diff --git a/Cmdline/Action/Update.cs b/Cmdline/Action/Update.cs
index b86f65a6be..90351b9e5e 100644
--- a/Cmdline/Action/Update.cs
+++ b/Cmdline/Action/Update.cs
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ private void UpdateRepository(CKAN.KSP ksp, string repository = null)
                 ? CKAN.Repo.UpdateAllRepositories(registry_manager, ksp, manager.Cache, user)
                 : CKAN.Repo.Update(registry_manager, ksp, user, repository);
 
-            user.RaiseMessage("Updated information on {0} available modules", updated);
+            user.RaiseMessage("Updated information on {0} available modules",
+                registry_manager.registry.Available(ksp.VersionCriteria()).Count);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Core/Net/Repo.cs b/Core/Net/Repo.cs
index afdfc9ce11..1f92adf97f 100644
--- a/Core/Net/Repo.cs
+++ b/Core/Net/Repo.cs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public static class Repo
         /// Optionally takes a URL to the zipfile repo to download.
         /// Returns the number of unique modules updated.
         /// </summary>
-        public static int UpdateAllRepositories(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, NetModuleCache cache, IUser user)
+        public static bool UpdateAllRepositories(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, NetModuleCache cache, IUser user)
         {
             SortedDictionary<string, Repository> sortedRepositories = registry_manager.registry.Repositories;
             List<CkanModule> allAvail = new List<CkanModule>();
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public static int UpdateAllRepositories(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ks
                 {
                     // Report failure if any repo fails, rather than losing half the list.
                     // UpdateRegistry will have alerted the user to specific errors already.
-                    return 0;
+                    return false;
                 }
                 else
                 {
@@ -66,13 +66,14 @@ public static int UpdateAllRepositories(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ks
                     HandleModuleChanges(metadataChanges, user, ksp, cache);
                 }
 
-                // Return how many we got!
-                return registry_manager.registry.Available(ksp.VersionCriteria()).Count;
+                // Registry.Available is slow, just return success,
+                // caller can check it if it's really needed
+                return true;
             }
             else
             {
                 // Return failure
-                return 0;
+                return false;
             }
         }
 
@@ -372,7 +373,7 @@ private static bool RelationshipsAreEquivalent(List<RelationshipDescriptor> a, L
         /// <returns>
         /// Number of modules found in repo
         /// </returns>
-        public static int Update(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, IUser user, string repo = null)
+        public static bool Update(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, IUser user, string repo = null)
         {
             if (repo == null)
             {
@@ -383,7 +384,7 @@ public static int Update(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, IUser user,
         }
 
         // Same as above, just with a Uri instead of string for the repo
-        public static int Update(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, IUser user, Uri repo = null)
+        public static bool Update(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, IUser user, Uri repo = null)
         {
             // Use our default repo, unless we've been told otherwise.
             if (repo == null)
@@ -405,8 +406,9 @@ public static int Update(RegistryManager registry_manager, KSP ksp, IUser user,
 
             ShowUserInconsistencies(registry_manager.registry, user);
 
-            // Return how many we got!
-            return registry_manager.registry.Available(ksp.VersionCriteria()).Count;
+            // Registry.Available is slow, just return success,
+            // caller can check it if it's really needed
+            return true;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/GUI/MainModList.cs b/GUI/MainModList.cs
index 7fd739d5ec..df34cccfc2 100644
--- a/GUI/MainModList.cs
+++ b/GUI/MainModList.cs
@@ -141,25 +141,39 @@ private void _UpdateFilters()
 
         public void UpdateModsList(Boolean repo_updated = false, IEnumerable<ModChange> mc = null)
         {
-            Util.Invoke(this, () => _UpdateModsList(repo_updated, mc ?? new List<ModChange>()));
+            // Run the update in the background so the UI thread can appear alive
+            Task.Factory.StartNew(() =>
+                _UpdateModsList(repo_updated, mc ?? new List<ModChange>())
+            );
         }
 
         private void _UpdateModsList(bool repo_updated, IEnumerable<ModChange> mc)
         {
             log.Info("Updating the mod list");
 
