diff --git a/src/client/libdistren.c b/src/client/libdistren.c
--- a/src/client/libdistren.c
+++ b/src/client/libdistren.c
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ int distren_submit_file(distren_t handle
   /* for basename() to play with */
   char *my_filename;
 
+  size_t sendq_dots;
+
   errno = 0;
   in = fopen(filename, "r" FOPEN_BINARY);
   if(!in)
@@ -174,10 +176,15 @@ int distren_submit_file(distren_t handle
 
       /* ensure we have no more than a megabyte waiting to be sent. */
       while(handle->rem
-	    && remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem) / 3 > (1024 * 1024 / DISTREN_REQUEST_FILE_POST_DATA_LEN))
+	    && (sendq_dots = remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem) / 3) > (1024 * 1024 / DISTREN_REQUEST_FILE_POST_DATA_LEN))
 	{
-	  fprintf(stderr, "info: %d packets waiting to be sent...\n", remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem) / 3);
 	  multiio_poll(handle->multiio, -1);
+	  if(handle->rem)
+	    while(sendq_dots > remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem) / 3)
+	      {
+		sendq_dots --;
+		fputc('.', stderr);
+	      }
 	}
     }
 
@@ -197,11 +204,17 @@ int distren_submit_file(distren_t handle
 
   /* let's block until the file's gone. */
   while(handle->rem
-	&& remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem))
+	&& (sendq_dots = remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem)))
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "info: %d packets waiting to be sent...\n", remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem) / 3);
       multiio_poll(handle->multiio, -1);
+      if(handle->rem)
+	while(sendq_dots / 3 > remoteio_sendq_len(handle->rem) / 3)
+	  {
+	    sendq_dots -= 3;
+	    fputc('.', stderr);
+	  }
     }
+  fputc('\n', stderr);
   fprintf(stderr, "info: %s successfully uploaded, as far as we know.\n", filename);
 
   return 0;