diff --git a/webui/src/routes/import/-import.types.ts b/webui/src/routes/import/-import.types.ts
index 8828a3c5..73821b08 100644
--- a/webui/src/routes/import/-import.types.ts
+++ b/webui/src/routes/import/-import.types.ts
@@ -23,11 +23,21 @@ export interface ImportStagingFile {
   manual_match?: ImportTrackResult;
 }
 
+/** While a large staging folder is still being scanned in the background (#947), the
+ * staging endpoints return `scanning: true` + progress instead of files/groups; the query
+ * polls until the scan completes and real data arrives. */
+export interface ImportScanProgress {
+  scanned: number;
+  total: number;
+}
+
 export interface ImportStagingFilesPayload {
   success: boolean;
   files?: ImportStagingFile[];
   staging_path?: string;
   error?: string;
+  scanning?: boolean;
+  progress?: ImportScanProgress;
 }
 
 export interface ImportStagingGroup {
@@ -47,6 +57,8 @@ export interface ImportStagingGroupsPayload {
   success: boolean;
   groups?: ImportStagingGroup[];
   error?: string;
+  scanning?: boolean;
+  progress?: ImportScanProgress;
 }
 
 export interface ImportAlbumResult {
diff --git a/webui/src/routes/import/-route.test.tsx b/webui/src/routes/import/-route.test.tsx
index b8572b95..afd184e4 100644
--- a/webui/src/routes/import/-route.test.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/routes/import/-route.test.tsx
@@ -250,6 +250,19 @@ describe('import route', () => {
     expect(await screen.findByText('Import folder: error')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it('shows scan progress while a large staging folder is still scanning (#947)', async () => {
+    server.use(
+      http.get('/api/import/staging/files', () =>
+        HttpResponse.json({ success: true, scanning: true, progress: { scanned: 5, total: 20 } }),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    renderImportRoute();
+
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId('import-page')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(await screen.findByText(/Scanning 5 of 20 files/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it('stores the active tab in nested route paths', async () => {
     const { history } = renderImportRoute();
 
diff --git a/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-page.tsx b/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-page.tsx
index 840c8d5e..b33eadfe 100644
--- a/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-page.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-page.tsx
@@ -21,17 +21,24 @@ import { fallbackImage, RefreshIcon, useImportStaging } from './import-shared';
 export function ImportPage() {
   useReactPageShell('import');
 
-  const { refreshStaging, stagingFiles, stagingPath, stagingQuery } = useImportStaging();
+  const { refreshStaging, scanning, scanProgress, stagingFiles, stagingPath, stagingQuery } =
+    useImportStaging();
   const isRefreshing = stagingQuery.isRefetching;
   const lastRefreshedAt =
     stagingQuery.dataUpdatedAt > 0 ? formatShortTime(stagingQuery.dataUpdatedAt) : null;
+  // While a large staging folder is still scanning (#947), show progress instead of a count.
+  const fileCountText = scanning
+    ? scanProgress && scanProgress.total > 0
+      ? `Scanning ${scanProgress.scanned} of ${scanProgress.total} files…`
+      : 'Scanning staging folder…'
+    : getStagingStatsText(stagingFiles);
 
   return (
     <div id="import-page" data-testid="import-page">
       <div className={styles.importPageContainer}>
         <ImportHeader
           error={stagingQuery.error}
-          fileCountText={getStagingStatsText(stagingFiles)}
+          fileCountText={fileCountText}
           loading={stagingQuery.isLoading}
           stagingPath={stagingPath}
           refreshing={isRefreshing}
diff --git a/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-shared.tsx b/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-shared.tsx
index 61b3b93e..fba4e240 100644
--- a/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-shared.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/routes/import/-ui/import-shared.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { useEffect } from 'react';
 
 import type { ImportQueueJob, ImportStagingFile } from '../-import.types';
 
@@ -20,6 +21,21 @@ export function useImportStaging() {
     ...importStagingFilesQueryOptions(),
   });
 
+  // A large staging folder (whole-library migration, #947) is scanned in the background; the
+  // endpoint returns `scanning: true` until it's done. While scanning, poll so the page fills
+  // in automatically once the scan completes. A plain setInterval (NOT react-query's
+  // refetchInterval, which interferes with the data query's error/retry settling) that only
+  // runs while scanning, so the normal and error states are left completely untouched.
+  const scanning = stagingQuery.data?.scanning === true;
+  const { refetch } = stagingQuery;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!scanning) return undefined;
+    const id = window.setInterval(() => {
+      void refetch();
+    }, 1500);
+    return () => window.clearInterval(id);
+  }, [scanning, refetch]);
+
   return {
     refreshStaging: async () => {
       clearFinishedJobs();
@@ -28,6 +44,8 @@ export function useImportStaging() {
     // Keep the empty fallback stable so staging-driven effects do not loop while loading.
     stagingFiles: stagingQuery.data?.files ?? EMPTY_STAGING_FILES,
     stagingPath: stagingQuery.data?.staging_path || 'Not configured',
+    scanning,
+    scanProgress: stagingQuery.data?.progress ?? null,
     stagingQuery,
   };
 }