diff --git a/src/components/GlobalActivityIndicator.tsx b/src/components/GlobalActivityIndicator.tsx
index fa779e6..5ce41df 100644
--- a/src/components/GlobalActivityIndicator.tsx
+++ b/src/components/GlobalActivityIndicator.tsx
@@ -25,28 +25,10 @@ export function GlobalActivityIndicator() {
     downloadStore.getActiveCount() + downloadStore.getQueue().length > 0 ||
     activity.isActive();
 
-  /** Label priority: downloads in flight > latest tracked activity >
-   *  generic loading (only reachable when an isLoading/isSearching flag is
-   *  on but nothing else is). */
-  const label = () => {
-    const activeCount = downloadStore.getActiveCount();
-    const queueLength = downloadStore.getQueue().length;
-    if (activeCount + queueLength > 0) {
-      return `Downloading ${activeCount}${
-        queueLength > 0 ? ` +${queueLength} queued` : ""
-      }`;
-    }
-    if (activity.isActive()) {
-      const latest = activity.labels().at(-1);
-      return `${latest ?? "Loading"}…`;
-    }
-    return "Loading…";
-  };
-
   return (
     <Show when={isActive()}>
       <box position="absolute" top={0} right={0} paddingRight={1}>
-        <LoadingIndicator label={label()} />
+        <LoadingIndicator />
       </box>
     </Show>
   );
diff --git a/src/stores/feed.ts b/src/stores/feed.ts
index 93f33ed..28ded69 100644
--- a/src/stores/feed.ts
+++ b/src/stores/feed.ts
@@ -781,6 +781,13 @@ function createFeedStore() {
 		episodeLoadCount.set(feedId, newCount);
 		const episodes = cached.slice(0, newCount);
 
+		// Yield a real macrotask turn before the sync state update so the
+		// renderer paints the spinner and processes keyboard input before the
+		// (potentially large, per-feed in loadMoreAllFeeds) setFeeds + sort
+		// runs. Without this, the whole body executes in one microtask batch
+		// and the UI freezes through every feed in the batch.
+		await yieldToUI();
+
 		setFeeds((prev) => {
 			const updated = prev.map((f) =>
 				f.id === feedId ? { ...f, episodes } : f,
diff --git a/tests/global-activity-indicator.test.tsx b/tests/global-activity-indicator.test.tsx
index 1f87ab0..67d138c 100644
--- a/tests/global-activity-indicator.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/global-activity-indicator.test.tsx
@@ -141,17 +141,15 @@ test("track re-throws rejection and returns isActive() to its prior value", asyn
 	expect(activity.labels()).toEqual([]);
 });
 
-test("idle: renders nothing, no spinner, no label", async () => {
+test("idle: renders nothing, no spinner", async () => {
 	const setup = await renderIndicator();
 	const text = frameText(setup);
 	expect(text).not.toMatch(SPINNER_RE);
-	expect(text).not.toContain("…");
-	expect(text).not.toContain("Downloading");
 	expect(text.trim()).toBe("");
 	setup.renderer.destroy();
 });
 
-test("tracked activity: spinner + label appear while active, vanish on end", async () => {
+test("tracked activity: spinner appears while active, vanishes on end", async () => {
 	const activity = useActivityStore();
 	const setup = await renderIndicator();
 	expect(frameText(setup)).not.toMatch(SPINNER_RE);
@@ -160,18 +158,16 @@ test("tracked activity: spinner + label appear while active, vanish on end", asy
 	await setup.renderOnce();
 	const active = frameText(setup);
 	expect(active).toMatch(SPINNER_RE);
-	expect(active).toContain("Refreshing…");
 
 	end();
 	await setup.renderOnce();
 	const done = frameText(setup);
 	expect(done).not.toMatch(SPINNER_RE);
-	expect(done).not.toContain("Refreshing…");
 	expect(done.trim()).toBe("");
 	setup.renderer.destroy();
 });
 
-test("active download: 'Downloading' label appears and disappears", async () => {
+test("active download: spinner appears and disappears", async () => {
 	const dl = useDownloadStore();
 	const setup = await renderIndicator();
 
@@ -184,7 +180,7 @@ test("active download: 'Downloading' label appears and disappears", async () =>
 
 	await setup.renderOnce();
 	const during = frameText(setup);
-	expect(during).toContain("Downloading 1");
+	expect(during).toMatch(SPINNER_RE);
 
 	// Cancel: the abort settles the fetch and activeCount returns to 0.
 	dl.cancelDownload(episode.id);
@@ -197,7 +193,6 @@ test("active download: 'Downloading' label appears and disappears", async () =>
 	const after = frameText(setup);
 	expect(dl.getActiveCount() + dl.getQueue().length).toBe(0);
 	expect(after).not.toMatch(SPINNER_RE);
-	expect(after).not.toContain("Downloading");
 
 	audioDelayMs = 0;
 	setup.renderer.destroy();