--- a/mail/base/content/mailWindow.js
+++ b/mail/base/content/mailWindow.js
@@ -309,16 +309,17 @@ function nsMsgStatusFeedback() {
   this._statusText = document.getElementById("statusText");
   this._statusPanel = document.getElementById("statusbar-display");
   this._progressBar = document.getElementById("statusbar-icon");
   this._progressBarContainer = document.getElementById(
     "statusbar-progresspanel"
   );
   this._throbber = document.getElementById("throbber-box");
   this._activeProcesses = [];
+  this._statusQueue = [];
 
   // make sure the stop button is accurate from the get-go
   goUpdateCommand("cmd_stop");
 }
 
 /**
  * @implements {nsIMsgStatusFeedback}
  * @implements {nsIXULBrowserWindow}
@@ -335,22 +336,21 @@ nsMsgStatusFeedback.prototype = {
   _throbber: null,
 
   // Member variables.
   _startTimeoutID: null,
   _stopTimeoutID: null,
   // How many start meteors have been requested.
   _startRequests: 0,
   _meteorsSpinning: false,
-  _defaultStatusText: "",
   _progressBarVisible: false,
   _activeProcesses: null,
   _statusFeedbackProgress: -1,
   _statusLastShown: 0,
-  _lastStatusText: null,
+  _statusQueue: null,
   _timeoutDelay: ChromeUtils.isInAutomation ? 50 : 500,
 
   // unload - call to remove links to listeners etc.
   unload() {
     // Remove listeners for any active processes we have hooked ourselves into.
     this._activeProcesses.forEach(function (element) {
       element.removeListener(this);
     }, this);
@@ -430,60 +430,62 @@ nsMsgStatusFeedback.prototype = {
   QueryInterface: ChromeUtils.generateQI([
     "nsIMsgStatusFeedback",
     "nsIXULBrowserWindow",
     "nsIActivityMgrListener",
     "nsIActivityListener",
     "nsISupportsWeakReference",
   ]),
 
-  // nsIMsgStatusFeedback implementation.
+  /**
+   * @param {string} statusText - The status string to display.
+   * @see {nsIMsgStatusFeedback}
+   */
   showStatusString(statusText) {
-    if (!statusText) {
-      statusText = this._defaultStatusText;
-    } else {
-      this._defaultStatusText = "";
-    }
     // Let's make sure the display doesn't flicker.
-    const timeBetweenDisplay = 500;
-    const now = Date.now();
-    if (now - this._statusLastShown > timeBetweenDisplay) {
-      // Cancel any pending status message. The timeout is not guaranteed
-      // to run within timeBetweenDisplay milliseconds.
-      this._lastStatusText = null;
-
-      this._statusLastShown = now;
+    const MIN_DISPLAY_TIME = 750;
+    if (
+      !this._statusIntervalId &&
+      Date.now() - this._statusLastShown > MIN_DISPLAY_TIME
+    ) {
+      this._statusLastShown = Date.now();
       if (this._statusText.value != statusText) {
         this._statusText.value = statusText;
       }
-    } else {
-      if (this._lastStatusText !== null) {
-        // There's already a pending display. Replace it.
-        this._lastStatusText = statusText;
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this._statusQueue.length >= 10) {
+      // Drop further messages until the queue has cleared up.
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!statusText && this._statusQueue.length > 0) {
+      // Don't queue empty strings in the middle.
+      return;
+    }
+    this._statusQueue.push(statusText);
+    if (this._statusIntervalId) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Arrange for this to be shown in MIN_DISPLAY_TIME ms.
+    this._statusIntervalId = setInterval(() => {
+      const text = this._statusQueue.shift();
+      if (text === undefined) {
+        clearInterval(this._statusIntervalId);
+        this._statusIntervalId = null;
+        if (!this._meteorsSpinning) {
+          this._statusText.value = ""; // Clear status text once done.
+        }
         return;
       }
-      // Arrange for this to be shown in timeBetweenDisplay milliseconds.
-      this._lastStatusText = statusText;
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        if (this._lastStatusText !== null) {
-          this._statusLastShown = Date.now();
-          if (this._statusText.value != this._lastStatusText) {
-            this._statusText.value = this._lastStatusText;
-          }
-          this._lastStatusText = null;
-        }
-      }, timeBetweenDisplay);
-    }
-  },
-
-  setStatusString(status) {
-    if (status.length > 0) {
-      this._defaultStatusText = status;
-      this._statusText.value = status;
-    }
+      this._statusLastShown = Date.now();
+      if (this._statusText.value != text) {
+        this._statusText.value = text;
+      }
+    }, MIN_DISPLAY_TIME);
   },
 
