diff --git a/client/catalog/js/loading-overlay.js b/client/catalog/js/loading-overlay.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..849524d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/catalog/js/loading-overlay.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/**
+ * This function allows the app to pass in a callback function for updating the progress and a function to call if the progress it cancelled.
+ * @param func - A function accepting two functions as parameters, the first will be called with one parameter (which is a callback function
+ * for progress updates) when the overlay is ready.
+ * @param cancel - A function to call if the overlay is cancelled.
+ *
+ * Example:
+ * openLoadingOverlay(function(update){
+ *   //Begin progress, call update if progress is in chunks, otherwise ignore.
+ * }, function(){
+ *   //Cancelled
+ * });
+ */
+var openLoadingOverlay = (function(){
+  "use strict";
+
+  var isOpen = false;
+
+  return function(func, cancel){
+
+    var overlay = $('#loading');
+    var progress = overlay.find('.progress-bar');
+    var cancelButton = overlay.find('#loading-cancel');
+
+    if (isOpen){
+      console.warn("Two overlays are not permitted at the same time. The second will have dummy callbacks");
+      func(function(){});
+      return;
+    }
+
+    isOpen = true;
+
+    var update = function(done, current, total){
+      if (current && total){
+        progress.text(current + '/' + total)
+        .animate({
+            width: Math.round(current/total) + '%'
+          },
+          200,
+          'linear',
+          function(){
+            if (done){
+              reset();
+            }
+          }
+        );
+      } else {
+        if (done){
+          reset();
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    var reset = function(){
+      overlay.modal('hide');
+      progress.text('Loading...').css('width', '100%');
+      overlay.removeClass('cancelled').addClass('loading');
+      cancelButton.removeClass('disabled');
+    };
+
+    cancelButton.one('click', function(){
+
+      cancelButton.addClass('disabled');
+      overlay.addClass('cancelled').removeClass('loading');
+
+      setTimeout(reset, 2000);
+      progress.text('Cancelling...').css('width', 0).animate({
+        width: '100%'
+      }, 2000);
+
+    });
+
+    overlay.modal('show');
+
+    func(update);
+
+  };
+})();