diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/DownloadService.java b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/DownloadService.java
index cf48480a3..b62c0cbf5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/DownloadService.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/DownloadService.java
@@ -63,10 +63,12 @@
 import org.kontalk.ui.ProgressNotificationBuilder;
 import org.kontalk.util.MediaStorage;
 import org.kontalk.util.Preferences;
+import org.kontalk.util.StepTimer;
 
 import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_ID_DOWNLOADING;
 import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_ID_DOWNLOAD_ERROR;
 import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_ID_DOWNLOAD_OK;
+import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_UPDATE_DELAY;
 
 
 /**
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ public class DownloadService extends IntentService implements DownloadListener {
     // data about the download currently being processed
     private Notification mCurrentNotification;
     private long mTotalBytes;
+    /** Step timer for notification updates. */
+    private StepTimer mUpdateTimer = new StepTimer(NOTIFICATION_UPDATE_DELAY);
 
     private long mMessageId;
     private String mPeer;
@@ -237,6 +241,7 @@ public void stopForeground() {
 
     @Override
     public void start(String url, File destination, long length) {
+        mUpdateTimer.reset();
         startForeground(length);
     }
 
@@ -374,14 +379,12 @@ private void errorNotification(String ticker, String text) {
 
     @Override
     public void progress(String url, File destination, long bytes) {
-        if (mCurrentNotification != null) {
-            int progress = (int)((100 * bytes) / mTotalBytes);
+        if (mCurrentNotification != null && (bytes >= mTotalBytes || mUpdateTimer.isStep())) {
+            int progress = (int) ((100 * bytes) / mTotalBytes);
             foregroundNotification(progress);
             // send the updates to the notification manager
             mNotificationManager.notify(NOTIFICATION_ID_DOWNLOADING, mCurrentNotification);
         }
-
-        Thread.yield();
     }
 
     public static boolean isQueued(String url) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/UploadService.java b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/UploadService.java
index 96a31c5cb..30ed52f35 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/UploadService.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/service/UploadService.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  */
 import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_ID_UPLOADING;
 import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_ID_UPLOAD_ERROR;
+import static org.kontalk.ui.MessagingNotification.NOTIFICATION_UPDATE_DELAY;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
 import org.kontalk.upload.KontalkBoxUploadConnection;
 import org.kontalk.upload.UploadConnection;
 import org.kontalk.util.MediaStorage;
+import org.kontalk.util.StepTimer;
 
 import android.app.IntentService;
 import android.app.Notification;
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ public class UploadService extends IntentService implements ProgressListener {
     // data about the upload currently being processed
     private Notification mCurrentNotification;
     private long mTotalBytes;
+    /** Step timer for notification updates. */
+    private StepTimer mUpdateTimer = new StepTimer(NOTIFICATION_UPDATE_DELAY);
 
     private long mMessageId;
     private UploadConnection mConn;
@@ -258,6 +262,7 @@ public void stopForeground() {
 
     @Override
     public void start(UploadConnection conn) {
+        mUpdateTimer.reset();
         startForeground(mTotalBytes);
     }
 
@@ -306,15 +311,12 @@ public void progress(UploadConnection conn, long bytes) {
             mCanceled = true;
         }
 
-        //Log.v(TAG, "bytes = " + bytes);
-        if (mCurrentNotification != null) {
+        if (mCurrentNotification != null && (bytes >= mTotalBytes || mUpdateTimer.isStep())) {
             int progress = (int)((100 * bytes) / mTotalBytes);
             foregroundNotification(progress);
             // send the updates to the notification manager
             mNotificationManager.notify(NOTIFICATION_ID_UPLOADING, mCurrentNotification);
         }
-
-        Thread.yield();
     }
 
     public static boolean isQueued(String url) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/ui/MessagingNotification.java b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/ui/MessagingNotification.java
index dfebb9295..7f24ac323 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/ui/MessagingNotification.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/ui/MessagingNotification.java
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ public class MessagingNotification {
     public static final int NOTIFICATION_ID_INVITATION      = 109;
     public static final int NOTIFICATION_ID_AUTH_ERROR      = 110;
 
+    /** Minimum delay for progress notification updates. */
+    public static final int NOTIFICATION_UPDATE_DELAY = 500;
+
     private static final String[] MESSAGES_UNREAD_PROJECTION =
     {
         Messages.THREAD_ID,
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/util/StepTimer.java b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/util/StepTimer.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8fdd6b8d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/kontalk/util/StepTimer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Kontalk Android client
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Kontalk Devteam <devteam@kontalk.org>
+
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package org.kontalk.util;
+
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+/**
+ * Step timer mainly used to slow down notification updates.<br>
+ * Uses {@link System#nanoTime()}.
+ * @author Daniele Ricci
+ */
+public class StepTimer {
+
+    private final long mMinDelay;
+
+    /** Marked timestamp. */
+    private long mTimestamp;
+    /** Delay accumulator. */
+    private long mDelay;
+
+    public StepTimer(long delay) {
+        mMinDelay = delay;
+    }
+
+    public void reset() {
+        mTimestamp = TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toMillis(System.nanoTime());
+    }
+
+    /** Returns true if the defined step delay has passed. */
+    public boolean isStep() {
+        final long now = TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toMillis(System.nanoTime());
+        long delay = now - mTimestamp;
+        if (delay < 1) delay = 1;
+        mDelay += delay;
+        mTimestamp = now;
+        return mDelay >= mMinDelay;
+    }
+}