   _startMeteors() {
     this._meteorsSpinning = true;
     this._startTimeoutID = null;
 
     // Turn progress meter on.
     this.updateProgress();
@@ -518,17 +520,17 @@ nsMsgStatusFeedback.prototype = {
     // a stop timeout...
     if (this._stopTimeoutID) {
       clearTimeout(this._stopTimeoutID);
       this._stopTimeoutID = null;
     }
   },
 
   _stopMeteors() {
-    this.showStatusString(this._defaultStatusText);
+    this.showStatusString("");
 
     // stop the throbber
     if (this._throbber) {
       this._throbber.setAttribute("busy", false);
     }
 
     document.querySelector(".throbber")?.classList.remove("busy");
 

--- a/mail/base/test/browser/browser_statusFeedback.js
+++ b/mail/base/test/browser/browser_statusFeedback.js
@@ -64,8 +64,42 @@ add_task(async function testMessageOpen(
   );
 
   // Check that the status message eventually reset
   await TestUtils.waitForCondition(
     () => statusText.value == "",
     "status message should eventually reset"
   );
 });
+
+add_task(async function testManyStatuses() {
+  const statusFeedback = window.MsgStatusFeedback;
+  const statuses = [];
+  for (let i = 0; i < 25; i++) {
+    const str = `Hey hey hey #${i}`;
+    if (i < 10) {
+      // after 10 messages, messages should get dropped
+      statuses.push(
+        BrowserTestUtils.waitForMutationCondition(
+          statusText,
+          {
+            attributes: true,
+            attributeFilter: ["value"],
+          },
+          () => statusText.value == str
+        )
+      );
+    }
+    statusFeedback.showStatusString(str);
+  }
+  await Promise.all(statuses);
+  Assert.ok(true, `The ${statuses.length} first statuses should be shown`);
+
+  // After that, it should clear up.
+  await BrowserTestUtils.waitForMutationCondition(
+    statusText,
+    {
+      attributes: true,
+      attributeFilter: ["value"],
+    },
+    () => statusText.value == ""
+  );
+});

--- a/mailnews/base/content/subscribe.js
+++ b/mailnews/base/content/subscribe.js
@@ -109,32 +109,31 @@ function SetUpTree(forceToServer, getOnl
     gSubscribeTree.view = gSubscribableServer.folderView;
     gSubscribableServer.subscribeListener = MySubscribeListener;
 
     document.getElementById("currentListTab").disabled = true;
     document.getElementById("newGroupsTab").disabled = true;
     document.getElementById("refreshButton").disabled = true;
 
     gStatusFeedback._startMeteors();
-    gStatusFeedback.setStatusString("");
     gStatusFeedback.showStatusString(
       gSubscribeBundle.getString("pleaseWaitString")
     );
     document.getElementById("stopButton").disabled = false;
 
     gSubscribableServer.startPopulating(msgWindow, forceToServer, getOnlyNew);
   } catch (e) {
     if (e.result == 0x80550014) {
       // NS_MSG_ERROR_OFFLINE
-      gStatusFeedback.setStatusString(
+      gStatusFeedback.showStatusString(
         gSubscribeBundle.getString("offlineState")
       );
     } else {
       console.error("Failed to populate subscribe tree: ", e);
-      gStatusFeedback.setStatusString(
+      gStatusFeedback.showStatusString(
         gSubscribeBundle.getString("errorPopulating")
       );
     }
     Stop();
   }
 }
 
 function SubscribeOnUnload() {

--- a/mailnews/base/public/nsIMsgStatusFeedback.idl
+++ b/mailnews/base/public/nsIMsgStatusFeedback.idl
@@ -2,17 +2,17 @@
 /* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
  * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
 #include "nsISupports.idl"
 
