diff --git a/frontend/src/components/tables/M3UsTable.jsx b/frontend/src/components/tables/M3UsTable.jsx
index 6e018b95..bd6a94d5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/tables/M3UsTable.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/tables/M3UsTable.jsx
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ const M3UTable = () => {
     }
 
     switch (data.action) {
+      case 'initializing':
+        return buildInitializingStats();
+
       case 'downloading':
         return buildDownloadingStats(data);
 
@@ -191,6 +194,18 @@ const M3UTable = () => {
     );
   };
 
+  const buildInitializingStats = () => {
+    return (
+      <Box>
+        <Flex direction="column" gap="xs">
+          <Flex align="center">
+            <Text size="xs" fw={500}>Initializing refresh...</Text>
+          </Flex>
+        </Flex>
+      </Box>
+    );
+  };
+
   const toggleActive = async (playlist) => {
     await API.updatePlaylist({
       ...playlist,
@@ -310,8 +325,28 @@ const M3UTable = () => {
   };
 
   const refreshPlaylist = async (id) => {
-    await API.refreshPlaylist(id);
-    setRefreshProgress(id, 0);
+    // Provide immediate visual feedback before the API call
+    setRefreshProgress(id, {
+      action: 'initializing',
+      progress: 0,
+      account: id,
+      type: 'm3u_refresh'
+    });
+
+    try {
+      await API.refreshPlaylist(id);
+      // No need to set again since WebSocket will update us once the task starts
+    } catch (error) {
+      // If the API call fails, show an error state
+      setRefreshProgress(id, {
+        action: 'error',
+        progress: 0,
+        account: id,
+        type: 'm3u_refresh',
+        error: 'Failed to start refresh task',
+        status: 'error'
+      });
+    }
   };
 
   const deletePlaylist = async (id) => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/store/playlists.jsx b/frontend/src/store/playlists.jsx
index e04263e7..bcdfff27 100644
--- a/frontend/src/store/playlists.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/store/playlists.jsx
@@ -65,13 +65,37 @@ const usePlaylistsStore = create((set) => ({
       // @TODO: remove playlist profiles here
     })),
 
-  setRefreshProgress: (data) =>
-    set((state) => ({
-      refreshProgress: {
-        ...state.refreshProgress,
-        [data.account]: data,
-      },
-    })),
+  setRefreshProgress: (accountIdOrData, data) =>
+    set((state) => {
+      // If called with two parameters, it's the direct setter
+      if (data !== undefined) {
+        return {
+          refreshProgress: {
+            ...state.refreshProgress,
+            [accountIdOrData]: data,
+          },
+        };
+      }
+
+      // If called with WebSocket data, preserve 'initializing' status
+      // until we get a real progress update from the server
+      const accountId = accountIdOrData.account;
+      const existingProgress = state.refreshProgress[accountId];
+
+      // Don't replace 'initializing' status with empty/early server messages
+      if (existingProgress &&
+        existingProgress.action === 'initializing' &&
+        accountIdOrData.progress === 0) {
+        return state; // Keep showing 'initializing' until real progress comes
+      }
+
+      return {
+        refreshProgress: {
+          ...state.refreshProgress,
+          [accountId]: accountIdOrData,
+        },
+      };
+    }),
 
   removeRefreshProgress: (id) =>
     set((state) => {