diff --git a/mps-sync-plugin3/src/main/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidget.kt b/mps-sync-plugin3/src/main/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidget.kt
index 76f0035764..f63a5d1b93 100644
--- a/mps-sync-plugin3/src/main/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidget.kt
+++ b/mps-sync-plugin3/src/main/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidget.kt
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class ModelSyncStatusWidget(val project: Project) : CustomStatusBarWidget, Statu
                     IBinding.Status.Disabled -> "Disabled"
                     IBinding.Status.Initializing -> "Initializing"
                     is IBinding.Status.Synced -> "Synchronized: ${status.versionHash.take(5)}"
-                    is IBinding.Status.Syncing -> "Synchronizing: ${status.progress()}"
+                    is IBinding.Status.Syncing -> formatSyncingStatusText(status.progress())
                     is IBinding.Status.Error -> "Synchronization failed: ${status.message}"
                     is IBinding.Status.NoPermission -> "${status.user} has no permission on ${binding.getBranchRef().repositoryId}"
                 }
@@ -281,3 +281,7 @@ class ModelSyncStatusWidget(val project: Project) : CustomStatusBarWidget, Statu
 var kotlinx.html.HTMLTag.styleX: String
     get() = attributes.get("style") ?: ""
     set(value) = attributes.set("style", value)
+
+internal fun formatSyncingStatusText(progress: String?): String {
+    return progress?.let { "Synchronizing: $it" } ?: "Synchronizing"
+}
diff --git a/mps-sync-plugin3/src/test/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidgetTest.kt b/mps-sync-plugin3/src/test/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidgetTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..840db68cf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mps-sync-plugin3/src/test/kotlin/org/modelix/mps/sync3/ui/ModelSyncStatusWidgetTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package org.modelix.mps.sync3.ui
+
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+
+class ModelSyncStatusWidgetTest {
+    @Test
+    fun `syncing text omits null progress`() {
+        assertEquals("Synchronizing", formatSyncingStatusText(null))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `syncing text keeps non-null progress`() {
+        assertEquals("Synchronizing: abcde", formatSyncingStatusText("abcde"))
+    }
+}