diff --git a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java
index 488ce9c..950f4d7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java
@@ -79,9 +79,21 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
      */
     public void setProgress (int percent, long remaining)
     {
-        _progress = percent;
-        String msg = "m.complete";
-        String remstr = "";
+        boolean needsRepaint = false;
+
+        // maybe update the progress label
+        if (_progress != percent) {
+            _progress = percent;
+            String msg = MessageFormat.format(get("m.complete"), percent);
+            _newplab = new Label(msg, _ifc.progressText, FONT);
+            if (_ifc.textShadow != null) {
+                _newplab.setAlternateColor(_ifc.textShadow);
+                _newplab.setStyle(LabelStyleConstants.SHADOW);
+            }
+            needsRepaint = true;
+        }
+
+        // maybe update the remaining label
         if (remaining > 1) {
             // skip this estimate if it's been less than a second since
             // our last one came in
@@ -99,23 +111,26 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
             remaining /= values;
 
             // now compute our display value
-            msg = "m.complete_remain";
             int minutes = (int)(remaining / 60);
             int seconds = (int)(remaining % 60);
-            remstr = minutes + ":";
-            if (seconds < 10) {
-                remstr += "0";
+
+            String remstr = minutes + ":" + ((seconds < 10) ? "0" : "") + seconds;
+            String msg = MessageFormat.format(get("m.remain"), remstr);
+            _newrlab = new Label(msg, _ifc.statusText, FONT);
+            if (_ifc.textShadow != null) {
+                _newrlab.setAlternateColor(_ifc.textShadow);
+                _newrlab.setStyle(LabelStyleConstants.SHADOW);
             }
-            remstr += seconds;
+            needsRepaint = true;
+
+        } else {
+            needsRepaint = needsRepaint || (_rlabel != null);
+            _newrlab = _rlabel = null;
         }
-        msg = get(msg);
-        String label = MessageFormat.format(msg, percent, remstr);
-        _newplab = new Label(label, _ifc.progressText, FONT);
-        if (_ifc.textShadow != null) {
-            _newplab.setAlternateColor(_ifc.textShadow);
-            _newplab.setStyle(LabelStyleConstants.SHADOW);
+
+        if (needsRepaint) {
+            repaint();
         }
-        repaint();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -169,6 +184,11 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
             _plabel = _newplab;
             _newplab = null;
         }
+        if (_newrlab != null) {
+            _newrlab.layout(gfx);
+            _rlabel = _newrlab;
+            _newrlab = null;
+        }
 
         if (_barimg != null) {
             gfx.setClip(_ifc.progress.x, _ifc.progress.y,
@@ -191,17 +211,14 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
         }
 
         if (_label != null) {
-            // if the status region is higher than the progress region, we
-            // want to align the label with the bottom of its region
-            // rather than the top
-            int ly;
-            if (_ifc.status.y > _ifc.progress.y) {
-                ly = _ifc.status.y;
-            } else {
-                ly = _ifc.status.y + (_ifc.status.height -
-                                      _label.getSize().height);
-            }
-            _label.render(gfx, _ifc.status.x, ly);
+            _label.render(gfx, _ifc.status.x, getStatusY(_label));
+        }
+
+        if (_rlabel != null) {
+            // put the remaining label at the end of the status area. This could be dangerous
+            // but I think the only time we would display it is with small statuses.
+            int x = _ifc.status.x + _ifc.status.width - _rlabel.getSize().width;
+            _rlabel.render(gfx, x, getStatusY(_rlabel));
         }
 
         SwingUtil.restoreAntiAliasing(gfx, oalias);
@@ -214,6 +231,17 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
         return _psize;
     }
 
+    protected int getStatusY (Label label)
+    {
+        // if the status region is higher than the progress region, we
+        // want to align the label with the bottom of its region
+        // rather than the top
+        if (_ifc.status.y > _ifc.progress.y) {
+            return _ifc.status.y;
+        }
+        return _ifc.status.y + (_ifc.status.height - label.getSize().height);
+    }
+
     /** Used by {@link #setStatus}. */
     protected String xlate (String compoundKey)
     {
@@ -284,6 +312,7 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
     protected boolean _displayError;
     protected Label _label, _newlab;
     protected Label _plabel, _newplab;
+    protected Label _rlabel, _newrlab;
 
     protected UpdateInterface _ifc;
 
diff --git a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties
index cde257f..5c27d4b 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages.properties
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ m.launching = Launching...
 m.patch_notes = Patch Notes...
 
 m.complete = {0}% complete
-m.complete_remain = {0}% complete  {1} remaining
+m.remain = {0} remaining
 
 m.updating_metadata = Downloading control files...
 
diff --git a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties
index fdb8af5..2b60af8 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_de.properties
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ m.launching = Starte...
 m.patch_notes = Patchnotes
 
 m.complete = {0}% abgeschlossen
-m.complete_remain = {0}% abgeschlossen  {1} \u00fcbrig
+m.remain = {0} \u00fcbrig
 
 m.updating_metadata = Lade Steuerungsdateien herunter...
 
diff --git a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_ja.properties b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_ja.properties
index 574ba5c..4310bc1 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_ja.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_ja.properties
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ m.patching = \u4fee\u6b63\u30d7\u30ed\u30b0\u30e9\u30e0\u306e\u5b9f\u884c\u4e2d\
 m.launching = \u5b9f\u884c\u4e2d\u2026 
 
 m.complete = {0}\uff05\u5b8c\u4e86 
-m.complete_remain = {0}\uff05\u5b8c\u4e86\u3000\u6b8b\u308a{1} 
+m.remain = \u3000\u6b8b\u308a{0} 
 
 m.updating_metadata = \u30b3\u30f3\u30c8\u30ed\u30fc\u30eb\u30d5\u30a1\u30a4\u30eb\u306e\u30c0\u30a6\u30f3\u30ed\u30fc\u30c9\u4e2d\u2026 
 
diff --git a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_zh.properties b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_zh.properties
index b3d6da4..cdc193c 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_zh.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/com/threerings/getdown/messages_zh.properties
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ m.patching = \u5347\u7ea7...
 m.launching = \u542f\u52a8...
 
 m.complete = {0}% \u5b8c\u6210
-m.complete_remain = {0}% \u5b8c\u6210  {1} \u5269\u4f59\u65f6\u95f4
+m.remain = {0} \u5269\u4f59\u65f6\u95f4
 
 m.updating_metadata = \u4e0b\u8f7d\u63a7\u5236\u6587\u4ef6...