+            ResetProgress();
+            tabController.RenameTab("WaitTabPage", "Loading modules");
+            ShowWaitDialog(false);
+            tabController.SetTabLock(true);
+            SwitchEnabledState();
+            ClearLog();
+
+            AddLogMessage("Loading registry...");
             KspVersionCriteria versionCriteria = CurrentInstance.VersionCriteria();
             IRegistryQuerier registry = RegistryManager.Instance(CurrentInstance).registry;
 
+            AddLogMessage("Loading installed modules...");
             var gui_mods = new HashSet<GUIMod>();
             gui_mods.UnionWith(
                 registry.InstalledModules
                     .Select(instMod => new GUIMod(instMod, registry, versionCriteria))
             );
+            AddLogMessage("Loading available modules...");
             gui_mods.UnionWith(
                 registry.Available(versionCriteria)
                     .Select(m => new GUIMod(m, registry, versionCriteria))
             );
+            AddLogMessage("Loading incompatible modules...");
             gui_mods.UnionWith(
                 registry.Incompatible(versionCriteria)
                     .Select(m => new GUIMod(m, registry, versionCriteria, true))
@@ -167,6 +181,7 @@ private void _UpdateModsList(bool repo_updated, IEnumerable<ModChange> mc)
 
             if (mc != null)
             {
+                AddLogMessage("Restoring change set...");
                 foreach (ModChange change in mc)
                 {
                     // Propagate IsInstallChecked and IsUpgradeChecked to the next generation
@@ -176,6 +191,7 @@ private void _UpdateModsList(bool repo_updated, IEnumerable<ModChange> mc)
                 }
             }
 
+            AddLogMessage("Preserving new flags...");
             var old_modules = mainModList.Modules.ToDictionary(m => m, m => m.IsIncompatible);
             if (repo_updated)
             {
@@ -207,11 +223,13 @@ private void _UpdateModsList(bool repo_updated, IEnumerable<ModChange> mc)
                 }
             }
 
+            AddLogMessage("Populating mod list...");
             // Update our mod listing
             mainModList.ConstructModList(gui_mods.ToList(), mc, configuration.HideEpochs, configuration.HideV);
             mainModList.Modules = new ReadOnlyCollection<GUIMod>(
                 mainModList.full_list_of_mod_rows.Values.Select(row => row.Tag as GUIMod).ToList());
 
+            AddLogMessage("Updating filters...");
             //TODO Consider using smart enumeration pattern so stuff like this is easier
             FilterToolButton.DropDownItems[0].Text = String.Format("Compatible ({0})",
                 mainModList.CountModsByFilter(GUIModFilter.Compatible));
@@ -232,7 +250,14 @@ private void _UpdateModsList(bool repo_updated, IEnumerable<ModChange> mc)
             var has_any_updates = gui_mods.Any(mod => mod.HasUpdate);
             UpdateAllToolButton.Enabled = has_any_updates;
             UpdateFilters(this);
+
+            AddLogMessage("Updating tray...");
             UpdateTrayInfo();
+
+            HideWaitDialog(true);
+            tabController.HideTab("WaitTabPage");
+            tabController.SetTabLock(false);
+            SwitchEnabledState();
         }
 
         public void MarkModForInstall(string identifier, bool uncheck = false)
diff --git a/GUI/MainRepo.cs b/GUI/MainRepo.cs
index 5016a612cf..452fe84a1f 100644
--- a/GUI/MainRepo.cs
+++ b/GUI/MainRepo.cs
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ private void UpdateRepo(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
 
         private void PostUpdateRepo(object sender, RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs e)
         {
-            if ((e.Result as int? ?? 0) > 0)
+            if (e.Result as bool? ?? true)
             {
                 UpdateModsList(true, ChangeSet);
                 AddStatusMessage("Repositories successfully updated.");