diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c
index 514c7ec6e..afd66c022 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.c
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ fwupd_status_to_string (FwupdStatus status)
 		return "device-erase";
 	if (status == FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_VERIFY)
 		return "device-verify";
+	if (status == FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_BUSY)
+		return "device-busy";
 	if (status == FWUPD_STATUS_SCHEDULING)
 		return "scheduling";
 	if (status == FWUPD_STATUS_DOWNLOADING)
@@ -108,6 +110,8 @@ fwupd_status_from_string (const gchar *status)
 		return FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_READ;
 	if (g_strcmp0 (status, "device-erase") == 0)
 		return FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_ERASE;
+	if (g_strcmp0 (status, "device-busy") == 0)
+		return FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_BUSY;
 	if (g_strcmp0 (status, "waiting-for-auth") == 0)
 		return FWUPD_STATUS_WAITING_FOR_AUTH;
 	return FWUPD_STATUS_LAST;
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h
index 6d5e5250b..75b9cda70 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-enums.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
  * @FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_READ:			Reading from a device
  * @FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_ERASE:			Erasing a device
  * @FWUPD_STATUS_WAITING_FOR_AUTH:		Waiting for authentication
+ * @FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_BUSY:			The device is busy
  *
  * The flags to show daemon status.
  **/
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_READ,			/* Since: 1.0.0 */
 	FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_ERASE,			/* Since: 1.0.0 */
 	FWUPD_STATUS_WAITING_FOR_AUTH,			/* Since: 1.0.0 */
+	FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_BUSY,			/* Since: 1.0.1 */
 	/*< private >*/
 	FWUPD_STATUS_LAST
 } FwupdStatus;
diff --git a/plugins/synapticsmst/fu-plugin-synapticsmst.c b/plugins/synapticsmst/fu-plugin-synapticsmst.c
index 750d44a57..9af68b355 100644
--- a/plugins/synapticsmst/fu-plugin-synapticsmst.c
+++ b/plugins/synapticsmst/fu-plugin-synapticsmst.c
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ fu_plugin_update (FuPlugin *plugin,
 	/* sleep to allow device wakeup to complete */
 	g_debug ("waiting %d seconds for MST hub wakeup",
 		 SYNAPTICS_FLASH_MODE_DELAY);
+	fu_plugin_set_status (plugin, FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_BUSY);
 	g_usleep (SYNAPTICS_FLASH_MODE_DELAY * 1000000);
 
 	device = synapticsmst_device_new (kind, aux_node, layer, rad);
diff --git a/src/fu-progressbar.c b/src/fu-progressbar.c
index cd8cdecee..b13ffe063 100644
--- a/src/fu-progressbar.c
+++ b/src/fu-progressbar.c
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ fu_progressbar_status_to_string (FwupdStatus status)
 		/* TRANSLATORS: waiting for user to authenticate */
 		return _("Authenticating…");
 		break;
+	case FWUPD_STATUS_DEVICE_BUSY:
+		/* TRANSLATORS: waiting for device to do something */
+		return _("Waiting…");
+		break;
 	default:
 		break;
 	}