diff --git a/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-error.js b/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-error.js
index 877fa2517..ba5cfbb6b 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-error.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/charts/nodes-error.js
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import classnames from 'classnames';
 
-export default function NodesError({children, faIconClass, hidden}) {
-  let classNames = 'nodes-chart-error';
-  if (hidden) {
-    classNames += ' hide';
-  }
+export default function NodesError({children, faIconClass, hidden,
+                                   mainClassName = 'nodes-chart-error'}) {
+  const className = classnames(mainClassName, {
+    hide: hidden
+  });
   const iconClassName = `fa ${faIconClass}`;
 
   return (
-    <div className={classNames}>
+    <div className={className}>
       <div className="nodes-chart-error-icon">
         <span className={iconClassName} />
       </div>
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/debug-toolbar.js b/client/app/scripts/components/debug-toolbar.js
index 97145ff7c..ae61fff59 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/debug-toolbar.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/debug-toolbar.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { fromJS } from 'immutable';
 import debug from 'debug';
 const log = debug('scope:debug-panel');
 
+import ActionTypes from '../constants/action-types';
 import { receiveNodesDelta } from '../actions/app-actions';
 import { getNodeColor, getNodeColorDark, text2degree } from '../utils/color-utils';
 
@@ -111,11 +112,13 @@ function stopPerf() {
   Perf.printWasted(measurements);
 }
 
+
 function startPerf(delay) {
   Perf.start();
   setTimeout(stopPerf, delay * 1000);
 }
 
+
 export function showingDebugToolbar() {
   return (('debugToolbar' in localStorage && JSON.parse(localStorage.debugToolbar))
     || location.pathname.indexOf('debug') > -1);
@@ -134,11 +137,23 @@ function enableLog(ns) {
   window.location.reload();
 }
 
+
 function disableLog() {
   debug.disable();
   window.location.reload();
 }
 
+
+function setAppState(fn) {
+  return (dispatch) => {
+    dispatch({
+      type: ActionTypes.DEBUG_TOOLBAR_INTERFERING,
+      fn
+    });
+  };
+}
+
+
 class DebugToolbar extends React.Component {
 
   constructor(props, context) {
@@ -162,6 +177,10 @@ class DebugToolbar extends React.Component {
     });
   }
 
+  setLoading(loading) {
+    this.props.setAppState(state => state.set('topologiesLoaded', !loading));
+  }
+
   addNodes(n, prefix = 'zing') {
     const ns = this.props.nodes;
     const nodeNames = ns.keySeq().toJS();
@@ -243,6 +262,12 @@ class DebugToolbar extends React.Component {
           </table>
         ))}
 
+        <div>
+          <label>state</label>
+          <button onClick={() => this.setLoading(true)}>Set doing initial load</button>
+          <button onClick={() => this.setLoading(false)}>Stop</button>
+        </div>
+
         <div>
           <label>Measure React perf for </label>
           <button onClick={() => startPerf(2)}>2s</button>
@@ -254,6 +279,7 @@ class DebugToolbar extends React.Component {
   }
 }
 
+
 function mapStateToProps(state) {
   return {
     nodes: state.get('nodes'),
@@ -261,6 +287,8 @@ function mapStateToProps(state) {
   };
 }
 
+
 export default connect(
-  mapStateToProps
+  mapStateToProps,
+  {setAppState}
 )(DebugToolbar);
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/nodes.js b/client/app/scripts/components/nodes.js
index d2ce010be..9da9992b6 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/nodes.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/nodes.js
@@ -62,15 +62,24 @@ class Nodes extends React.Component {
     );
   }
 
+  renderLoading(show) {
+    return (
+      <NodesError mainClassName="nodes-chart-loading" faIconClass="fa-circle-thin" hidden={!show}>
+        <div className="heading">Loading Topologies</div>
+      </NodesError>
+    );
+  }
+
   render() {
-    const { nodes, selectedNodeId, topologyEmpty } = this.props;
+    const { nodes, selectedNodeId, topologyEmpty, topologiesLoaded } = this.props;
     const layoutPrecision = getLayoutPrecision(nodes.size);
     const hasSelectedNode = selectedNodeId && nodes.has(selectedNodeId);
-    const errorEmpty = this.renderEmptyTopologyError(topologyEmpty);
 
     return (
       <div className="nodes-wrapper">
-        {topologyEmpty && errorEmpty}
+        {!topologiesLoaded ?
+          this.renderLoading(!topologiesLoaded) :
+          (topologyEmpty && this.renderEmptyTopologyError(topologyEmpty))}
         <NodesChart {...this.state}
           detailsWidth={detailsWidth}
           layoutPrecision={layoutPrecision}
@@ -97,6 +106,7 @@ function mapStateToProps(state) {
     nodes: state.get('nodes'),
     selectedNodeId: state.get('selectedNodeId'),
     topologyEmpty: isTopologyEmpty(state),
+    topologiesLoaded: state.get('topologiesLoaded')
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/status.js b/client/app/scripts/components/status.js
index 3d2aca51f..f0b5062f6 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/status.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/status.js
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 
 class Status extends React.Component {
   render() {
-    const {errorUrl, filteredNodeCount, topologiesLoaded, topology,
-      websocketClosed} = this.props;
+    const {errorUrl, filteredNodeCount, topology, websocketClosed} = this.props;
 
     let title = '';
     let text = 'Trying to reconnect...';
@@ -15,10 +14,6 @@ class Status extends React.Component {
       title = `Cannot reach Scope. Make sure the following URL is reachable: ${errorUrl}`;
       classNames += ' status-loading';
       showWarningIcon = true;
-    } else if (!topologiesLoaded) {
-      text = 'Connecting to Scope...';
-      classNames += ' status-loading';
-      showWarningIcon = true;
     } else if (websocketClosed) {
       classNames += ' status-loading';
       showWarningIcon = true;
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js b/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js
index 788a274f5..9a4c0e44d 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/constants/action-types.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const ACTION_TYPES = [
   'CLICK_TERMINAL',
   'CLICK_TOPOLOGY',
   'CLOSE_WEBSOCKET',
+  'DEBUG_TOOLBAR_INTERFERING',
   'DESELECT_NODE',
   'DO_CONTROL',
   'DO_CONTROL_ERROR',
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/reducers/root.js b/client/app/scripts/reducers/root.js
index 7fac2d35f..2575dcc6b 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/reducers/root.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/reducers/root.js
@@ -656,6 +656,10 @@ export function rootReducer(state = initialState, action) {
       return applyPinnedSearches(state);
     }
 
+    case ActionTypes.DEBUG_TOOLBAR_INTERFERING: {
+      return action.fn(state);
+    }
+
     default: {
       return state;
     }
diff --git a/client/app/styles/main.less b/client/app/styles/main.less
index acf5aa467..72eb7511e 100644
--- a/client/app/styles/main.less
+++ b/client/app/styles/main.less
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ h2 {
 
 .nodes-chart {
 
-  &-error {
+  &-error, &-loading {
     .hideable;
     position: absolute;
     left: 50%;
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ h2 {
     transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
     color: @text-secondary-color;
     width: 33%;
+    height: 550px;
 
     .heading {
       font-size: 125%;
@@ -316,6 +317,11 @@ h2 {
     }
   }
 
+  &-loading {
+    animation: blinking 2s infinite @base-ease;
+    text-align: center;
+  }
+
   svg {
     .hideable;
     position: absolute;