diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/IndexController.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/IndexController.java
index 23a9dd4d3..af74332a1 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/IndexController.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/controller/IndexController.java
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.search.controller;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -140,9 +142,29 @@ public class IndexController extends FreemarkerHttpServlet {
 			Map<String, Object> body) {
 		WorkLevelStamp stamp = builder.getWorkLevel();
 		body.put("worklevel", stamp.getLevel().toString());
+		body.put("currentTask", figureCurrentTask(stamp.getFlags()));
 		body.put("since", stamp.getSince());
+		body.put("elapsed", formatElapsedTime(stamp.getSince()));
 		body.put("hasPreviousBuild", stamp.getSince().getTime() > 0L);
 		return new TemplateResponseValues(TEMPLATE_NAME, body);
 	}
 
+	private String formatElapsedTime(Date since) {
+		long elapsedMillis = System.currentTimeMillis() - since.getTime();
+		long seconds = (elapsedMillis / 1000L) % 60L;
+		long minutes = (elapsedMillis / 60000L) % 60L;
+		long hours = elapsedMillis / 3600000L;
+		return String.format("%02d:%02d:%02d", hours, minutes, seconds);
+	}
+
+	private String figureCurrentTask(Collection<String> flags) {
+		if (flags.contains(IndexBuilder.FLAG_REBUILDING)) {
+			return "rebuilt";
+		} else if (flags.contains(IndexBuilder.FLAG_UPDATING)) {
+			return "updated";
+		} else {
+			return "";
+		}
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/indexing/IndexBuilder.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/indexing/IndexBuilder.java
index a59500997..9a1edcda5 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/indexing/IndexBuilder.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/search/indexing/IndexBuilder.java
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ public class IndexBuilder extends VitroBackgroundThread {
     /** Length of pause between when work comes into queue to when indexing starts */
     public static final long WAIT_AFTER_NEW_WORK_INTERVAL = 500; //msec
     
+    /** Flag so we can tell that the index is being updated. */
+    public static final String FLAG_UPDATING = "updating";
+    
+    /** Flag so we can tell that the index is being rebuilt. */
+    public static final String FLAG_REBUILDING = "rebuilding";
+    
     /** Number of threads to use during indexing. */
     protected int numberOfThreads = 10;
     
@@ -152,12 +158,12 @@ public class IndexBuilder extends VitroBackgroundThread {
         while(! stopRequested ){                        
             try{
                 if( reindexRequested ){
-                	setWorkLevel(WorkLevel.WORKING);
+                	setWorkLevel(WorkLevel.WORKING, FLAG_REBUILDING);
                     log.debug("full re-index requested");
                     indexRebuild();
                     setWorkLevel(WorkLevel.IDLE);
                 }else if( !changedStmtQueue.isEmpty() ){                       
-                	setWorkLevel(WorkLevel.WORKING);
+                	setWorkLevel(WorkLevel.WORKING, FLAG_UPDATING);
                     Thread.sleep(WAIT_AFTER_NEW_WORK_INTERVAL); //wait a bit to let a bit more work to come into the queue
                     log.debug("work found for IndexBuilder, starting update");
                     updatedIndex();
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/threads/VitroBackgroundThread.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/threads/VitroBackgroundThread.java
index eb69092fc..bebd50ec0 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/threads/VitroBackgroundThread.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/utils/threads/VitroBackgroundThread.java
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ package edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.utils.threads;
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
@@ -47,9 +50,10 @@ public class VitroBackgroundThread extends Thread {
 		allThreads.add(new WeakReference<VitroBackgroundThread>(this));
 	}
 
-	protected void setWorkLevel(WorkLevel level) {
-		log.debug("Set work level on '" + this.getName() + "' to " + level);
-		stamp = new WorkLevelStamp(level);
+	protected void setWorkLevel(WorkLevel level, String... flags) {
+		log.debug("Set work level on '" + this.getName() + "' to " + level
+				+ ", flags=" + flags);
+		stamp = new WorkLevelStamp(level, flags);
 	}
 
 	public WorkLevelStamp getWorkLevel() {
@@ -59,14 +63,19 @@ public class VitroBackgroundThread extends Thread {
 	/**
 	 * An immutable object that holds both the current work level and the time
 	 * that it was set.
+	 * 
+	 * Particular threads may want to assign additional state using zero or more
+	 * "flags".
 	 */
 	public static class WorkLevelStamp {
 		private final WorkLevel level;
 		private final long since;
+		private final List<String> flags;
 
-		public WorkLevelStamp(WorkLevel level) {
+		public WorkLevelStamp(WorkLevel level, String... flags) {
 			this.level = level;
 			this.since = System.currentTimeMillis();
+			this.flags = Collections.unmodifiableList(Arrays.asList(flags));
 		}
 
 		public WorkLevel getLevel() {
@@ -76,5 +85,9 @@ public class VitroBackgroundThread extends Thread {
 		public Date getSince() {
 			return new Date(since);
 		}
+
+		public Collection<String> getFlags() {
+			return flags;
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/admin/searchIndex.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/admin/searchIndex.ftl
index 6dbac6070..232c28d73 100644
--- a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/admin/searchIndex.ftl
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/admin/searchIndex.ftl
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     Template for the page that controls the updating or rebuilding of the Search Index. 
 -->
 
-<h1>Search Index Status</h1>
+<h2>Search Index Status</h2>
 
 <#if worklevel == "IDLE">
     <#if hasPreviousBuild??>
@@ -12,12 +12,16 @@
     </#if>
     
     <form action="${actionUrl}" method="POST">
-        <input type="submit" name="update" value="Update">
-        Add the latest changes to the index.
-        <br>
-        <input type="submit" name="rebuild" value="Rebuild">
-        Start with an empty index and build it completely.
+    	<p>
+            <input type="submit" name="update" value="Update">
+            Add the latest changes to the index.
+        </p>
+        <p>
+            <input type="submit" name="rebuild" value="Rebuild">
+            Start with an empty index and build it completely.
+        </p>
     </form>
 <#else>
-    <p>Active since ${since?string("hh:mm:ss a, MMMM dd, yyyy")}</p>
+    <h3>The search index is currently being ${currentTask}.</h3>
+    <p>since ${since?string("hh:mm:ss a, MMMM dd, yyyy")}, elapsed time ${elapsed}</p>
 </#if>