diff --git a/unwind/db.py b/unwind/db.py
index ddbb007..7ab6346 100644
--- a/unwind/db.py
+++ b/unwind/db.py
@@ -7,7 +7,16 @@ import sqlalchemy
 from databases import Database
 
 from . import config
-from .models import Movie, Rating, User, asplain, fields, fromplain, optional_fields
+from .models import (
+    Movie,
+    Rating,
+    User,
+    asplain,
+    fields,
+    fromplain,
+    optional_fields,
+    utcnow,
+)
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -116,6 +125,36 @@ async def apply_db_patches(db: Database):
         await db.execute("vacuum")
 
 
+async def get_import_progress() -> float:
+    """Return the current import progress percentage.
+
+    The progress will be a value from 0 to 100.  If the value is 100, the last
+    import was completed successfully and no import is currently running.
+    """
+    query = "SELECT state FROM progress WHERE id='import_imdb'"
+    state = await shared_connection().fetch_val(query)
+    return float(state or 100)
+
+
+async def set_import_progress(progress: float):
+    """Set the current import progress percentage."""
+    progress = min(max(0.0, progress), 100.0)  # clamp to 0 <= progress <= 100
+
+    values = {"id": "import_imdb"}
+
+    if progress >= 100:
+        query = "DELETE FROM progress WHERE id=:id"
+    else:
+        query = """
+            INSERT INTO progress(id, state, started)
+            VALUES (:id, :state, :started)
+            ON CONFLICT DO UPDATE SET state=excluded.state
+        """
+        values.update({"state": f"{progress:.2f}", "started": utcnow().isoformat()})
+
+    await shared_connection().execute(query=query, values=values)
+
+
 def shared_connection() -> Database:
     global _shared_connection
 
diff --git a/unwind/imdb_import.py b/unwind/imdb_import.py
index fcc76eb..a34e931 100644
--- a/unwind/imdb_import.py
+++ b/unwind/imdb_import.py
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ async def import_from_file(*, basics_path: Path, ratings_path: Path):
 
         perc = 100 * i / total
         if perc >= perc_next_report:
+            await db.set_import_progress(perc)
             log.info("⏳ Imported %s%%", round(perc, 1))
             perc_next_report += perc_step
 
@@ -222,6 +223,8 @@ async def import_from_file(*, basics_path: Path, ratings_path: Path):
         await add_or_update_many_movies(chunk)
         chunk = []
 
+    await db.set_import_progress(100)
+
 
 async def load_from_web():
     """Refresh the full IMDb movie database.
@@ -233,6 +236,8 @@ async def load_from_web():
     See https://www.imdb.com/interfaces/ and https://datasets.imdbws.com/ for
     more information on the IMDb database dumps.
     """
+    await db.set_import_progress(0)
+
     basics_url = "https://datasets.imdbws.com/title.basics.tsv.gz"
     ratings_url = "https://datasets.imdbws.com/title.ratings.tsv.gz"
     ratings_file = config.datadir / "imdb/title.ratings.tsv.gz"
@@ -249,5 +254,8 @@ async def load_from_web():
         ratings_mtime != ratings_file.stat().st_mtime
         or bastics_mtime != basics_file.stat().st_mtime
     )
-    if is_changed:
-        await import_from_file(basics_path=basics_file, ratings_path=ratings_file)
+    try:
+        if is_changed:
+            await import_from_file(basics_path=basics_file, ratings_path=ratings_file)
+    finally:
+        await db.set_import_progress(100)
diff --git a/unwind/sql/20210711-172808--progress-table.sql b/unwind/sql/20210711-172808--progress-table.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ee6a5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unwind/sql/20210711-172808--progress-table.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+-- add progress table
+
+CREATE TABLE progress (
+    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL,
+    state TEXT NOT NULL,
+    started TEXT NOT NULL
+);;
diff --git a/unwind/web.py b/unwind/web.py
index 51543d0..ec72e68 100644
--- a/unwind/web.py
+++ b/unwind/web.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import asyncio
 import logging
 import secrets
 from json.decoder import JSONDecodeError
@@ -193,11 +194,25 @@ async def add_movie(request):
     pass
 
 
+import_lock = asyncio.Lock()
+
+
 @route("/movies/_reload_imdb", methods=["POST"])
 @requires(["authenticated", "admin"])
 async def load_imdb_movies(request):
+    async with import_lock:
+        progress = await db.get_import_progress()
+        if progress < 100:
+            return JSONResponse(
+                {"status": "Import running.", "progress": progress}, status_code=409
+            )
+
+        await db.set_import_progress(0)
+
     task = BackgroundTask(imdb_import.load_from_web)
-    return JSONResponse({"status": "Import started."}, background=task, status_code=202)
+    return JSONResponse(
+        {"status": "Import started.", "progress": 0.0}, background=task, status_code=202
+    )
 
 
 @route("/users")