diff --git a/src/dev/storybook/aliases.ts b/src/dev/storybook/aliases.ts
index 153725fc48e7b..36c742dc40403 100644
--- a/src/dev/storybook/aliases.ts
+++ b/src/dev/storybook/aliases.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export const storybookAliases = {
   canvas: 'x-pack/plugins/canvas/storybook',
   codeeditor: 'src/plugins/kibana_react/public/code_editor/.storybook',
   dashboard_enhanced: 'x-pack/plugins/dashboard_enhanced/.storybook',
+  data_enhanced: 'x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/.storybook',
   embeddable: 'src/plugins/embeddable/.storybook',
   infra: 'x-pack/plugins/infra/.storybook',
   security_solution: 'x-pack/plugins/security_solution/.storybook',
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/.storybook/main.js b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/.storybook/main.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1818aa44a9399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/.storybook/main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+module.exports = require('@kbn/storybook').defaultConfig;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/kibana.json b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/kibana.json
index 5ded0f8f0dec3..bc7c8410d3df1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/kibana.json
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/kibana.json
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@
   "optionalPlugins": ["kibanaUtils", "usageCollection"],
   "server": true,
   "ui": true,
-  "requiredBundles": ["kibanaUtils"]
+  "requiredBundles": ["kibanaUtils", "kibanaReact"]
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/plugin.ts b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/plugin.ts
index 43ad4a9ed9b8b..93564373f6fce 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/plugin.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/plugin.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
+import React from 'react';
 import { CoreSetup, CoreStart, Plugin } from 'src/core/public';
 import { DataPublicPluginSetup, DataPublicPluginStart } from '../../../../src/plugins/data/public';
 import { setAutocompleteService } from './services';
-import { setupKqlQuerySuggestionProvider, KUERY_LANGUAGE_NAME } from './autocomplete';
 
+import { setupKqlQuerySuggestionProvider, KUERY_LANGUAGE_NAME } from './autocomplete';
 import { EnhancedSearchInterceptor } from './search/search_interceptor';
+import { toMountPoint } from '../../../../src/plugins/kibana_react/public';
+import { createConnectedBackgroundSessionIndicator } from './ui/connected_background_session_indicator';
 
 export interface DataEnhancedSetupDependencies {
   data: DataPublicPluginSetup;
@@ -52,6 +55,14 @@ export class DataEnhancedPlugin
 
   public start(core: CoreStart, plugins: DataEnhancedStartDependencies) {
     setAutocompleteService(plugins.data.autocomplete);
+
+    core.chrome.setBreadcrumbsAppendExtension({
+      content: toMountPoint(
+        React.createElement(
+          createConnectedBackgroundSessionIndicator({ sessionService: plugins.data.search.session })
+        )
+      ),
+    });
   }
 
   public stop() {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/background_session_indicator.stories.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/background_session_indicator.stories.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c94df39793547
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/background_session_indicator.stories.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { storiesOf } from '@storybook/react';
+import { BackgroundSessionIndicator } from './background_session_indicator';
+import { BackgroundSessionViewState } from '../background_session_state';
+
+storiesOf('components/BackgroundSessionIndicator', module).add('default', () => (
+  <>
+    <div>
+      <BackgroundSessionIndicator state={BackgroundSessionViewState.Loading} />
+    </div>
+    <div>
+      <BackgroundSessionIndicator state={BackgroundSessionViewState.Completed} />
+    </div>
+    <div>
+      <BackgroundSessionIndicator state={BackgroundSessionViewState.BackgroundLoading} />
+    </div>
+    <div>
+      <BackgroundSessionIndicator state={BackgroundSessionViewState.BackgroundCompleted} />
+    </div>
+    <div>
+      <BackgroundSessionIndicator state={BackgroundSessionViewState.Restored} />
+    </div>
+  </>
+));
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/background_session_indicator.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/background_session_indicator.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..66940ded77096