 [scriptable, uuid(AACBFA34-8D29-4A08-9283-A8E5B3AB067F)]
 interface nsIMsgStatusFeedback : nsISupports {
+
   void showStatusString(in AString aStatus);
   void startMeteors();
   void stopMeteors();
   void showProgress(in long aPercent);
-  void setStatusString(in AString aStatus); // will be displayed until next user action
 
   /* aStatusFeedback: a wrapped JS status feedback object */
   void setWrappedStatusFeedback(in nsIMsgStatusFeedback aStatusFeedback);
 };

--- a/mailnews/base/src/FolderCompactor.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/FolderCompactor.cpp
@@ -787,17 +787,17 @@ static void GUIShowCompactingMsg(nsIMsgW
   NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS_VOID(rv);
 
   // Show message and turn on the progress bar.
   nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgStatusFeedback> feedback;
   window->GetStatusFeedback(getter_AddRefs(feedback));
   if (feedback) {
     // Not all windows have .statusFeedback set, especially during
     // xpcshell-tests (search for gDummyMsgWindow, set up in alertTestUtils.js).
-    feedback->SetStatusString(statusMessage);
+    feedback->ShowStatusString(statusMessage);
     feedback->StartMeteors();
   }
 }
 
 static void GUIShowDoneMsg(nsIMsgWindow* window, int64_t totalBytesRecovered) {
   MOZ_ASSERT(window);
   nsresult rv;
 
@@ -818,17 +818,17 @@ static void GUIShowDoneMsg(nsIMsgWindow*
   AutoTArray<nsString, 1> params = {amount};
   rv = bundle->FormatStringFromName("compactingDone", params, doneMsg);
   NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS_VOID(rv);
 
   // Show message, and turn off progress bar.
   nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgStatusFeedback> feedback;
   window->GetStatusFeedback(getter_AddRefs(feedback));
   if (feedback) {
-    feedback->SetStatusString(doneMsg);
+    feedback->ShowStatusString(doneMsg);
     feedback->StopMeteors();
   }
 }
 
 // This is the sole public-facing function.
 nsresult AsyncCompactFolders(nsTArray<RefPtr<nsIMsgFolder>> const& folders,
                              nsIUrlListener* listener, nsIMsgWindow* window) {
   // Filter out noncompactable folders and ones with zero .expungedBytes.

--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgProgress.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgProgress.cpp
@@ -187,21 +187,16 @@ nsresult nsMsgProgress::ReleaseListeners
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgProgress::ShowStatusString(const nsAString& aStatus) {
   return OnStatusChange(nullptr, nullptr, NS_OK,
                         PromiseFlatString(aStatus).get());
 }
 
-NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgProgress::SetStatusString(const nsAString& aStatus) {
-  return OnStatusChange(nullptr, nullptr, NS_OK,
-                        PromiseFlatString(aStatus).get());
-}
-
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgProgress::StartMeteors() { return NS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED; }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgProgress::StopMeteors() { return NS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED; }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgProgress::ShowProgress(int32_t percent) {
   return NS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
 }
 

--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.cpp
@@ -149,24 +149,16 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsMsgStatusFeedback::ShowStatusString(const nsAString& aStatus) {
   nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgStatusFeedback> jsStatusFeedback(
       do_QueryReferent(mJSStatusFeedbackWeak));
   if (jsStatusFeedback) jsStatusFeedback->ShowStatusString(aStatus);
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP
-nsMsgStatusFeedback::SetStatusString(const nsAString& aStatus) {
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgStatusFeedback> jsStatusFeedback(
-      do_QueryReferent(mJSStatusFeedbackWeak));
-  if (jsStatusFeedback) jsStatusFeedback->SetStatusString(aStatus);
-  return NS_OK;
-}
-
-NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsMsgStatusFeedback::ShowProgress(int32_t aPercentage) {
   // If the percentage hasn't changed...OR if we are going from 0 to 100% in one
   // step then don't bother....just fall out....
   if (aPercentage == m_lastPercent ||
       (m_lastPercent == 0 && aPercentage >= 100))
     return NS_OK;
 
   // Throttle updates.