diff --git a/components/button/index.js b/components/button/index.js
index 079038a4297bb..98a076fc3d8d7 100644
--- a/components/button/index.js
+++ b/components/button/index.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class Button extends Component {
 			isLarge,
 			isSmall,
 			isToggled,
+			isBusy,
 			className,
 			disabled,
 			...additionalProps
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ class Button extends Component {
 			'button-large': isLarge,
 			'button-small': isSmall,
 			'is-toggled': isToggled,
+			'is-busy': isBusy,
 		} );
 
 		const tag = href !== undefined && ! disabled ? 'a' : 'button';
diff --git a/components/button/style.scss b/components/button/style.scss
index eb986809e3a6a..821e942699db0 100644
--- a/components/button/style.scss
+++ b/components/button/style.scss
@@ -21,4 +21,24 @@
 	&:focus {
 		@include button-style__focus-active;
 	}
+
+	&.is-busy,
+	&.is-busy[disabled] {
+		animation: components-button__busy-animation 2500ms infinite linear;
+		background-size: 100px 100% !important;
+		background-image: linear-gradient( -45deg, $light-gray-500 28%, $white 28%, $white 72%, $light-gray-500 72%) !important;
+		opacity: 1;
+	}
+
+	&.button-primary.is-busy,
+	&.button-primary.is-busy[disabled] {
+		color: $white !important;
+		background-size: 100px 100% !important;
+		background-image: linear-gradient( -45deg, $blue-medium-500 28%, $blue-dark-900 28%, $blue-dark-900 72%, $blue-medium-500 72%) !important;
+		border-color: $blue-dark-900 !important;
+	}
+}
+
+@keyframes components-button__busy-animation {
+  0%   { background-position: 200px 0; }
 }
diff --git a/editor/components/post-publish-button/label.js b/editor/components/post-publish-button/label.js
index 17f3bd861f9c3..33a0c4f6fa964 100644
--- a/editor/components/post-publish-button/label.js
+++ b/editor/components/post-publish-button/label.js
@@ -17,15 +17,25 @@ import './style.scss';
 import {
 	isCurrentPostPublished,
 	isEditedPostBeingScheduled,
+	isSavingPost,
+	isPublishingPost,
 } from '../../selectors';
 
 export function PublishButtonLabel( {
 	isPublished,
 	isBeingScheduled,
+	isSaving,
+	isPublishing,
 	user,
 } ) {
 	const isContributor = user.data && ! user.data.capabilities.publish_posts;
 
+	if ( isPublishing ) {
+		return __( 'Publishing…' );
+	} else if ( isSaving ) {
+		return __( 'Updating…' );
+	}
+
 	if ( isContributor ) {
 		return __( 'Submit for Review' );
 	} else if ( isPublished ) {
@@ -41,6 +51,9 @@ const applyConnect = connect(
 	( state ) => ( {
 		isPublished: isCurrentPostPublished( state ),
 		isBeingScheduled: isEditedPostBeingScheduled( state ),
+		isSaving: isSavingPost( state ),
+		// Need a selector
+		isPublishing: isPublishingPost( state ),
 	} )
 );
 
diff --git a/editor/components/post-publish-button/test/label.js b/editor/components/post-publish-button/test/label.js
index eadaf36dc6c6f..1b11633f71de0 100644
--- a/editor/components/post-publish-button/test/label.js
+++ b/editor/components/post-publish-button/test/label.js
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ describe( 'PublishButtonLabel', () => {
 		},
 	} );
 
+	it( 'should show publishing if publishing in progress', () => {
+		const label = PublishButtonLabel( { user, isPublishing: true } );
+		expect( label ).toBe( 'Publishing…' );
+	} );
+
+	it( 'should show updating if saving in progress', () => {
+		const label = PublishButtonLabel( { user, isSaving: true } );
+		expect( label ).toBe( 'Updating…' );
+	} );
+
 	it( 'should show publish if user unknown', () => {
 		const label = PublishButtonLabel( { user: {} } );
 		expect( label ).toBe( 'Publish' );
diff --git a/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/index.js b/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/index.js
index b5f5c1832f4c9..c112234a9371c 100644
--- a/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/index.js
+++ b/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/index.js
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ import {
 	isSavingPost,
 	isEditedPostSaveable,
 	isEditedPostPublishable,
+	isCurrentPostPublished,
 } from '../../selectors';
 
