diff --git a/aqt/progress.py b/aqt/progress.py
index 07d137700..1e43994d6 100644
--- a/aqt/progress.py
+++ b/aqt/progress.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import time
 from aqt.qt import *
+import aqt.forms
 
 # fixme: if mw->subwindow opens a progress dialog with mw as the parent, mw
 # gets raised on finish on compiz. perhaps we should be using the progress
@@ -51,14 +52,15 @@ class ProgressManager:
           self.app.processEvents(QEventLoop.ExcludeUserInputEvents)
         self.inDB = False
 
-    # DB-safe timers
+    # Safer timers
     ##########################################################################
     # QTimer may fire in processEvents(). We provide a custom timer which
-    # automatically defers until the DB is not busy.
+    # automatically defers until the DB is not busy, and avoids running
+    # while a progress window is visible.
 
     def timer(self, ms, func, repeat):
         def handler():
-            if self.inDB:
+            if self.inDB or self._levels:
                 # retry in 100ms
                 self.timer(100, func, False)
             else:
@@ -73,27 +75,31 @@ class ProgressManager:
     # Creating progress dialogs
     ##########################################################################
 
-    class ProgressNoCancel(QProgressDialog):
+    class ProgressDialog(QDialog):
+        def __init__(self, parent):
+            QDialog.__init__(self, parent)
+            self.form = aqt.forms.progress.Ui_Dialog()
+            self.form.setupUi(self)
+            self._closingDown = False
+            self.wantCancel = False
+
+        def cancel(self):
+            self._closingDown = True
+            self.close()
+
         def closeEvent(self, evt):
-            evt.ignore()
+            if self._closingDown:
+                evt.accept()
+            else:
+                self.wantCancel  = True
+                evt.ignore()
+
         def keyPressEvent(self, evt):
             if evt.key() == Qt.Key_Escape:
                 evt.ignore()
+                self.wantCancel  = True
 
-    class ProgressCancellable(QProgressDialog):
-        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-            QProgressDialog.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
-            self.ankiCancel = False
-        def closeEvent(self, evt):
-            # avoid standard Qt flag as we don't want to close until we're ready
-            self.ankiCancel = True
-            evt.ignore()
-        def keyPressEvent(self, evt):
-            if evt.key() == Qt.Key_Escape:
-                evt.ignore()
-                self.ankiCancel = True
-
-    def start(self, max=0, min=0, label=None, parent=None, immediate=False, cancellable=False):
+    def start(self, max=0, min=0, label=None, parent=None, immediate=False):
         self._levels += 1
         if self._levels > 1:
             return
@@ -103,20 +109,13 @@ class ProgressManager:
             parent = self.mw
 
         label = label or _("Processing...")
-        if cancellable:
-            klass = self.ProgressCancellable
-        else:
-            klass = self.ProgressNoCancel
-        self._win = klass(label, "", min, max, parent)
+        self._win = self.ProgressDialog(parent)
+        self._win.form.progressBar.setMinimum(min)
+        self._win.form.progressBar.setMaximum(max)
+        self._win.form.label.setText(label)
         self._win.setWindowTitle("Anki")
-        self._win.setCancelButton(None)
-        self._win.setAutoClose(False)
-        self._win.setAutoReset(False)
         self._win.setWindowModality(Qt.ApplicationModal)
         self._win.setMinimumWidth(300)
-        # we need to manually manage minimum time to show, as qt gets confused
-        # by the db handler
-        self._win.setMinimumDuration(100000)
         if immediate:
             self._showWin()
         else:
@@ -137,10 +136,10 @@ class ProgressManager:
             self._maybeShow()
         elapsed = time.time() - self._lastUpdate
         if label:
-            self._win.setLabelText(label)
+            self._win.form.label.setText(label)
         if self._max and self._shown:
             self._counter = value or (self._counter+1)
-            self._win.setValue(self._counter)
+            self._win.form.progressBar.setValue(self._counter)
         if process and elapsed >= 0.2:
             self._updating = True
             self.app.processEvents(QEventLoop.ExcludeUserInputEvents)
@@ -172,6 +171,7 @@ class ProgressManager:
     def _showWin(self):
         self._shown = time.time()
         self._win.show()
+        self._win.adjustSize()
         self._setBusy()
 
     def _closeWin(self):
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ class ProgressManager:
                     break
                 self.app.processEvents(QEventLoop.ExcludeUserInputEvents)
         self._win.cancel()
+        self._win = None
         self._unsetBusy()
 
     def _setBusy(self):
diff --git a/aqt/sync.py b/aqt/sync.py
index 5b00d720d..78139473c 100644
--- a/aqt/sync.py
+++ b/aqt/sync.py
@@ -46,12 +46,12 @@ class SyncManager(QObject):
             auth=auth, media=self.pm.profile['syncMedia'])
         t.event.connect(self.onEvent)
         self.label = _("Connecting...")
-        prog = self.mw.progress.start(immediate=True, label=self.label, cancellable=True)
+        prog = self.mw.progress.start(immediate=True, label=self.label)
         self.sentBytes = self.recvBytes = 0
         self._updateLabel()
         self.thread.start()
         while not self.thread.isFinished():
-            if prog.ankiCancel:
+            if prog.wantCancel:
                 self.thread.flagAbort()
                 # make sure we don't display 'upload success' msg
                 self._didFullUp = False
diff --git a/designer/progress.ui b/designer/progress.ui
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5dbfdbbc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/designer/progress.ui
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<ui version="4.0">
+ <class>Dialog</class>
+ <widget class="QDialog" name="Dialog">
+  <property name="geometry">
+   <rect>
+    <x>0</x>
+    <y>0</y>
+    <width>310</width>
+    <height>69</height>
+   </rect>
+  </property>
+  <property name="windowTitle">
+   <string>Dialog</string>
+  </property>
+  <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
+   <property name="margin">
+    <number>6</number>
+   </property>
+   <item>
+    <spacer name="verticalSpacer_2">
+     <property name="orientation">
+      <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+     </property>
+     <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+      <size>
+       <width>0</width>
+       <height>0</height>
+      </size>
+     </property>
+    </spacer>
+   </item>
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string/>
+     </property>
+     <property name="alignment">
+      <set>Qt::AlignCenter</set>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QProgressBar" name="progressBar">
+     <property name="value">
+      <number>24</number>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item>
+    <spacer name="verticalSpacer">
+     <property name="orientation">
+      <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+     </property>
+     <property name="sizeType">
+      <enum>QSizePolicy::MinimumExpanding</enum>
+     </property>
+     <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+      <size>
+       <width>0</width>
+       <height>0</height>
+      </size>
+     </property>
+    </spacer>
+   </item>
+  </layout>
+ </widget>
+ <resources/>
+ <connections/>
+</ui>