diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/login.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/login.js
index f9f0be478..fd0a176ee 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/login.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/login.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 r.login = {
-    post: function(form, action, callback) {
+    post: function(form, action) {
         if (r.config.cnameframe && !r.config.https_endpoint) {
             form.$el.unbind()
             form.$el.submit()
@@ -13,15 +13,11 @@ r.login = {
         if (r.config.currentOrigin == endpoint || $.support.cors) {
             var params = form.serialize()
             params.push({name:'api_type', value:'json'})
-            $.ajax({
+            return $.ajax({
                 url: apiTarget,
                 type: 'POST',
                 dataType: 'json',
                 data: params,
-                success: callback,
-                error: function(xhr, err) {
-                    callback(false, err, xhr)
-                },
                 xhrFields: {
                     withCredentials: true
                 }
@@ -61,23 +57,25 @@ r.login = {
                 })
                 .appendTo(postForm)
 
-            r.login.hoist.watch(action, function(result) {
-                if (!r.config.debug) {
+            var deferred = r.login.hoist.watch(action)
+            if (!r.config.debug) {
+                deferred.done(function() {
                     iframe.remove()
                     postForm.remove()
-                }
-                callback(result)
-            })
+                })
+            }
 
             postForm.submit()
+            return deferred
         }
     }
 }
 
 r.login.hoist = {
     type: 'cookie',
-    watch: function(name, callback) {
-        var cookieName = 'hoist_'+name
+    watch: function(name) {
+        var cookieName = 'hoist_'+name,
+            deferred = new $.Deferred
 
         var interval = setInterval(function() {
             data = $.cookie(cookieName)
@@ -89,7 +87,7 @@ r.login.hoist = {
                 }
                 $.cookie(cookieName, null, {domain:r.config.cur_domain, path:'/'})
                 clearInterval(interval)
-                callback(data)
+                deferred.resolve(data)
             }
         }, 100)
     }
@@ -130,9 +128,10 @@ r.login.ui = {
                 }
             }
 
-            this.popup.showLogin(true, dest && function() {
+            this.popup.showLogin(true, dest && $.proxy(function() {
+                this.popup.loginForm.$el.addClass('working')
                 window.location = dest
-            })
+            }, this))
 
             return false
         }
@@ -169,7 +168,7 @@ r.ui.LoginForm.prototype = $.extend(new r.ui.Form(), {
     },
 
     _submit: function() {
-        r.login.post(this, 'login', $.proxy(this, 'handleResult'))
+        return r.login.post(this, 'login')
     },
 
     _handleResult: function(result) {
@@ -178,6 +177,7 @@ r.ui.LoginForm.prototype = $.extend(new r.ui.Form(), {
             if (this.successCallback) {
                 this.successCallback(result)
             } else {
+                this.$el.addClass('working')
                 var base = r.config.extension ? '/.'+r.config.extension : '/',
                     defaultDest = /\/login\/?$/.test($.url().attr('path')) ? base : window.location,
                     destParam = this.$el.find('input[name="dest"]').val()
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ r.ui.LoginForm.prototype = $.extend(new r.ui.Form(), {
         }
     },
 
-    _handleNetError: function(result, err, xhr) {
+    _handleNetError: function(xhr) {
         r.ui.Form.prototype._handleNetError.apply(this, arguments)
         if (xhr.status == 0 && r.config.currentOrigin != r.config.https_endpoint) {
             $('<p>').append(
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ r.ui.RegisterForm.prototype = $.extend(new r.ui.Form(), {
     },
 
     _submit: function() {
-        r.login.post(this, 'register', $.proxy(this, 'handleResult'))
+        return r.login.post(this, 'register')
     },
 
     _handleResult: r.ui.LoginForm.prototype._handleResult,
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/ui.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/ui.js
index dbb781b50..e5a8fde1e 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/ui.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/ui.js
@@ -31,6 +31,32 @@ r.ui.init = function() {
     r.ui.PermissionEditor.init()
 }
 
+r.ui.showWorkingDeferred = function(el, deferred) {
+    var flickerDelay = 200,
+        key = '_workingCount',
+        $el = $(el)
+
+    // keep a count of active calls on this element so we can track multiple
+    // deferreds at the same time.
+    $el.data(key, ($el.data(key) || 0) + 1)
+
+    // prevent flicker
+    var flickerTimeout = setTimeout(function() {
+        $el.addClass('working')
+    }, flickerDelay)
+
+    deferred.always(function() {
+        clearTimeout(flickerTimeout)
+        var count = Math.max(0, $el.data(key) - 1)
+        $el.data(key, count)
+        if (count == 0) {
+            $el.removeClass('working')
+        }
+    })
+
+    return deferred
+}
+
 r.ui.refreshListing = function() {
     var url = $.url(),
         params = url.param()
@@ -52,26 +78,6 @@ r.ui.Form = function(el) {
     }, this))
 }
 r.ui.Form.prototype = $.extend(new r.ui.Base(), {
-    workingDelay: 200,
-
-    setWorking: function(isWorking) {
-        // Delay the initial throbber display to prevent flashes for fast
-        // operations
-        if (isWorking) {
-            if (!this.$el.hasClass('working') && !this._workingTimer) {
-                this._workingTimer = setTimeout($.proxy(function() {
-                    this.$el.addClass('working')
-                }, this), this.workingDelay)
-            }
-        } else {
-            if (this._workingTimer) {
-                clearTimeout(this._workingTimer)
-                delete this._workingTimer
-            }
-            this.$el.removeClass('working')
-        }
-    },
-
     showStatus: function(msg, isError) {
         this.$el.find('.status')
             .show()
@@ -121,28 +127,23 @@ r.ui.Form.prototype = $.extend(new r.ui.Base(), {
 
     submit: function() {
         this.resetErrors()
-        this.setWorking(true)
-        this._submit()
+        r.ui.showWorkingDeferred(this.$el, this._submit())
+            .done($.proxy(this, 'handleResult'))
+            .fail($.proxy(this, '_handleNetError'))
     },
 
     _submit: function() {},
 
-    handleResult: function(result, err, xhr) {
-        if (result) {
-            this.checkCaptcha(result.json.errors)
-            this._handleResult(result)
-        } else {
-            this.setWorking(false)
-            this._handleNetError(result, err, xhr)
-        }
+    handleResult: function(result) {
+        this.checkCaptcha(result.json.errors)
+        this._handleResult(result)
     },
 
     _handleResult: function(result) {
         this.showErrors(result.json.errors)
-        this.setWorking(false)
     },
 
-    _handleNetError: function(result, err, xhr) {
+    _handleNetError: function(xhr) {
         this.showStatus(r.strings('an_error_occurred', {status: xhr.status}), true)
     }
 })