-function PostPublishWithDropdown( { isSaving, isPublishable, isSaveable } ) {
+function PostPublishWithDropdown( { isSaving, isPublishable, isSaveable, isPublished } ) {
 	const isButtonEnabled = ! isSaving && isPublishable && isSaveable;
 
 	return (
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ function PostPublishWithDropdown( { isSaving, isPublishable, isSaveable } ) {
 					onClick={ onToggle }
 					aria-expanded={ isOpen }
 					disabled={ ! isButtonEnabled }
+					isBusy={ isSaving && isPublished }
 				>
 					<PostPublishButtonLabel />
 					<Dashicon icon="arrow-down" />
@@ -49,5 +51,6 @@ export default connect(
 		isSaving: isSavingPost( state ),
 		isSaveable: isEditedPostSaveable( state ),
 		isPublishable: isEditedPostPublishable( state ),
+		isPublished: isCurrentPostPublished( state ),
 	} ),
 )( PostPublishWithDropdown );
diff --git a/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/style.scss b/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/style.scss
index 9a1c1efc332f0..d9fb32e1b110e 100644
--- a/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/style.scss
+++ b/editor/components/post-publish-with-dropdown/style.scss
@@ -9,4 +9,8 @@
 .wp-core-ui .editor-post-publish-with-dropdown__button.button-primary {
 	display: inline-flex;
 	align-items: center;
+
+	&.is-busy .dashicon {
+		display: none;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/editor/effects.js b/editor/effects.js
index 6a9aeddbda673..942fb5c5675bd 100644
--- a/editor/effects.js
+++ b/editor/effects.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * External dependencies
  */
 import { BEGIN, COMMIT, REVERT } from 'redux-optimist';
-import { get, uniqueId, map, filter, some, castArray } from 'lodash';
+import { get, map, filter, some, castArray } from 'lodash';
 
 /**
  * WordPress dependencies
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import {
 const SAVE_POST_NOTICE_ID = 'SAVE_POST_NOTICE_ID';
 const TRASH_POST_NOTICE_ID = 'TRASH_POST_NOTICE_ID';
 const SAVE_REUSABLE_BLOCK_NOTICE_ID = 'SAVE_REUSABLE_BLOCK_NOTICE_ID';
+export const POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID = 'post-update';
 
 export default {
 	REQUEST_POST_UPDATE( action, store ) {
@@ -66,12 +67,11 @@ export default {
 			content: getEditedPostContent( state ),
 			id: post.id,
 		};
-		const transactionId = uniqueId();
 
 		dispatch( {
 			type: 'UPDATE_POST',
 			edits: toSend,
-			optimist: { type: BEGIN, id: transactionId },
+			optimist: { type: BEGIN, id: POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID },
 		} );
 		dispatch( removeNotice( SAVE_POST_NOTICE_ID ) );
 		const Model = wp.api.getPostTypeModel( getCurrentPostType( state ) );
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export default {
 				type: 'REQUEST_POST_UPDATE_SUCCESS',
 				previousPost: post,
 				post: newPost,
-				optimist: { type: COMMIT, id: transactionId },
+				optimist: { type: COMMIT, id: POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID },
 			} );
 		} ).fail( ( err ) => {
 			dispatch( {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export default {
 				} ),
 				post,
 				edits,
-				optimist: { type: REVERT, id: transactionId },
+				optimist: { type: REVERT, id: POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID },
 			} );
 		} );
 	},
diff --git a/editor/selectors.js b/editor/selectors.js
index a3e231995f062..e631062dd9a30 100644
--- a/editor/selectors.js
+++ b/editor/selectors.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
 	keys,
 	without,
 	compact,
+	find,
 } from 'lodash';
 import createSelector from 'rememo';
 
@@ -21,6 +22,11 @@ import { serialize, getBlockType } from '@wordpress/blocks';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { addQueryArgs } from '@wordpress/url';
 
