diff --git a/src/cloudron.js b/src/cloudron.js
index 5f334c9ae..748b7197b 100644
--- a/src/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/cloudron.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ async function getConfig() {
         footer: branding.renderFooter(allSettings[settings.FOOTER_KEY] || constants.FOOTER),
         features: appstore.getFeatures(),
         profileLocked: allSettings[settings.PROFILE_CONFIG_KEY].lockUserProfiles,
-        mandatory2FA: allSettings[settings.PROFILE_CONFIG_KEY].mandatory2FA
+        mandatory2FA: allSettings[settings.PROFILE_CONFIG_KEY].mandatory2FA,
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform.js b/src/platform.js
index c97da571b..f3aaa4c12 100644
--- a/src/platform.js
+++ b/src/platform.js
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     start,
     stopAllTasks,
 
-    // exported for testing
-    _isReady: false
+    getStatus
 };
 
 const apps = require('./apps.js'),
@@ -26,10 +25,16 @@ const apps = require('./apps.js'),
     volumes = require('./volumes.js'),
     _ = require('underscore');
 
+let gStatusMessage = 'Initializing';
+
+function getStatus() {
+    return { message: gStatusMessage };
+}
+
 async function start(options) {
     if (process.env.BOX_ENV === 'test' && !process.env.TEST_CREATE_INFRA) return;
 
-    debug('initializing addon infrastructure');
+    debug('initializing platform');
 
     let existingInfra = { version: 'none' };
     if (fs.existsSync(paths.INFRA_VERSION_FILE)) {
@@ -52,11 +57,13 @@ async function start(options) {
     for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 5; attempt++) {
         try {
             if (existingInfra.version !== infra.version) {
+                gStatusMessage = 'Removing containers for upgrade';
                 await removeAllContainers();
                 await createDockerNetwork();
             }
             if (existingInfra.version === 'none') await volumes.mountAll(); // when restoring, mount all volumes
             await markApps(existingInfra, options); // mark app state before we start addons. this gives the db import logic a chance to mark an app as errored
+            gStatusMessage = 'Starting services, this can take a while';
             await services.startServices(existingInfra);
             await fs.promises.writeFile(paths.INFRA_VERSION_FILE, JSON.stringify(infra, null, 4));
             break;
@@ -81,7 +88,7 @@ async function stopAllTasks() {
 
 async function onPlatformReady(infraChanged) {
     debug(`onPlatformReady: platform is ready. infra changed: ${infraChanged}`);
-    exports._isReady = true;
+    gStatusMessage = 'Ready';
 
     if (infraChanged) await safe(pruneInfraImages(), { debug }); // ignore error
 
diff --git a/src/routes/cloudron.js b/src/routes/cloudron.js
index 8edb8f5b0..4331b7ca3 100644
--- a/src/routes/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/routes/cloudron.js
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     getLanguages,
     syncExternalLdap,
     syncDnsRecords,
-    getSystemGraphs
+    getSystemGraphs,
+    getPlatformStatus
 };
 
 const assert = require('assert'),
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ const assert = require('assert'),
     graphs = require('../graphs.js'),
     HttpError = require('connect-lastmile').HttpError,
     HttpSuccess = require('connect-lastmile').HttpSuccess,
+    platform = require('../platform.js'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     speakeasy = require('speakeasy'),
     sysinfo = require('../sysinfo.js'),
@@ -359,3 +361,7 @@ async function getSystemGraphs(req, res, next) {
 
     next(new HttpSuccess(200, result));
 }
+
+async function getPlatformStatus(req, res, next) {
+    next(new HttpSuccess(200, platform.getStatus()));
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/test/apps-test.js b/src/routes/test/apps-test.js
index 9f76ad428..d58005dcf 100644
--- a/src/routes/test/apps-test.js
+++ b/src/routes/test/apps-test.js
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ function startBox(done) {
         function (callback) {
             process.stdout.write('Waiting for platform to be ready...');
             async.retry({ times: 500, interval: 1000 }, function (retryCallback) {
-                if (platform._isReady) return retryCallback();
+                if (platform.getStatus().message === '') return retryCallback();
                 process.stdout.write('.');
                 retryCallback('Platform not ready yet');
             }, function (error) {
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index b5296b411..2a2abbd0c 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ function initializeExpressSync() {
 
     // config route (for dashboard). can return some private configuration unlike status
     router.get ('/api/v1/config', token, authorizeUser, routes.cloudron.getConfig);
+    router.get ('/api/v1/platform_status', token, authorizeUser, routes.cloudron.getPlatformStatus);
 
     // working off the user behind the provided token
     router.get ('/api/v1/profile',                                       token, authorizeUser, routes.profile.get);