diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/AppController.java b/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/AppController.java
index db48cb40..92f34489 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/AppController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/AppController.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;
 import org.springframework.ui.ModelMap;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMethod;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseBody;
 
 import eu.openanalytics.ShinyProxyApplication;
 import eu.openanalytics.services.AppService;
@@ -40,23 +42,36 @@ public class AppController extends BaseController {
 	@Inject
 	AppService appService;
 
-	@RequestMapping("/app/*")
+	@RequestMapping(value="/app/*", method=RequestMethod.GET)
 	String app(ModelMap map, HttpServletRequest request) {
 		prepareMap(map, request);
 		
-		String mapping = dockerService.getMapping(getUserName(request), getAppName(request));
-		
-		String queryString = request.getQueryString();
-		if (queryString == null) queryString = "";
-		else queryString = "?" + queryString;
-		
+		String mapping = dockerService.getMapping(getUserName(request), getAppName(request), false);
 		String contextPath = ShinyProxyApplication.getContextPath(environment);
-		String containerPath = contextPath + "/" + mapping + environment.getProperty("shiny.proxy.landing-page") + queryString;
 
-		map.put("container", containerPath);
+		map.put("appTitle", getAppTitle(request));
+		map.put("container", buildContainerPath(mapping, request));
 		map.put("heartbeatRate", environment.getProperty("shiny.proxy.heartbeat-rate", "10000"));
 		map.put("heartbeatPath", contextPath + "/heartbeat");
 		
 		return "app";
 	}
+	
+	@RequestMapping(value="/app/*", method=RequestMethod.POST)
+	@ResponseBody
+	String startApp(HttpServletRequest request) {
+		String mapping = dockerService.getMapping(getUserName(request), getAppName(request), true);
+		return buildContainerPath(mapping, request);
+	}
+	
+	private String buildContainerPath(String mapping, HttpServletRequest request) {
+		if (mapping == null) return "";
+		
+		String queryString = request.getQueryString();
+		queryString = (queryString == null) ? "" : "?" + queryString;
+		
+		String contextPath = ShinyProxyApplication.getContextPath(environment);
+		String containerPath = contextPath + "/" + mapping + environment.getProperty("shiny.proxy.landing-page") + queryString;
+		return containerPath;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/BaseController.java b/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/BaseController.java
index f7c975d4..1383fed7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/BaseController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/controllers/BaseController.java
@@ -40,10 +40,15 @@
 import org.springframework.ui.ModelMap;
 import org.springframework.util.StreamUtils;
 
+import eu.openanalytics.services.AppService;
 import eu.openanalytics.services.UserService;
+import eu.openanalytics.services.AppService.ShinyApp;
 
 public abstract class BaseController {
 
+	@Inject
+	AppService appService;
+	
 	@Inject
 	UserService userService;
 	
@@ -70,6 +75,14 @@ protected String getAppName(String uri) {
 		return appName;
 	}
 	
+	protected String getAppTitle(HttpServletRequest request) {
+		String appName = getAppName(request);
+		if (appName == null || appName.isEmpty()) return "";
+		ShinyApp app = appService.getApp(appName);
+		if (app == null || app.getDisplayName() == null || app.getDisplayName().isEmpty()) return appName;
+		else return app.getDisplayName();
+	}
+	
 	protected void prepareMap(ModelMap map, HttpServletRequest request) {
 		map.put("title", environment.getProperty("shiny.proxy.title"));
 		if (logoURI == null) logoURI = toAccessibleURI(environment.getProperty("shiny.proxy.logo-url"));
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/services/DockerService.java b/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/services/DockerService.java
index cda4813f..d7d18b6a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/services/DockerService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/openanalytics/services/DockerService.java
@@ -178,10 +178,10 @@ public List<Proxy> listProxies() {
 		}
 	}
 	
-	public String getMapping(String userName, String appName) {
+	public String getMapping(String userName, String appName, boolean startNew) {
 		waitForLaunchingProxy(userName, appName);
 		Proxy proxy = findProxy(userName, appName);
-		if (proxy == null) {
+		if (proxy == null && startNew) {
 			// The user has no proxy yet.
 			proxy = startProxy(userName, appName);
 		}
diff --git a/src/main/resources/static/css/default.css b/src/main/resources/static/css/default.css
index d94af585..cb5fbf3c 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/static/css/default.css
+++ b/src/main/resources/static/css/default.css
@@ -48,4 +48,19 @@ body > div#navbar { padding-top: 0px; }
 
 #error {
 	padding-left: 15px;
+}
+
+.loading {
+	display: none;
+	position: fixed;
+	top: 150px;
+	width: 100%;
+	z-index: 9999;
+	background: url(../img/loading.gif) center no-repeat #fff;
+}
+
+.loading-txt {
+	text-align: center;
+	font-size: 24px;
+	margin-top: -50px;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/resources/static/img/loading.gif b/src/main/resources/static/img/loading.gif
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98218271
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/main/resources/static/img/loading.gif differ
diff --git a/src/main/resources/templates/app.html b/src/main/resources/templates/app.html
index 1ecda2c2..b339f843 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/templates/app.html
+++ b/src/main/resources/templates/app.html
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 	
 	<!-- content -->
     <iframe id="shinyframe" th:src="${container}" width="100%"></iframe>
+    <div class="loading"><div class="loading-txt">Launching <span th:text="${appTitle}"></span>...</div></div>
     
 	<script type="text/javascript" th:inline="javascript">
 		function setShinyframeHeight() {
@@ -53,6 +54,21 @@
 			}, [[${heartbeatRate}]]);
 		};
 		heartbeat();
+		
+		$(window).load(function() {
+			var source = $("#shinyframe").attr("src");
+			if (source == "") {
+				$(".loading").show();
+				$.post(window.location.pathname, function(containerPath) {
+					$("#shinyframe").attr("src", containerPath);
+					$(".loading").fadeOut("slow");
+				}).fail(function(request) {
+					var newDoc = document.open("text/html", "replace");
+					newDoc.write(request.responseText);
+					newDoc.close();
+				});
+			}
+		});
 	</script>
 </body>
 </html>