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/background_session_indicator.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import {
+  EuiButtonEmpty,
+  EuiButtonIcon,
+  EuiButtonIconProps,
+  EuiFlexGroup,
+  EuiFlexItem,
+  EuiLoadingSpinner,
+  EuiPopover,
+  EuiText,
+  EuiToolTip,
+} from '@elastic/eui';
+import { BackgroundSessionViewState } from '../background_session_state';
+
+export interface BackgroundSessionIndicatorProps {
+  state: BackgroundSessionViewState;
+  onContinueInBackground?: () => {};
+  onStopLoading?: () => {};
+  onViewBackgroundRequests?: () => {};
+  onSaveResults?: () => {};
+  onReload?: () => {};
+}
+
+const backgroundSessionIndicatorViewStateToProps: {
+  [state in BackgroundSessionViewState]: {
+    button: Pick<EuiButtonIconProps, 'color' | 'iconType' | 'aria-label'> & { tooltipText: string };
+    popover: {
+      text: string;
+      buttons: Array<React.ComponentType<BackgroundSessionIndicatorProps>>;
+    };
+  };
+} = {
+  [BackgroundSessionViewState.Loading]: {
+    button: {
+      color: 'subdued',
+      iconType: 'clock',
+      'aria-label': 'Loading results...',
+      tooltipText: 'Loading results',
+    },
+    popover: {
+      text: 'Loading',
+      buttons: [
+        ({ onStopLoading = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onStopLoading} iconType={'cross'} flush={'both'}>
+            Cancel
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+        ({ onContinueInBackground = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onContinueInBackground} flush={'both'}>
+            Continue in background
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+  [BackgroundSessionViewState.Completed]: {
+    button: {
+      color: 'subdued',
+      iconType: 'checkInCircleFilled',
+      'aria-label': 'Results loaded',
+      tooltipText: 'Results loaded',
+    },
+    popover: {
+      text: 'Results loaded',
+      buttons: [
+        ({ onSaveResults = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onSaveResults} flush={'both'}>
+            Save results
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+        ({ onViewBackgroundRequests = () => {} }) => (
+          // TODO: make this a link
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onViewBackgroundRequests} flush={'both'}>
+            View requests
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+  [BackgroundSessionViewState.BackgroundLoading]: {
+    button: {
+      iconType: EuiLoadingSpinner,
+      'aria-label': 'Loading results in the background',
+      tooltipText: 'Loading results in the background',
+    },
+    popover: {
+      text: 'Loading in the background',
+      buttons: [
+        ({ onStopLoading = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onStopLoading} iconType={'cross'} flush={'both'}>
+            Cancel
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+        ({ onViewBackgroundRequests = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onViewBackgroundRequests} flush={'both'}>
+            View requests
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+  [BackgroundSessionViewState.BackgroundCompleted]: {
+    button: {
+      color: 'success',
+      iconType: 'checkInCircleFilled',
+      'aria-label': 'Results loaded in the background',
+      tooltipText: 'Results loaded in the background',
+    },
+    popover: {
+      text: 'Loaded in the background',
+      buttons: [
+        ({ onViewBackgroundRequests = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onViewBackgroundRequests} flush={'both'}>
+            View background requests
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+  [BackgroundSessionViewState.Restored]: {
+    button: {
+      color: 'warning',
+      iconType: 'refresh',
+      'aria-label': 'Restored older results. The data is not current.',
+      tooltipText: 'Restored older results. The data is not current.',
+    },
+    popover: {
+      text: 'The data is not current',
+      buttons: [
+        ({ onReload = () => {} }) => (
+          <EuiButtonEmpty size="xs" onClick={onReload} iconType={'refresh'} flush={'both'}>
+            Reload
+          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        ),
+      ],
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+export const BackgroundSessionIndicator: React.FC<BackgroundSessionIndicatorProps> = (props) => {
+  const [isPopoverOpen, setIsPopoverOpen] = React.useState(false);
