diff --git a/packages/core/src/common/progress-service.ts b/packages/core/src/common/progress-service.ts
index ad6383f440e5c..a7ecfeb67a8a0 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/common/progress-service.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/common/progress-service.ts
@@ -74,10 +74,7 @@ export class ProgressService {
     async withProgress<T>(text: string, locationId: string, task: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
         const progress = await this.showProgress({ text, options: { cancelable: true, location: locationId } });
         try {
-            const result = task();
-            return result;
-        } catch (error) {
-            throw error;
+            return await task();
         } finally {
             progress.cancel();
         }
diff --git a/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-frontend-module.ts b/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-frontend-module.ts
index bee418be321f2..b47290469edcd 100644
--- a/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-frontend-module.ts
+++ b/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-frontend-module.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ export default new ContainerModule(bind => {
     bind(WidgetFactory).toDynamicValue(({ container }) => ({
         id: EXPLORER_VIEW_CONTAINER_ID,
         createWidget: async () => {
-            const viewContainer = container.get<ViewContainer.Factory>(ViewContainer.Factory)({ id: EXPLORER_VIEW_CONTAINER_ID });
+            const viewContainer = container.get<ViewContainer.Factory>(ViewContainer.Factory)({
+                id: EXPLORER_VIEW_CONTAINER_ID,
+                progressLocationId: 'explorer'
+            });
             viewContainer.setTitleOptions(EXPLORER_VIEW_CONTAINER_TITLE_OPTIONS);
             const widget = await container.get(WidgetManager).getOrCreateWidget(FILE_NAVIGATOR_ID);
             viewContainer.addWidget(widget, {
diff --git a/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.spec.ts b/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.spec.ts
index 7159132b5a2e6..25c2729675ef5 100644
--- a/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.spec.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { enableJSDOM } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/test/jsdom';
 let disableJSDOM = enableJSDOM();
 
 import { Container } from 'inversify';
-import { Emitter, ILogger, Logger } from '@theia/core';
+import { Event, Emitter, ILogger, Logger } from '@theia/core';
 import {
     CompositeTreeNode, DefaultOpenerService, ExpandableTreeNode, LabelProvider, OpenerService,
     Tree, TreeNode, TreeSelectionService, TreeExpansionService, TreeExpansionServiceImpl,
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { expect } from 'chai';
 import URI from '@theia/core/lib/common/uri';
 import * as sinon from 'sinon';
 import { FrontendApplicationStateService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/frontend-application-state';
+import { ProgressService } from '@theia/core/lib/common/progress-service';
 
 disableJSDOM();
 
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ const setup = () => {
     });
 };
 
+// TODO rewrite as integration tests instead of testing mocks
 describe('FileNavigatorModel', () => {
     let testContainer: Container;
 
@@ -177,12 +179,16 @@ describe('FileNavigatorModel', () => {
         testContainer.bind(TreeSearch).toConstantValue(mockTreeSearch);
         testContainer.bind(CorePreferences).toConstantValue(mockPreferences);
         testContainer.bind(FrontendApplicationStateService).toConstantValue(mockApplicationStateService);
+        testContainer.bind(ProgressService).toConstantValue(<ProgressService>{
+            withProgress: (_, __, task) => task()
+        });
 
         sinon.stub(mockWorkspaceService, 'onWorkspaceChanged').value(mockWorkspaceServiceEmitter.event);
         sinon.stub(mockWorkspaceService, 'onWorkspaceLocationChanged').value(mockWorkspaceOnLocationChangeEmitter.event);
         sinon.stub(mockFileSystemWatcher, 'onFilesChanged').value(mockFileChangeEmitter.event);
         sinon.stub(mockFileSystemWatcher, 'onDidMove').value(mockFileMoveEmitter.event);
         sinon.stub(mockFileNavigatorTree, 'onChanged').value(mockTreeChangeEmitter.event);
+        sinon.stub(mockFileNavigatorTree, 'onDidChangeBusy').value(Event.None);
         sinon.stub(mockTreeExpansionService, 'onExpansionChanged').value(mockExpansionChangeEmitter.event);
 
         setup();
diff --git a/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.ts b/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.ts
index d1e0f5b0ecb15..bbe6aa8975a4c 100644
--- a/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.ts
+++ b/packages/navigator/src/browser/navigator-model.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ import { OpenerService, open, TreeNode, ExpandableTreeNode, CompositeTreeNode, S
 import { FileNavigatorTree, WorkspaceRootNode, WorkspaceNode } from './navigator-tree';
 import { WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser';
 import { FrontendApplicationStateService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/frontend-application-state';
+import { ProgressService } from '@theia/core/lib/common/progress-service';
+import { Deferred } from '@theia/core/lib/common/promise-util';
+import { Disposable } from '@theia/core/lib/common/disposable';
 
 @injectable()
 export class FileNavigatorModel extends FileTreeModel {
@@ -30,12 +33,41 @@ export class FileNavigatorModel extends FileTreeModel {
     @inject(WorkspaceService) protected readonly workspaceService: WorkspaceService;
     @inject(FrontendApplicationStateService) protected readonly applicationState: FrontendApplicationStateService;
 
+    @inject(ProgressService)
+    protected readonly progressService: ProgressService;
+
     @postConstruct()
     protected init(): void {
         super.init();
+        this.reportBusyProgress();
         this.initializeRoot();
     }
 
+    protected readonly pendingBusyProgress = new Map<string, Deferred<void>>();
+    protected reportBusyProgress(): void {
+        this.toDispose.push(this.onDidChangeBusy(node => {
+            const pending = this.pendingBusyProgress.get(node.id);
+            if (pending) {
+                if (!node.busy) {
+                    pending.resolve();
+                    this.pendingBusyProgress.delete(node.id);
+                }
+                return;
+            }
+            if (node.busy) {
+                const progress = new Deferred<void>();
+                this.pendingBusyProgress.set(node.id, progress);
+                this.progressService.withProgress('', 'explorer', () => progress.promise);
+            }
+        }));
+        this.toDispose.push(Disposable.create(() => {
+            for (const pending of this.pendingBusyProgress.values()) {
+                pending.resolve();
+            }
+            this.pendingBusyProgress.clear();
+        }));
+    }
+
     protected async initializeRoot(): Promise<void> {
         await Promise.all([
             this.applicationState.reachedState('initialized_layout'),