diff --git a/ui/files.js b/ui/files.js
index f09eb9d5..99f660b2 100755
--- a/ui/files.js
+++ b/ui/files.js
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ function makeDiffFilePattern(base, diff, ext){
 //
 // Will return the original deferred.
 function statusNotify(prefix, loader, not_queued){
+	not_queued = not_queued == null ? true : not_queued
 	var report = not_queued == true ? showStatus : showStatusQ
 	if(loader == null){
 		loader = prefix
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ function statusNotify(prefix, loader, not_queued){
 						report(args.join(': '))
 					})
 					.fail(function(){
-						// XXX
+						showErrorStatus(args.join(': '))
 					})
 				return
 			}
@@ -105,6 +106,39 @@ function statusNotify(prefix, loader, not_queued){
 }
 
 
+// XXX
+function statusProgress(msg, loader){
+	var progress = progressBar(msg)
+	var total = 0
+	var done = 0
+
+	return loader
+		.done(function(){
+			// XXX why does this close the progress bar right away???
+			closeProgressBar(progress)
+		})
+		.progress(function(){
+			var args = args2array(arguments)
+			var getter = args[args.length-1]
+			total += 1
+
+			// the getter is a deferred...
+			if(getter != null && getter.isResolved != null){
+				args.pop()
+					.always(function(){
+						done += 1
+						updateProgressBar(progress, done, total)
+					})
+
+			// no getter...
+			} else {
+				done += 1
+				updateProgressBar(progress, done, total)
+			}
+		})
+}
+
+
 // Bubble up actions in the deferred chain
 //
 // Will chain progress/notify and if only_progress is not set, also
@@ -204,7 +238,9 @@ function loadLatestFile(path, dfl, pattern, diff_pattern, default_data){
 							// 		keep the sort order...
 							diff_data[i+1] = data
 						})
-						// XXX this is a hack...
+						// XXX need to notify as early as possible but doing
+						// 		it outside this (see below) will notify BEFORE
+						// 		anyone's listening...
 						.always(function(){
 							tracker.notify(e, getter)
 						})
@@ -213,6 +249,7 @@ function loadLatestFile(path, dfl, pattern, diff_pattern, default_data){
 					// 		is no chance to get it back...
 					tracker.notify(e, getter)
 					*/
+
 					return getter
 				}))
 			// merge the diffs...
diff --git a/ui/index.html b/ui/index.html
index 84d5678e..12d48817 100755
--- a/ui/index.html
+++ b/ui/index.html
@@ -167,7 +167,8 @@ $(function(){
 
 		BASE_URL = localStorage[data_attr + '_BASE_URL']
 
-		var loading = statusNotify(loadDir(BASE_URL))
+		//var loading = statusNotify(loadDir(BASE_URL))
+		var loading = statusProgress('Loading', statusNotify(loadDir(BASE_URL)))
 
 	} else {
 		// everything is in localStorage...