--- a/browser/base/content/browser.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/browser.js
@@ -4077,17 +4077,21 @@ var XULBrowserWindow = {
       // (RFC 3987 sections 3.2 and 4.1 paragraph 6)
       url = url.replace(/[\u200e\u200f\u202a\u202b\u202c\u202d\u202e]/g,
                         encodeURIComponent);
       gURLBar.setOverLink(url);
     }
   }, 
 
   updateStatusField: function () {
-    var text = this.status || this.jsStatus || this.jsDefaultStatus || this.defaultStatus;
+    var text;
+    if (this._busyUI)
+      text = this.status;
+    if (!text)
+      text = this.jsStatus || this.jsDefaultStatus || this.defaultStatus;
 
     // check the current value so we don't trigger an attribute change
     // and cause needless (slow!) UI updates
     if (this.statusText != text) {
       this.statusTextField.label = text;
       this.statusText = text;
     }
   },