diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index effcbe66..6072fb01 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+2014-05-12  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
+	* src/text.c (do_spell): Provide startup feedback, as for the linter.
+
 2014-05-10 Chris Allegretta <chrisa@asty.org>
 	* src/rcfile.c (parse_color_names): Redefine false and true to
 	  their appropriate macro names so --with-slang works (slangv2 anyway).
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index cb6d3130..3cdd754d 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -2956,6 +2956,10 @@ void do_spell(void)
 	return;
     }
 
+    blank_bottombars();
+    statusbar(_("Invoking spell checker, please wait"));
+    doupdate();
+
     spell_msg = (alt_speller != NULL) ? do_alt_speller(temp) :
 	do_int_speller(temp);
     unlink(temp);