diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/AdaptiveImage.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/AdaptiveImage.svelte
index fc8f3346b5..92e3fad2d3 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/AdaptiveImage.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/AdaptiveImage.svelte
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@
     };
   });
 
+  $effect(() => {
+    assetViewerManager.imageLoaderStatus = status;
+  });
+
   $effect(() => {
     if (assetViewerManager.zoom > 1 && status.quality.original !== 'success') {
       untrack(() => void adaptiveImageLoader.trigger('original'));
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/LoadingDots.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/LoadingDots.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3dcfcb8122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/LoadingDots.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import type { ClassValue } from 'svelte/elements';
+
+  interface Props {
+    class?: ClassValue;
+  }
+
+  let { class: className }: Props = $props();
+</script>
+
+<div class="delayed inline-flex items-center gap-1 {className}">
+  {#each [0, 1, 2] as i (i)}
+    <span class="dot block size-1.5 rounded-full bg-white shadow-[0_0_3px_rgba(0,0,0,0.6)]" style:--delay="{i * 0.25}s"
+    ></span>
+  {/each}
+</div>
+
+<style>
+  .delayed {
+    visibility: hidden;
+    animation: delayed-visibility 0s linear 0.4s forwards;
+  }
+
+  @keyframes delayed-visibility {
+    to {
+      visibility: visible;
+    }
+  }
+
+  .dot {
+    animation: dot-stream 1.6s var(--delay, 0s) ease-in-out infinite;
+  }
+
+  @keyframes dot-stream {
+    0%,
+    80%,
+    100% {
+      opacity: 0.3;
+      transform: scale(0.8);
+    }
+    40% {
+      opacity: 1;
+      transform: scale(1.15);
+    }
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/asset-viewer/asset-viewer-nav-bar.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/asset-viewer/asset-viewer-nav-bar.svelte
index bb52c71260..3ccadf944f 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/asset-viewer/asset-viewer-nav-bar.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/asset-viewer/asset-viewer-nav-bar.svelte
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@
     type PersonResponseDto,
     type StackResponseDto,
   } from '@immich/sdk';
-  import { ActionButton, CommandPaletteDefaultProvider, type ActionItem } from '@immich/ui';
+  import { ActionButton, CommandPaletteDefaultProvider, Tooltip, type ActionItem } from '@immich/ui';
+  import LoadingDots from '$lib/components/LoadingDots.svelte';
+  import { assetViewerManager } from '$lib/managers/asset-viewer-manager.svelte';
   import {
     mdiArrowLeft,
     mdiArrowRight,
@@ -104,7 +106,16 @@
     <ActionButton action={Close} />
   </div>
 
-  <div class="flex gap-2 overflow-x-auto dark" data-testid="asset-viewer-navbar-actions">
+  <div class="flex items-center gap-2 overflow-x-auto dark" data-testid="asset-viewer-navbar-actions">
+    {#if assetViewerManager.isImageLoading}
+      <Tooltip text={$t('loading')}>
+        {#snippet child({ props })}
+          <div {...props} role="status" aria-label={$t('loading')}>
+            <LoadingDots class="me-1" />
+          </div>
+        {/snippet}
+      </Tooltip>
+    {/if}
     <ActionButton action={Cast} />
     <ActionButton action={Actions.Share} />
     <ActionButton action={Actions.Offline} />
diff --git a/web/src/lib/managers/asset-viewer-manager.svelte.ts b/web/src/lib/managers/asset-viewer-manager.svelte.ts
index 36047d4690..c815421e2c 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/managers/asset-viewer-manager.svelte.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/managers/asset-viewer-manager.svelte.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import type { ImageLoaderStatus } from '$lib/utils/adaptive-image-loader.svelte';
 import { canCopyImageToClipboard } from '$lib/utils/asset-utils';
 import { BaseEventManager } from '$lib/utils/base-event-manager.svelte';
 import { PersistedLocalStorage } from '$lib/utils/persisted';
@@ -23,10 +24,24 @@ export class AssetViewerManager extends BaseEventManager<Events> {
   #zoomState = $state(createDefaultZoomState());
 
   imgRef = $state<HTMLImageElement | undefined>();
+  imageLoaderStatus = $state<ImageLoaderStatus | undefined>();
+  #isImageLoading = $derived.by(() => {
+    const quality = this.imageLoaderStatus?.quality;
+    if (!quality) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    const previewOrOriginalReady = quality.preview === 'success' || quality.original === 'success';
+    const loadingOriginal = this.zoom > 1 && quality.original !== 'success';
+    return !previewOrOriginalReady || loadingOriginal;
+  });
   isShowActivityPanel = $state(false);
   isPlayingMotionPhoto = $state(false);
   isShowEditor = $state(false);
 
+  get isImageLoading() {
+    return this.#isImageLoading;
+  }
+
   get isShowDetailPanel() {
     return isShowDetailPanel.current;
   }