diff --git a/src/ui/styles/world-timeline.css b/src/ui/styles/world-timeline.css
index f6c379e8e..2eeea8504 100644
--- a/src/ui/styles/world-timeline.css
+++ b/src/ui/styles/world-timeline.css
@@ -106,21 +106,32 @@ body.cockpit-mode #world-timeline {
   pointer-events: none;
 }
 
-/* Playing, held while a layer loads the time's data. */
-#world-timeline .world-timeline-time.is-buffering {
-  animation: world-timeline-buffering 1s ease-in-out infinite alternate;
+/* Playing, held while a layer loads the time's data: a spinner by the time. */
+#world-timeline .world-timeline-time.is-waiting {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
 }
 
-@keyframes world-timeline-buffering {
+#world-timeline .world-timeline-spinner {
+  width: 10px;
+  height: 10px;
+  border: 2px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2);
+  border-top-color: var(--accent);
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  animation: world-timeline-spin 0.9s linear infinite;
+}
+
+@keyframes world-timeline-spin {
   to {
-    opacity: 0.45;
+    transform: rotate(360deg);
   }
 }
 
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
-  #world-timeline .world-timeline-time.is-buffering {
+  #world-timeline .world-timeline-spinner {
     animation: none;
-    opacity: 0.6;
+    border-color: var(--accent);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.test.mjs b/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.test.mjs
index 06301f3a2..40e7d3ad1 100644
--- a/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.test.mjs
+++ b/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.test.mjs
@@ -411,3 +411,32 @@ test('zoomed, a scrub near now stays off live, and the view keeps a still handle
   assert.equal(track.classList.contains('is-zoomed'), false);
   assert.ok(Math.abs(worldClock.now() - at) < 1_000, 'time as it was');
 });
+
+test('play held for a layer to load shows a spinner once the hold lasts', async (t) => {
+  const bar = mount(t);
+  const at = Date.UTC(2026, 9, 30, 6, 15, 42);
+  supportingLayer(t, at);
+  worldClock.seek(at - 1_800_000);
+  worldClock.play({ continuous: true });
+  await nextTick();
+  const bubble = () => bar().querySelector('.world-timeline-time');
+  const release = worldClock.wait('test-radar');
+  t.after(release);
+  // A clock tick (a quarter second) tells of the hold; the spinner waits on.
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 250));
+  await nextTick();
+  assert.equal(bubble().querySelector('.world-timeline-spinner'), null, 'not for a quick frame');
+  // The clock tells of the hold on its next tick, and the bar shows it after.
+  const until = async (shown) => {
+    for (let waited = 0; waited < 3_000; waited += 50) {
+      if (Boolean(bubble().querySelector('.world-timeline-spinner')) === shown) return true;
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50));
+      await nextTick();
+    }
+    return false;
+  };
+  assert.ok(await until(true), 'spinner once the hold lasts');
+  assert.match(bubble().textContent, /UTC$/, 'the time stays');
+  release();
+  assert.ok(await until(false), 'gone once play goes on');
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.vue b/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.vue
index 9588b7e64..40baecaae 100644
--- a/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.vue
+++ b/src/ui/views/panels/WorldTimeline.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script setup>
-import { computed, shallowRef, watch } from 'vue';
+import { computed, onBeforeUnmount, shallowRef, watch } from 'vue';
 import { storeToRefs } from 'pinia';
 import { formatDate, t } from '../../../i18n/index.js';
 import { useWorldTimeStore } from '../../stores/worldTime.js';
@@ -62,6 +62,29 @@ const bubble = computed(() =>
     ? `${formatDate(time.value.timeMs, BUBBLE_DATE)} · ${formatDate(time.value.timeMs, BUBBLE_TIME)} UTC`
     : '',
 );
+// Play held while a layer loads the time's data shows a spinner by the time,
+// once the hold lasts long enough to notice, so a quick frame does not flash
+// it, and until play has run a while, so a run of slow frames keeps it still.
+const WAIT_SHOWN_MS = 300;
+const WAIT_HIDDEN_MS = 500;
+const waiting = shallowRef(false);
+let waitTimer = null;
+watch(
+  () => time.value.buffering,
+  (buffering) => {
+    clearTimeout(waitTimer);
+    waitTimer = null;
+    if (buffering === waiting.value) return;
+    waitTimer = setTimeout(
+      () => {
+        waitTimer = null;
+        waiting.value = buffering;
+      },
+      buffering ? WAIT_SHOWN_MS : WAIT_HIDDEN_MS,
+    );
+  },
+);
+onBeforeUnmount(() => clearTimeout(waitTimer));
 const span = computed(() => time.value.span);
 // Where the handle is, or null with no track.
 const at = computed(() => {
@@ -222,7 +245,8 @@ const onKey = (event) => {
       ><UiIcon :name="time.playing ? 'pause' : 'play_arrow'" :size="20" /></UiButton
     ><UiSelect class="gev-field gev-field--compact world-timeline-speed" :aria-label="t('Play speed')" :title="t('Play speed')" :options="speeds" :model-value="speed" @update:model-value="store.setSpeed($event)"
     /><div class="world-timeline-track" :class="{ 'is-zoomed': zoomed }" :title="t('Scroll or pinch to zoom · double-click to see it all')" @wheel="onWheel" @mousedown="onPress" @dblclick="showAll" @touchstart="onTouchStart" @touchmove="onTouchMove" @touchend="onTouchEnd" @touchcancel="onTouchEnd"
-      ><time class="world-timeline-time" :class="{ 'is-buffering': time.buffering }" :style="{ '--at': place(shown) / 100 }" :datetime="new Date(time.timeMs).toISOString()" aria-live="off">{{ bubble }}</time
+      ><time class="world-timeline-time" :class="{ 'is-waiting': waiting }" :style="{ '--at': place(shown) / 100 }" :datetime="new Date(time.timeMs).toISOString()" aria-live="off"
+        ><span v-if="waiting" class="world-timeline-spinner" aria-hidden="true"></span>{{ bubble }}</time
       ><span v-for="(left, index) in ticks" :key="index" class="world-timeline-tick" :style="{ left }" aria-hidden="true"></span
       ><span class="world-timeline-fill" :style="{ width: `${place(shown)}%` }" aria-hidden="true"></span
       ><input