@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Scratch for Java Studio is a desktop IDE for students moving from Scratch to
 Java. It builds projects with [Scratch for Java](https://github.com/openpatch/scratch-for-java)
 and keeps them as ordinary Java source files that also work in BlueJ and VS Code.
 
-**Status: 0.1.0-alpha.10.** The IDE and its
+**Status: 0.1.0-alpha.11.** The IDE and its
 project format may change while we test it with students and teachers.
 
 ![Scratch for Java Studio with the code editor and the visual stage designer side by side](docs/screenshot.png)
 
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>app</artifactId>
 
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>core</artifactId>
 
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>export</artifactId>
 
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
   <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
   <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-  <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+  <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
   <name>Scratch for Java Studio</name>
 
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.openpatch.scratch4j</groupId>
     <artifactId>scratch4j-ide</artifactId>
-    <version>0.1.0-alpha.10</version>
+    <version>0.1.0-alpha.11</version>
   </parent>
 
   <artifactId>runner</artifactId>
 
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ static void start() {
                     new Hook();
                     hooked = true;
                   }
-                  System.err.println(MARK + "frames " + frames);
+                  // "loading" while the library's loading screen shows (slow PCs stop
+                  // drawing for a while when the stage takes over)
+                  System.err.println(MARK + "frames " + frames + (loading() ? " loading" : ""));
                   try {
                     Thread.sleep(1000);
                   } catch (InterruptedException e) {
@@ -358,6 +360,24 @@ static Object call(Object target, String name, Class<?>[] types, Object... args)
             }
 
             /** The library's Processing sketch (reflective: no Processing types needed to compile). */
+            private static java.lang.reflect.Field state;
+
+            /** The library still shows its loading screen (before the stage runs). */
+            static boolean loading() {
+              Object applet = applet();
+              if (applet == null) return false;
+              try {
+                if (state == null) {
+                  java.lang.reflect.Field field = applet.getClass().getDeclaredField("state");
+                  field.setAccessible(true);
+                  state = field;
+                }
+                return String.valueOf(state.get(applet)).equals("LOADING");
+              } catch (ReflectiveOperationException | RuntimeException e) {
+                return false; // an older library: no loading screen to wait for
+              }
+            }
+
             static Object applet() {
               try {
                 return Class.forName("org.openpatch.scratch.internal.Applet")
 
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ public void stop() {
   private static void control(String message, RunListener listener) {
     if (message.startsWith("frames ")) {
       try {
-        listener.onFrames(Long.parseLong(message.substring("frames ".length()).trim()));
+        String[] beat = message.substring("frames ".length()).trim().split(" ");
+        listener.onFrames(Long.parseLong(beat[0]),
+            beat.length > 1 && beat[1].equals("loading"));
       } catch (NumberFormatException ignored) {
         // a garbled heartbeat is skipped
       }
 
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ default void onCompileFailed(org.openpatch.scratch4j.core.compile.CompileResult
    */
   default void onFrames(long frames) {}
 
+  /**
+   * The heartbeat with whether the library still shows its loading screen
+   * (where a slow PC may draw nothing for a while). Defaults to {@link #onFrames(long)}.
+   */
+  default void onFrames(long frames, boolean loading) {
+    onFrames(frames);
+  }
+
   /** The game loop stopped ({@code pause}, or after a {@code step}) at this frame. */
   default void onPaused(long frame) {}
 
 
@@ -231,10 +231,14 @@ void aForeverLoopInRunStopsTheFrameCount() throws Exception {
         + "      while (true) { }\n    }\n  }"));
     ScratchProject project = ScratchProject.open(tmp.resolve("frozen"));
     List<Long> beats = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+    List<Boolean> loading = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     RunHandle handle = new ProjectRunner().run(project,
         RunConfig.of(project.startStage()).withControl(),
         new RunListener() {
-          @Override public void onFrames(long f) { beats.add(f); }
+          @Override public void onFrames(long f, boolean l) {
+            beats.add(f);
+            loading.add(l);
+          }
         });
     try {
       waitFor(() -> beats.size() >= 8 && beats.get(beats.size() - 1) > 0, 20000);
@@ -243,6 +247,8 @@ void aForeverLoopInRunStopsTheFrameCount() throws Exception {
       assertThat(beats.get(beats.size() - 1)).as("frozen: no new frames").isEqualTo(last);
       // run() starts a few frames after the first drawn frame
       assertThat(last).isBetween(55L, 200L);
+      // past the loading screen: the IDE's short freeze limit applies
+      assertThat(loading.get(loading.size() - 1)).as("loading flags %s", loading).isFalse();
     } finally {
       handle.stop();
     }