diff --git a/src/js/ui/MessageContextMenuUI.js b/src/js/ui/MessageContextMenuUI.js
index dd61fb3..17f9e75 100644
--- a/src/js/ui/MessageContextMenuUI.js
+++ b/src/js/ui/MessageContextMenuUI.js
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ class MessageContextMenuUI {
         const { dmManager } = this.deps;
         const dmErase = currentChannel?.type === 'dm' && !isSelf && !!msgId
             && (dmManager?.inboxPurgeProviders?.length > 0);
-        const showErase = dmErase || (moderates && !!msgId && !message?._erased
+        const showErase = dmErase || (moderates && !!msgId && !message?._erased && !message?._erasing
             && (currentChannel?.purgeProviders?.length > 0));
         // Cannot ban yourself or the channel admin.
         const showBan = moderates && !isSelf && !isCreator;
@@ -502,6 +502,13 @@ class MessageContextMenuUI {
                     message: `Remove this message from ${providers} storage provider${providers === 1 ? '' : 's'}. It stays hidden for everyone and cannot be recovered.`,
                     confirmLabel: 'Erase'
                 })) break;
+                const redraw = () => {
+                    if (chatAreaUI?.updateMessage?.(msg) === false) {
+                        chatAreaUI?.renderMessages?.(ch.messages, () => chatAreaUI._attachMessageListeners?.());
+                    }
+                };
+                msg._erasing = true;
+                redraw();
                 try {
                     const { authManager } = await import('../auth.js');
                     const { eraseMessage } = await import('../storagePurge.js');
@@ -517,10 +524,12 @@ class MessageContextMenuUI {
                     const outcome = await eraseMessage(ch, msg, signer, channelManager.purgeOptions?.(ch));
                     if (outcome.erasedOn > 0) msg._erased = true;
                     showNotification(purgeOutcomeText(outcome), outcome.erasedOn === outcome.providers ? 'success' : 'warning');
-                    chatAreaUI?.renderMessages?.(ch.messages, () => chatAreaUI._attachMessageListeners?.());
                 } catch (err) {
                     console.warn('Erase from storage failed:', err?.message || err);
                     showNotification(err?.message || 'Failed to erase message', 'error');
+                } finally {
+                    delete msg._erasing;
+                    redraw();
                 }
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/src/js/ui/MessageRenderer.js b/src/js/ui/MessageRenderer.js
index 2d2aa4d..7bd24e6 100644
--- a/src/js/ui/MessageRenderer.js
+++ b/src/js/ui/MessageRenderer.js
@@ -831,8 +831,11 @@ class MessageRenderer {
 
         // A moderator's view of a hidden message: dimmed, labelled, still
         // reachable by the context menu for Unhide and Erase.
+        const erasingHtml = msg._erasing && !msg._erased
+            ? '<span class="message-erasing inline-block animate-spin w-2.5 h-2.5 ml-1.5 align-middle border border-white/25 border-t-white/70 rounded-full" aria-label="Erasing from storage"></span>'
+            : '';
         const moderationHtml = msg._hidden
-            ? `<div class="message-moderation text-[11px] text-amber-400/80 mb-1">${msg._erased ? 'Hidden · erased from storage' : 'Hidden by moderation'}</div>`
+            ? `<div class="message-moderation text-[11px] text-amber-400/80 mb-1">${msg._erased ? 'Hidden · erased from storage' : 'Hidden by moderation'}${erasingHtml}</div>`
             : '';
         const bubbleStyle = msg._hidden ? ' style="opacity:0.45"' : '';
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/MessageRenderer.test.js b/tests/unit/MessageRenderer.test.js
index bb03dd8..1e6aa3d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/MessageRenderer.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/MessageRenderer.test.js
@@ -490,6 +490,25 @@ describe('MessageRenderer', () => {
             expect(result).toContain('12:00');
         });
 
+        it('shows an erase from storage in progress on a hidden message until it answers', () => {
+            const base = { id: 'msg-hidden', sender: '0xDEF', text: 'spam', type: 'text', _hidden: true };
+
+            const erasing = messageRenderer.buildMessageHTML(
+                { ...base, _erasing: true }, false, '12:00', { html: '' }, 'Bob'
+            );
+            expect(erasing).toContain('Hidden by moderation<span class="message-erasing');
+
+            const erased = messageRenderer.buildMessageHTML(
+                { ...base, _erased: true }, false, '12:00', { html: '' }, 'Bob'
+            );
+            expect(erased).toContain('Hidden · erased from storage');
+            expect(erased).not.toContain('message-erasing');
+
+            const hidden = messageRenderer.buildMessageHTML(base, false, '12:00', { html: '' }, 'Bob');
+            expect(hidden).toContain('Hidden by moderation</div>');
+            expect(hidden).not.toContain('message-erasing');
+        });
+
         it('says where an unsettled publish stands', () => {
             const base = { id: 'msg-state', sender: '0xABC', text: 'Hello', type: 'text' };