diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/sw.ts b/app/soapbox/actions/sw.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c12dc83e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/sw.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import type { AnyAction } from 'redux';
+
+/** Sets the ServiceWorker updating state. */
+const SW_UPDATING = 'SW_UPDATING';
+
+/** Dispatch when the ServiceWorker is being updated to display a loading screen. */
+const setSwUpdating = (isUpdating: boolean): AnyAction => ({
+  type: SW_UPDATING,
+  isUpdating,
+});
+
+export {
+  SW_UPDATING,
+  setSwUpdating,
+};
diff --git a/app/soapbox/containers/soapbox.tsx b/app/soapbox/containers/soapbox.tsx
index 22c832233..e87d858d1 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/containers/soapbox.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/containers/soapbox.tsx
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ const SoapboxMount = () => {
   const settings = useSettings();
   const soapboxConfig = useSoapboxConfig();
   const features = useFeatures();
+  const swUpdating = useAppSelector(state => state.meta.swUpdating);
 
   const locale = validLocale(settings.get('locale')) ? settings.get('locale') : 'en';
 
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ const SoapboxMount = () => {
     me && !account,
     !isLoaded,
     localeLoading,
+    swUpdating,
   ].some(Boolean);
 
   const bodyClass = classNames('bg-white dark:bg-slate-900 text-base h-full', {
diff --git a/app/soapbox/main.tsx b/app/soapbox/main.tsx
index 9456d9aa3..84ea3739a 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/main.tsx
+++ b/app/soapbox/main.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
 import { defineMessages } from 'react-intl';
 
 import snackbar from 'soapbox/actions/snackbar';
+import { setSwUpdating } from 'soapbox/actions/sw';
 import * as BuildConfig from 'soapbox/build_config';
 import { store } from 'soapbox/store';
 import { printConsoleWarning } from 'soapbox/utils/console';
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ function main() {
           store.dispatch(snackbar.show('info', messages.updateText, {
             actionLabel: messages.update,
             action: () => {
+              store.dispatch(setSwUpdating(true));
               OfflinePluginRuntime.applyUpdate();
             },
             dismissAfter: false,
diff --git a/app/soapbox/reducers/__tests__/meta.test.ts b/app/soapbox/reducers/__tests__/meta.test.ts
index 92ee4e6ff..d318b4a30 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/reducers/__tests__/meta.test.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/reducers/__tests__/meta.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { Record as ImmutableRecord } from 'immutable';
 
+import { SW_UPDATING, setSwUpdating } from 'soapbox/actions/sw';
+
 import reducer from '../meta';
 
 describe('meta reducer', () => {
@@ -7,5 +9,13 @@ describe('meta reducer', () => {
     const result = reducer(undefined, {});
     expect(ImmutableRecord.isRecord(result)).toBe(true);
     expect(result.instance_fetch_failed).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.swUpdating).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  describe(SW_UPDATING, () => {
+    it('sets swUpdating to the provided value', () => {
+      const result = reducer(undefined, setSwUpdating(true));
+      expect(result.swUpdating).toBe(true);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/app/soapbox/reducers/meta.ts b/app/soapbox/reducers/meta.ts
index f793372c8..fdce05e3e 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/reducers/meta.ts
+++ b/app/soapbox/reducers/meta.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,15 @@
 import { Record as ImmutableRecord } from 'immutable';
 
 import { fetchInstance } from 'soapbox/actions/instance';
+import { SW_UPDATING } from 'soapbox/actions/sw';
 
 import type { AnyAction } from 'redux';
 
 const ReducerRecord = ImmutableRecord({
+  /** Whether /api/v1/instance 404'd (and we should display the external auth form). */
   instance_fetch_failed: false,
+  /** Whether the ServiceWorker is currently updating (and we should display a loading screen). */
+  swUpdating: false,
 });
 
 export default function meta(state = ReducerRecord(), action: AnyAction) {
@@ -17,6 +21,8 @@ export default function meta(state = ReducerRecord(), action: AnyAction) {
         return state.set('instance_fetch_failed', true);
       }
       return state;
+    case SW_UPDATING:
+      return state.set('swUpdating', action.isUpdating);
     default:
       return state;
   }