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID } from './effects';
+
 /***
  * Module constants
  */
@@ -1072,3 +1078,49 @@ export function isSavingReusableBlock( state, ref ) {
 export function getReusableBlocks( state ) {
 	return Object.values( state.reusableBlocks.data );
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns state object prior to a specified optimist transaction ID, or `null`
+ * if the transaction corresponding to the given ID cannot be found.
+ *
+ * @param  {Object} state         Current global application state
+ * @param  {Object} transactionId Optimist transaction ID
+ * @return {Object}               Global application state prior to transaction
+ */
+export function getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction( state, transactionId ) {
+	const transaction = find( state.optimist, ( entry ) => (
+		entry.beforeState &&
+		get( entry.action, [ 'optimist', 'id' ] ) === transactionId
+	) );
+
+	return transaction ? transaction.beforeState : null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns true if the post is being published, or false otherwise
+ *
+ * @param  {Object}  state Global application state
+ * @return {Boolean}       Whether post is being published
+ */
+export function isPublishingPost( state ) {
+	if ( ! isSavingPost( state ) ) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	// Saving is optimistic, so assume that current post would be marked as
+	// published if publishing
+	if ( ! isCurrentPostPublished( state ) ) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	// Use post update transaction ID to retrieve the state prior to the
+	// optimistic transaction
+	const stateBeforeRequest = getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction(
+		state,
+		POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID
+	);
+
+	// Consider as publishing when current post prior to request was not
+	// considered published
+	return !! stateBeforeRequest && ! isCurrentPostPublished( stateBeforeRequest );
+}
diff --git a/editor/test/selectors.js b/editor/test/selectors.js
index 787a22cfb552e..96f2ffdda488f 100644
--- a/editor/test/selectors.js
+++ b/editor/test/selectors.js
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ import {
 	getReusableBlock,
 	isSavingReusableBlock,
 	getReusableBlocks,
+	getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction,
+	isPublishingPost,
 } from '../selectors';
+import { POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID } from '../effects';
 
 describe( 'selectors', () => {
 	beforeAll( () => {
@@ -2187,4 +2190,175 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 			expect( reusableBlocks ).toEqual( [] );
 		} );
 	} );
+
+	describe( 'getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction', () => {
+		it( 'should return null if no transaction can be found', () => {
+			const beforeState = getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction( {
+				optimist: [],
+			}, 'foo' );
+
+			expect( beforeState ).toBe( null );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'should return null if a transaction with ID can be found, but lacks before state', () => {
+			const beforeState = getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction( {
+				optimist: [
+					{
+						action: {
+							optimist: {
+								id: 'foo',
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				],
+			}, 'foo' );
+
+			expect( beforeState ).toBe( null );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'should return the before state matching the given transaction id', () => {
+			const expectedBeforeState = {};
+			const beforeState = getStateBeforeOptimisticTransaction( {
+				optimist: [
+					{
+						beforeState: expectedBeforeState,
+						action: {
+							optimist: {
+								id: 'foo',
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				],
+			}, 'foo' );
+
+			expect( beforeState ).toBe( expectedBeforeState );
+		} );
+	} );
+
+	describe( 'isPublishingPost', () => {
+		it( 'should return false if the post is not being saved', () => {
+			const isPublishing = isPublishingPost( {
+				optimist: [],
+				saving: {
+					requesting: false,
+				},
+				editor: {
+					edits: {},
+				},
+				currentPost: {
+					status: 'publish',
+				},
+			} );
+
+			expect( isPublishing ).toBe( false );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'should return false if the current post is not considered published', () => {
+			const isPublishing = isPublishingPost( {
+				optimist: [],
+				saving: {
+					requesting: true,
+				},
+				editor: {
+					edits: {},
+				},
+				currentPost: {
+					status: 'draft',
+				},
+			} );
+
+			expect( isPublishing ).toBe( false );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'should return false if the optimistic transaction cannot be found', () => {
+			const isPublishing = isPublishingPost( {
+				optimist: [],
+				saving: {
+					requesting: true,
+				},
+				editor: {
+					edits: {},
+				},
+				currentPost: {
+					status: 'publish',
+				},
+			} );
+
+			expect( isPublishing ).toBe( false );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'should return false if the current post prior to request was already published', () => {
+			const isPublishing = isPublishingPost( {
+				optimist: [
+					{
+						beforeState: {
+							saving: {
+								requesting: false,
+							},
+							editor: {
+								edits: {},
+							},
+							currentPost: {
+								status: 'publish',
+							},
+						},
+						action: {
+							optimist: {
+								id: POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				],
+				saving: {
+					requesting: true,
+				},
+				editor: {
+					edits: {},
+				},
+				currentPost: {
+					status: 'publish',
+				},
+			} );
+
+			expect( isPublishing ).toBe( false );
+		} );
+
+		it( 'should return true if the current post prior to request was not published', () => {
+			const isPublishing = isPublishingPost( {
+				optimist: [
+					{
+						beforeState: {
+							saving: {
+								requesting: false,
+							},
+							editor: {
+								edits: {
+									status: 'publish',
+								},
+							},
+							currentPost: {
+								status: 'draft',
+							},
+						},
+						action: {
+							optimist: {
+								id: POST_UPDATE_TRANSACTION_ID,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				],
+				saving: {
+					requesting: true,
+				},
+				editor: {
+					edits: {},
+				},
+				currentPost: {
+					status: 'publish',
+				},
+			} );
+
+			expect( isPublishing ).toBe( true );
+		} );
+	} );
 } );