diff --git a/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryconfig.cpp b/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryconfig.cpp
index 4f98b194964..79f9ed84894 100644
--- a/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryconfig.cpp
+++ b/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryconfig.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@ SlideSettings::SlideSettings() : VerticalConfigurationGroup()
     transition->setHelpText(tr("The time that each transition lasts, in milliseconds."));
     addChild(transition);
 
+    HostSpinBox *delay = new HostSpinBox("GalleryStatusDelay", 0, 10000, 50);
+    delay->setLabel(tr("Status Delay (ms)"));
+    delay->setHelpText(tr("The delay before showing the Loading/Playing status, "
+                          "in milliseconds."));
+    addChild(delay);
+
     HostCheckBox *browseTran = new HostCheckBox("GalleryBrowseTransition");
     browseTran->setLabel(tr("Use transitions when browsing"));
     browseTran->setHelpText(tr("When cleared, transitions will only be used "
diff --git a/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.cpp b/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.cpp
index 8006a6e4098..673b674b4a7 100644
--- a/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.cpp
+++ b/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ GallerySlideView::GallerySlideView(MythScreenStack *parent, const char *name,
     m_timer.setSingleShot(true);
     m_timer.setInterval(m_slideShowTime);
     connect(&m_timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(ShowNextSlide()));
+
+    // Initialise status delay timer
+    m_delay.setSingleShot(true);
+    m_delay.setInterval(gCoreContext->GetNumSetting("GalleryStatusDelay", 0));
+    connect(&m_delay, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(ShowStatus()));
 }
 
 
@@ -421,8 +426,7 @@ void GallerySlideView::Play(bool useTransition)
     m_playing = true;
     if (!m_suspended)
         m_timer.start();
-    if (m_uiStatus)
-        SetStatus(tr("Playing"));
+    SetStatus(tr("Playing"), true);
 }
 
 
@@ -544,7 +548,7 @@ void GallerySlideView::ShowSlide(int direction)
     // Load image from file
     if (!m_slides.Load(im, direction))
         // Image not yet available: show loading status
-        SetStatus(tr("Loading"));
+        SetStatus(tr("Loading"), true);
 }
 
 
@@ -574,16 +578,7 @@ void GallerySlideView::SlideAvailable(int count)
     Slide &next = m_slides.GetNext();
 
     // Update loading status
-    if (m_uiStatus)
-    {
-        if (!next.FailedLoad())
-
-            m_uiStatus->SetVisible(false);
-
-        else if (ImagePtrK im = next.GetImageData())
-
-            SetStatus(tr("Failed to load %1").arg(im->m_filePath));
-    }
+    ClearStatus(next);
 
     // Update slide counts
     if (m_uiSlideCount)
@@ -723,11 +718,37 @@ void GallerySlideView::PlayVideo()
  \brief Displays status text (Loading, Paused etc.)
  \param msg Text to show
 */
-void GallerySlideView::SetStatus(QString msg)
+void GallerySlideView::SetStatus(QString msg, bool delay)
 {
     if (m_uiStatus)
     {
         m_uiStatus->SetText(msg);
-        m_uiStatus->SetVisible(true);
+        if (delay)
+            m_delay.start();
+        else
+            ShowStatus();
     }
 }
+
+
+void GallerySlideView::ShowStatus()
+{
+    if (m_uiStatus)
+        m_uiStatus->SetVisible(true);
+}
+
+void GallerySlideView::ClearStatus(Slide &slide)
+{
+    if (m_uiStatus)
+    {
+        m_delay.stop();
+
+        if (!slide.FailedLoad())
+
+            m_uiStatus->SetVisible(false);
+
+        else if (ImagePtrK im = slide.GetImageData())
+
+            SetStatus(tr("Failed to load %1").arg(im->m_filePath));
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.h b/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.h
index 575e044612f..8d44c0dc973 100644
--- a/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.h
+++ b/mythtv/programs/mythfrontend/galleryslideview.h
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ public slots:
     void Transform(ImageFileTransform);
     void Zoom(int = 0);
     void Pan(QPoint = QPoint(0, 0));
-    void SetStatus(QString msg);
+    void SetStatus(QString msg, bool delay = false);
+    void ClearStatus(Slide &next);
 
 private slots:
     void ShowPrevSlide();
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ private slots:
     void ShowCaptions();
     void HideCaptions();
     void PlayVideo();
+    void ShowStatus();
 
 private:
     // Theme widgets
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ private slots:
     InfoList    m_infoList;      //!< Image details overlay
     int         m_slideShowTime; //!< Time to display a slide in a slideshow
     QTimer      m_timer;         //!< Slide duration timer
+    QTimer      m_delay;         //!< Status delay timer
     bool        m_playing;       //!< True when slideshow is running
     bool        m_suspended;     //!< True when transition is running or video playing
     bool        m_showCaptions;  //!< If true, captions are shown