinyfsm::Event {
     kRepeatingLastTrack,
     kTrackFinished,
     kDeserialised,
+    kBulkLoadingUpdate,
   };
   Reason reason;
 };
diff --git a/src/tangara/audio/audio_fsm.cpp b/src/tangara/audio/audio_fsm.cpp
index 54ea5b6c..163e56ec 100644
--- a/src/tangara/audio/audio_fsm.cpp
+++ b/src/tangara/audio/audio_fsm.cpp
@@ -112,10 +112,13 @@ void AudioState::react(const QueueUpdate& ev) {
         cmd.new_track = std::monostate{};
       }
       break;
+    case QueueUpdate::kBulkLoadingUpdate:
+      // Bulk loading updates are informational only; a separate QueueUpdate
+      // event will be sent when loading is done.
     case QueueUpdate::kDeserialised:
-    default:
       // The current track is deserialised separately in order to retain seek
       // position.
+    default:
       return;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/tangara/audio/track_queue.cpp b/src/tangara/audio/track_queue.cpp
index 761ea09a..4f90e2ea 100644
--- a/src/tangara/audio/track_queue.cpp
+++ b/src/tangara/audio/track_queue.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "database/track.hpp"
 #include "events/event_queue.hpp"
 #include "memory_resource.hpp"
+#include "random.hpp"
 #include "tasks.hpp"
 #include "track_queue.hpp"
 #include "ui/ui_fsm.hpp"
@@ -190,6 +191,8 @@ auto TrackQueue::append(Item i) -> void {
     // doesn't block.
     bg_worker_.Dispatch<void>([=, this]() {
       database::TrackIterator it = std::get<database::TrackIterator>(i);
+
+      size_t next_update_at = 10;
       while (true) {
         auto next = *it;
         if (!next) {
@@ -205,7 +208,16 @@ auto TrackQueue::append(Item i) -> void {
           }
         }
         it++;
+
+        // Appending very large iterators can take a while. Send out periodic
+        // queue updates during them so that the user has an idea what's going
+        // on.
+        if (!--next_update_at) {
+          next_update_at = util::sRandom->RangeInclusive(10, 20);
+          notifyChanged(false, Reason::kBulkLoadingUpdate);
+        }
       }
+
       {
         const std::unique_lock<std::shared_mutex> lock(mutex_);
         updateShuffler(was_queue_empty);
diff --git a/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.cpp b/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.cpp
index 38e9b8e1..7da07215 100644
--- a/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.cpp
+++ b/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.cpp
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ lua::Property UiState::sQueueRandom{false, [](const lua::LuaValue& val) {
                                       sServices->track_queue().random(new_val);
                                       return true;
                                     }};
+lua::Property UiState::sQueueLoading{false};
 
 lua::Property UiState::sVolumeCurrentPct{
     0, [](const lua::LuaValue& val) {
@@ -424,7 +425,7 @@ void UiState::react(const system_fsm::BatteryStateChanged& ev) {
   }
 }
 
-void UiState::react(const audio::QueueUpdate&) {
+void UiState::react(const audio::QueueUpdate& update) {
   auto& queue = sServices->track_queue();
   auto queue_size = queue.totalSize();
   sQueueSize.setDirect(static_cast<int>(queue_size));
@@ -439,6 +440,12 @@ void UiState::react(const audio::QueueUpdate&) {
   sQueueRandom.setDirect(queue.random());
   sQueueRepeat.setDirect(queue.repeat());
   sQueueReplay.setDirect(queue.replay());
+
+  if (update.reason == audio::QueueUpdate::Reason::kBulkLoadingUpdate) {
+    sQueueLoading.setDirect(true);
+  } else {
+    sQueueLoading.setDirect(false);
+  }
 }
 
 void UiState::react(const audio::PlaybackUpdate& ev) {
@@ -614,6 +621,7 @@ void Lua::entry() {
             {"replay", &sQueueReplay},
             {"repeat_track", &sQueueRepeat},
             {"random", &sQueueRandom},
+            {"loading", &sQueueLoading},
         });
     registry.AddPropertyModule("volume",
                                {
diff --git a/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.hpp b/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.hpp
index 41f0db3a..32966657 100644
--- a/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.hpp
+++ b/src/tangara/ui/ui_fsm.hpp
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ class UiState : public tinyfsm::Fsm<UiState> {
   static lua::Property sQueueReplay;
   static lua::Property sQueueRepeat;
   static lua::Property sQueueRandom;
+  static lua::Property sQueueLoading;
 
   static lua::Property sVolumeCurrentPct;
   static lua::Property sVolumeCurrentDb;