diff --git a/presentation/src/main/java/common/util/extensions/ViewExtensions.kt b/presentation/src/main/java/common/util/extensions/ViewExtensions.kt
index d994a133..ed1b67e0 100644
--- a/presentation/src/main/java/common/util/extensions/ViewExtensions.kt
+++ b/presentation/src/main/java/common/util/extensions/ViewExtensions.kt
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ fun ImageView.setTint(color: Int) {
 }
 
 fun ProgressBar.setTint(color: Int) {
+    indeterminateTintList = ColorStateList.valueOf(color)
     progressTintList = ColorStateList.valueOf(color)
 }
 
diff --git a/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeActivity.kt b/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeActivity.kt
index 8a9771b4..bd637b0a 100644
--- a/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeActivity.kt
+++ b/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeActivity.kt
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ class ComposeActivity : QkThemedActivity(), ComposeView {
         message.supportsInputContent = true
 
         theme
+                .doOnNext { loading.setTint(it.theme) }
                 .doOnNext { send.setBackgroundTint(it.theme) }
                 .doOnNext { send.setTint(it.textPrimary) }
                 .doOnNext { messageAdapter.theme = it }
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ class ComposeActivity : QkThemedActivity(), ComposeView {
         toolbarTitle.setVisible(!state.editingMode)
         chips.setVisible(state.editingMode)
         contacts.setVisible(state.contactsVisible)
-        composeBar.setVisible(!state.contactsVisible)
+        composeBar.setVisible(!state.contactsVisible && !state.loading)
 
         // Don't set the adapters unless needed
         if (state.editingMode && chips.adapter == null) chips.adapter = chipsAdapter
@@ -187,6 +188,8 @@ class ComposeActivity : QkThemedActivity(), ComposeView {
         chipsAdapter.data = state.selectedContacts
         contactsAdapter.data = state.contacts
 
+        loading.setVisible(state.loading)
+
         sendAsGroup.setVisible(state.editingMode && state.selectedContacts.size >= 2)
         sendAsGroupSwitch.isChecked = state.sendAsGroup
 
diff --git a/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeState.kt b/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeState.kt
index ec101be7..e24c5589 100644
--- a/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeState.kt
+++ b/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeState.kt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ data class ComposeState(
         val selectedContacts: List<Contact> = ArrayList(),
         val sendAsGroup: Boolean = true,
         val conversationtitle: String = "",
+        val loading: Boolean = false,
         val query: String = "",
         val searchSelectionId: Long = -1,
         val searchSelectionPosition: Int = 0,
diff --git a/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt b/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt
index d453baa1..6e8cef1e 100644
--- a/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt
+++ b/presentation/src/main/java/feature/compose/ComposeViewModel.kt
@@ -149,7 +149,14 @@ class ComposeViewModel @Inject constructor(
                 .skipUntil(state.filter { state -> state.editingMode })
                 .takeUntil(state.filter { state -> !state.editingMode })
                 .map { contacts -> contacts.map { it.numbers.firstOrNull()?.address ?: "" } }
-                .mapNotNull { addresses -> messageRepo.getOrCreateConversation(addresses) }
+                .observeOn(Schedulers.computation())
+                .doOnNext { newState { copy(loading = true) } }
+                .mapNotNull { addresses ->
+                    val conversation = messageRepo.getOrCreateConversation(addresses)
+                    newState { copy(loading = false) }
+                    conversation
+                }
+                .observeOn(AndroidSchedulers.mainThread())
                 .mergeWith(initialConversation)
                 .filter { conversation -> conversation.isLoaded }
                 .doOnNext { conversation ->
diff --git a/presentation/src/main/res/layout/compose_activity.xml b/presentation/src/main/res/layout/compose_activity.xml
index 6c301993..4c7d1afc 100644
--- a/presentation/src/main/res/layout/compose_activity.xml
+++ b/presentation/src/main/res/layout/compose_activity.xml
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@
         app:textColor="tertiary"
         app:textSize="secondary" />
 
+    <ProgressBar
+        android:id="@+id/loading"
+        style="?android:attr/progressBarStyleLarge"
+        android:layout_width="36dp"
+        android:layout_height="36dp"
+        android:layout_marginTop="16dp"
+        android:visibility="gone"
+        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/toolbar"
+        tools:progress="45"
+        tools:progressTint="@color/tools_theme" />
+
     <android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView
         android:id="@+id/contacts"
         android:layout_width="0dp"