diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostLanguages.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostLanguages.ts
index 6025f37075b..9fcf2ee479c 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostLanguages.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/common/extHostLanguages.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ export class ExtHostLanguages implements ExtHostLanguagesShape {
 			command: undefined,
 			text: '',
 			detail: '',
+			busy: false
 		};
 
 		let soonHandle: IDisposable | undefined;
@@ -115,7 +116,8 @@ export class ExtHostLanguages implements ExtHostLanguagesShape {
 					detail: data.detail ?? '',
 					severity: data.severity === LanguageStatusSeverity.Error ? Severity.Error : data.severity === LanguageStatusSeverity.Warning ? Severity.Warning : Severity.Info,
 					command: data.command && this._commands.toInternal(data.command, commandDisposables),
-					accessibilityInfo: data.accessibilityInformation
+					accessibilityInfo: data.accessibilityInformation,
+					busy: data.busy
 				});
 			}, 0);
 		};
@@ -178,6 +180,13 @@ export class ExtHostLanguages implements ExtHostLanguagesShape {
 			set command(value) {
 				data.command = value;
 				updateAsync();
+			},
+			get busy() {
+				return data.busy;
+			},
+			set busy(value: boolean) {
+				data.busy = value;
+				updateAsync();
 			}
 		};
 		updateAsync();
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/languageStatus/browser/languageStatus.contribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/languageStatus/browser/languageStatus.contribution.ts
index 41967cf8bf7..a52b8b898b9 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/languageStatus/browser/languageStatus.contribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/languageStatus/browser/languageStatus.contribution.ts
@@ -160,18 +160,20 @@ class EditorStatusContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 			const showSeverity = first.severity >= Severity.Warning;
 			const text = EditorStatusContribution._severityToComboCodicon(first.severity);
 
+			let isOneBusy = false;
 			const ariaLabels: string[] = [];
 			const element = document.createElement('div');
 			for (const status of model.combined) {
 				element.appendChild(this._renderStatus(status, showSeverity, this._renderDisposables));
 				ariaLabels.push(this._asAriaLabel(status));
+				isOneBusy = isOneBusy || status.busy;
 			}
 			const props: IStatusbarEntry = {
 				name: localize('langStatus.name', "Editor Language Status"),
 				ariaLabel: localize('langStatus.aria', "Editor Language Status: {0}", ariaLabels.join(', next: ')),
 				tooltip: element,
 				command: ShowTooltipCommand,
-				text,
+				text: isOneBusy ? `${text}\u00A0\u00A0$(sync~spin)` : text,
 			};
 			if (!this._combinedEntry) {
 				this._combinedEntry = this._statusBarService.addEntry(props, EditorStatusContribution._id, StatusbarAlignment.RIGHT, { id: 'status.editor.mode', alignment: StatusbarAlignment.LEFT, compact: true });
@@ -219,7 +221,7 @@ class EditorStatusContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 
 		const label = document.createElement('span');
 		label.classList.add('label');
-		dom.append(label, ...renderLabelWithIcons(status.label));
+		dom.append(label, ...renderLabelWithIcons(status.busy ? `$(sync~spin)\u00A0\u00A0${status.label}` : status.label));
 		left.appendChild(label);
 
 		const detail = document.createElement('span');
@@ -311,7 +313,7 @@ class EditorStatusContribution implements IWorkbenchContribution {
 
 		return {
 			name: localize('name.pattern', '{0} (Language Status)', item.name),
-			text: item.label,
+			text: item.busy ? `${item.label}\u00A0\u00A0$(sync~spin)` : item.label,
 			ariaLabel: item.accessibilityInfo?.label ?? item.label,
 			role: item.accessibilityInfo?.role,
 			tooltip: item.command?.tooltip || new MarkdownString(item.detail, true),
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/languageStatus/common/languageStatusService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/languageStatus/common/languageStatusService.ts
index e9899764933..ec5ac2c7f15 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/languageStatus/common/languageStatusService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/languageStatus/common/languageStatusService.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export interface ILanguageStatus {
 	readonly severity: Severity;
 	readonly label: string;
 	readonly detail: string;
+	readonly busy: boolean;
 	readonly source: string;
 	readonly command: Command | undefined;
 	readonly accessibilityInfo: IAccessibilityInformation | undefined;
diff --git a/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.languageStatus.d.ts b/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.languageStatus.d.ts
index 0249626162b..9de4ed5309e 100644
--- a/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.languageStatus.d.ts
+++ b/src/vscode-dts/vscode.proposed.languageStatus.d.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ declare module 'vscode' {
 		selector: DocumentSelector;
 		// todo@jrieken replace with boolean ala needsAttention
 		severity: LanguageStatusSeverity;
+		busy: boolean;
 		name: string | undefined;
 		text: string;
 		detail?: string;