diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.xul b/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.xul
index 9a4f8acbd..a561f041a 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.xul
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/overlay.xul
@@ -304,10 +304,7 @@
 			
 			<vbox id="zotero-item-pane" persist="width">
 				<toolbar align="right">
-					<toolbarbutton
-							id="zotero-tb-sync"
-							image="chrome://zotero/skin/arrow_refresh.png"
-							tooltip="_child"
+					<toolbarbutton id="zotero-tb-sync" tooltip="_child"
 							oncommand="Zotero.Sync.Server.sync()">
 						<tooltip
 								onpopupshowing="this.firstChild.nextSibling.value = 'Last sync: ' + (Zotero.Sync.Server.lastLocalSyncTime ? new Date(Zotero.Sync.Server.lastLocalSyncTime * 1000).toLocaleString() : 'Not yet synced')"
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js
index cee06de36..6f718c83e 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/xpcom/sync.js
@@ -378,6 +378,8 @@ Zotero.Sync.Server = new function () {
 	this.logout = logout;
 	this.setSyncTimeout = setSyncTimeout;
 	this.clearSyncTimeout = clearSyncTimeout;
+	this.startSyncAnimation = startSyncAnimation;
+	this.stopSyncAnimation = stopSyncAnimation;
 	
 	this.__defineGetter__('username', function () {
 		return Zotero.Prefs.get('sync.server.username');
@@ -535,6 +537,7 @@ Zotero.Sync.Server = new function () {
 	
 	function sync() {
 		Zotero.Sync.Server.clearSyncTimeout();
+		Zotero.Sync.Server.startSyncAnimation();
 		
 		if (_attempts < 0) {
 			_error('Too many attempts in Zotero.Sync.Server.sync()');
@@ -852,6 +855,8 @@ Zotero.Sync.Server = new function () {
 			if (callback) {
 				callback();
 			}
+			
+			Zotero.Sync.Server.stopSyncAnimation();
 		});
 	}
 	
@@ -1016,6 +1021,22 @@ Zotero.Sync.Server = new function () {
 	}
 	
 	
+	function startSyncAnimation() {
+		var wm = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1"]
+			.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator);
+		var win = wm.getMostRecentWindow('navigator:browser');
+		win.document.getElementById('zotero-tb-sync').setAttribute('animate', 'true');
+	}
+	
+	
+	function stopSyncAnimation() {
+		var wm = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1"]
+			.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator);
+		var win = wm.getMostRecentWindow('navigator:browser');
+		win.document.getElementById('zotero-tb-sync').removeAttribute('animate');
+	}
+	
+	
 	function _checkResponse(xmlhttp) {
 		if (!xmlhttp.responseXML ||
 				!xmlhttp.responseXML.childNodes[0] ||
@@ -1054,6 +1075,8 @@ Zotero.Sync.Server = new function () {
 			Zotero.Sync.Server.unlock()
 		}
 		
+		Zotero.Sync.Server.stopSyncAnimation();
+		
 		throw(e);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/chrome/skin/default/zotero/arrow_rotate_animated.png b/chrome/skin/default/zotero/arrow_rotate_animated.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..924a48f47
Binary files /dev/null and b/chrome/skin/default/zotero/arrow_rotate_animated.png differ
diff --git a/chrome/skin/default/zotero/arrow_rotate_static.png b/chrome/skin/default/zotero/arrow_rotate_static.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..674bd1d19
Binary files /dev/null and b/chrome/skin/default/zotero/arrow_rotate_static.png differ
diff --git a/chrome/skin/default/zotero/overlay.css b/chrome/skin/default/zotero/overlay.css
index b8f8d2c19..eeaf65535 100644
--- a/chrome/skin/default/zotero/overlay.css
+++ b/chrome/skin/default/zotero/overlay.css
@@ -191,6 +191,16 @@
 	list-style-image: url('chrome://zotero/skin/toolbar-advanced-search.png');
 }
 
+#zotero-tb-sync {
+	margin-top: -2px;
+	margin-left: -2px;
+	list-style-image: url(chrome://zotero/skin/arrow_rotate_static.png);
+}
+
+#zotero-tb-sync[animate=true] {
+	list-style-image: url(chrome://zotero/skin/arrow_rotate_animated.png);
+}
+
 #zotero-tb-sync #zotero-last-sync-time
 {
 	color: gray;