+  const onButtonClick = () => setIsPopoverOpen((isOpen) => !isOpen);
+  const closePopover = () => setIsPopoverOpen(false);
+
+  const { button, popover } = backgroundSessionIndicatorViewStateToProps[props.state];
+
+  return (
+    <EuiPopover
+      ownFocus
+      isOpen={isPopoverOpen}
+      closePopover={closePopover}
+      anchorPosition={'leftCenter'}
+      button={
+        <EuiToolTip content={button.tooltipText}>
+          <EuiButtonIcon
+            color={button.color}
+            aria-label={button['aria-label']}
+            iconType={button.iconType}
+            onClick={onButtonClick}
+          />
+        </EuiToolTip>
+      }
+    >
+      <EuiFlexGroup responsive={false} alignItems={'center'} gutterSize={'s'}>
+        <EuiFlexItem grow={true} style={{ marginRight: '12px' }}>
+          <EuiText size="s" color={'subdued'}>
+            <p>{popover.text}</p>
+          </EuiText>
+        </EuiFlexItem>
+        {popover.buttons.map((Button, index) => (
+          <EuiFlexItem key={props.state + index} grow={false}>
+            <Button {...props} />
+          </EuiFlexItem>
+        ))}
+      </EuiFlexGroup>
+    </EuiPopover>
+  );
+};
+
+// React.lazy() needs default:
+// eslint-disable-next-line import/no-default-export
+export default BackgroundSessionIndicator;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/index.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..2346d3343f114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_indicator/index.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import { EuiDelayRender, EuiLoadingSpinner } from '@elastic/eui';
+import React from 'react';
+import type { BackgroundSessionIndicatorProps } from './background_session_indicator';
+export type { BackgroundSessionIndicatorProps };
+
+const Fallback = () => (
+  <EuiDelayRender>
+    <EuiLoadingSpinner />
+  </EuiDelayRender>
+);
+
+const LazyBackgroundSearchIndicator = React.lazy(() => import('./background_session_indicator'));
+export const BackgroundSearchIndicator = (props: BackgroundSessionIndicatorProps) => (
+  <React.Suspense fallback={<Fallback />}>
+    <LazyBackgroundSearchIndicator {...props} />
+  </React.Suspense>
+);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_state.ts b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b75c2a536f624
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/background_session_state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+export enum BackgroundSessionViewState {
+  /**
+   * Pending search request has not been sent to the background yet
+   */
+  Loading = 'loading',
+
+  /**
+   * No action was taken and the page completed loading without background session creation.
+   */
+  Completed = 'completed',
+
+  /**
+   * Search request was sent to the background.
+   * The page is loading in background.
+   */
+  BackgroundLoading = 'backgroundLoading',
+
+  /**
+   * Page load completed with background session created.
+   */
+  BackgroundCompleted = 'backgroundCompleted',
+
+  /**
+   * Revisiting the page after background completion
+   */
+  Restored = 'restored',
+}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/connected_background_session_indicator.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/connected_background_session_indicator.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..dc9c634e041e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/data_enhanced/public/ui/connected_background_session_indicator.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import useObservable from 'react-use/lib/useObservable';
+import { distinctUntilChanged, map } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { BackgroundSearchIndicator } from './background_session_indicator';
+import { DataPublicPluginStart } from '../../../../../src/plugins/data/public/';
+import { BackgroundSessionViewState } from './background_session_state';
+
+export interface BackgroundSessionIndicatorDeps {
+  sessionService: DataPublicPluginStart['search']['session'];
+}
+
+export const createConnectedBackgroundSessionIndicator = ({
+  sessionService,
+}: BackgroundSessionIndicatorDeps): React.FC => {
+  const sessionId$ = sessionService.getSession$();
+  const isSession$ = sessionId$.pipe(
+    map((sessionId) => !!sessionId),
+    distinctUntilChanged()
+  );
+
+  return () => {
+    const isSession = useObservable(isSession$, !!sessionService.getSessionId());
+    if (!isSession) return null;
+    return <BackgroundSearchIndicator state={BackgroundSessionViewState.Loading} />;
+  };
+};