diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/UserInterface.h b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/UserInterface.h
index b87fedf44f..8783cdfc18 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/UserInterface.h
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/UserInterface.h
@@ -66,6 +66,15 @@ public:
 	virtual	void				NotifyUser(const char* title,
 									const char* message,
 									user_notification_type type) = 0;
+	virtual	void				NotifyBackgroundWorkStatus(const char* message)
+									= 0;
+									// this is used to inform the user about
+									// background processing work, but doesn't
+									// otherwise require any form of
+									// user interaction, i.e. for a status bar
+									// to indicate that debug information is
+									// being parsed.
+
 	virtual	int32				SynchronouslyAskUser(const char* title,
 									const char* message, const char* choice1,
 									const char* choice2, const char* choice3)
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.cpp b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.cpp
index dfbe7c598d..93d1d45b5e 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.cpp
@@ -203,6 +203,12 @@ CommandLineUserInterface::NotifyUser(const char* title, const char* message,
 }
 
 
+void
+CommandLineUserInterface::NotifyBackgroundWorkStatus(const char* message)
+{
+}
+
+
 int32
 CommandLineUserInterface::SynchronouslyAskUser(const char* title,
 	const char* message, const char* choice1, const char* choice2,
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.h b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.h
index 8eec3a3c87..bb59ce3750 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.h
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/cli/CommandLineUserInterface.h
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ public:
 	virtual	void				NotifyUser(const char* title,
 									const char* message,
 									user_notification_type type);
+	virtual	void				NotifyBackgroundWorkStatus(
+									const char* message);
 	virtual	int32				SynchronouslyAskUser(const char* title,
 									const char* message, const char* choice1,
 									const char* choice2, const char* choice3);
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.cpp b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.cpp
index 8daac7f774..68a9e16134 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.cpp
@@ -248,6 +248,13 @@ GraphicalUserInterface::NotifyUser(const char* title, const char* message,
 }
 
 
+void
+GraphicalUserInterface::NotifyBackgroundWorkStatus(const char* message)
+{
+	fTeamWindow->DisplayBackgroundStatus(message);
+}
+
+
 int32
 GraphicalUserInterface::SynchronouslyAskUser(const char* title,
 	const char* message, const char* choice1, const char* choice2,
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.h b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.h
index 59ec0292a3..c86436f63c 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.h
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/user_interface/gui/GraphicalUserInterface.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2009, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
- * Copyright 2014, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
+ * Copyright 2014-2015, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 #ifndef GRAPHICAL_USER_INTERFACE_H
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public:
 	virtual	void				NotifyUser(const char* title,
 									const char* message,
 									user_notification_type type);
+	virtual	void				NotifyBackgroundWorkStatus(
+									const char* message);
 	virtual	int32				SynchronouslyAskUser(const char* title,
 									const char* message, const char* choice1,
 									const char* choice2, const char* choice3);