diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.cpp
index 9365df20..bae3f9bf 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.cpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ bool Section::clearCache() const {
 bool Section::createSectionFile(const int fontId, const float lineCompression, const bool extraParagraphSpacing,
                                 const uint8_t paragraphAlignment, const uint16_t viewportWidth,
                                 const uint16_t viewportHeight, const bool hyphenationEnabled, const bool embeddedStyle,
-                                const uint8_t imageRendering, const std::function<void()>& popupFn) {
+                                const uint8_t imageRendering, const std::function<void(int)>& progressFn) {
   const auto localPath = epub->getSpineItem(spineIndex).href;
   const auto tmpHtmlPath = epub->getCachePath() + "/.tmp_" + std::to_string(spineIndex) + ".html";
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ bool Section::createSectionFile(const int fontId, const float lineCompression, c
       epub, tmpHtmlPath, renderer, fontId, lineCompression, extraParagraphSpacing, paragraphAlignment, viewportWidth,
       viewportHeight, hyphenationEnabled,
       [this, &lut](std::unique_ptr<Page> page) { lut.emplace_back(this->onPageComplete(std::move(page))); },
-      embeddedStyle, contentBase, imageBasePath, imageRendering, popupFn, cssParser);
+      embeddedStyle, contentBase, imageBasePath, imageRendering, progressFn, cssParser);
   Hyphenator::setPreferredLanguage(epub->getLanguage());
   success = visitor.parseAndBuildPages();
 
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.h b/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.h
index 6f002c44..2c733ea8 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.h
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/Section.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class Section {
   bool clearCache() const;
   bool createSectionFile(int fontId, float lineCompression, bool extraParagraphSpacing, uint8_t paragraphAlignment,
                          uint16_t viewportWidth, uint16_t viewportHeight, bool hyphenationEnabled, bool embeddedStyle,
-                         uint8_t imageRendering, const std::function<void()>& popupFn = nullptr);
+                         uint8_t imageRendering, const std::function<void(int)>& progressFn = nullptr);
   std::unique_ptr<Page> loadPageFromSectionFile();
 
   // Look up the page number for an anchor id from the section cache file.
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
index 8e014c07..6cdd9140 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
@@ -971,9 +971,13 @@ bool ChapterHtmlSlimParser::parseAndBuildPages() {
     return false;
   }
 
-  // Get file size to decide whether to show indexing popup.
-  if (popupFn && file.size() >= MIN_SIZE_FOR_POPUP) {
-    popupFn();
+  const size_t totalFileSize = file.size();
+  size_t bytesRead = 0;
+  int lastReportedProgress = -1;
+
+  // Show initial progress popup for files above threshold.
+  if (progressFn && totalFileSize >= MIN_SIZE_FOR_POPUP) {
+    progressFn(0);
   }
 
   XML_SetUserData(parser, this);
@@ -995,6 +999,16 @@ bool ChapterHtmlSlimParser::parseAndBuildPages() {
     }
 
     const size_t len = file.read(buf, PARSE_BUFFER_SIZE);
+    bytesRead += len;
+
+    // Report progress in 5% increments to limit e-ink refreshes.
+    if (progressFn && totalFileSize >= MIN_SIZE_FOR_POPUP) {
+      const int progress = static_cast<int>(bytesRead * 100 / totalFileSize);
+      if (progress / 5 > lastReportedProgress / 5) {
+        lastReportedProgress = progress;
+        progressFn(progress);
+      }
+    }
 
     if (len == 0 && file.available() > 0) {
       LOG_ERR("EHP", "File read error");
diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.h b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.h
index 1cc0ea39..9b8d6b9c 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.h
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class ChapterHtmlSlimParser {
   const std::string& filepath;
   GfxRenderer& renderer;
   std::function<void(std::unique_ptr<Page>)> completePageFn;
-  std::function<void()> popupFn;  // Popup callback
+  std::function<void(int)> progressFn;  // Progress callback (0-100)
   int depth = 0;
   int skipUntilDepth = INT_MAX;
   int boldUntilDepth = INT_MAX;
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ class ChapterHtmlSlimParser {
                                  const std::function<void(std::unique_ptr<Page>)>& completePageFn,
                                  const bool embeddedStyle, const std::string& contentBase,
                                  const std::string& imageBasePath, const uint8_t imageRendering = 0,
-                                 const std::function<void()>& popupFn = nullptr, const CssParser* cssParser = nullptr)
+                                 const std::function<void(int)>& progressFn = nullptr,
+                                 const CssParser* cssParser = nullptr)
 
       : epub(epub),
         filepath(filepath),
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ class ChapterHtmlSlimParser {
         viewportHeight(viewportHeight),
         hyphenationEnabled(hyphenationEnabled),
         completePageFn(completePageFn),
-        popupFn(popupFn),
+        progressFn(progressFn),
         cssParser(cssParser),
         embeddedStyle(embeddedStyle),
         imageRendering(imageRendering),
diff --git a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
index 0ce1c5b1..78187386 100644
--- a/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/reader/EpubReaderActivity.cpp
@@ -544,12 +544,18 @@ void EpubReaderActivity::render(RenderLock&& lock) {
                                   SETTINGS.imageRendering)) {
       LOG_DBG("ERS", "Cache not found, building...");
 
-      const auto popupFn = [this]() { GUI.drawPopup(renderer, tr(STR_INDEXING)); };
+      Rect popupRect{};
+      const auto progressFn = [this, &popupRect](int progress) {
+        if (popupRect.width == 0) {
+          popupRect = GUI.drawPopup(renderer, tr(STR_INDEXING));
+        }
+        GUI.fillPopupProgress(renderer, popupRect, progress);
+      };
 
       if (!section->createSectionFile(SETTINGS.getReaderFontId(), SETTINGS.getReaderLineCompression(),
                                       SETTINGS.extraParagraphSpacing, SETTINGS.paragraphAlignment, viewportWidth,
                                       viewportHeight, SETTINGS.hyphenationEnabled, SETTINGS.embeddedStyle,
-                                      SETTINGS.imageRendering, popupFn)) {
+                                      SETTINGS.imageRendering, progressFn)) {
         LOG_ERR("ERS", "Failed to persist page data to SD");
         section.reset();
         return;