diff --git a/src/gui/applicationlauncherjob.cpp b/src/gui/applicationlauncherjob.cpp
--- a/src/gui/applicationlauncherjob.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/applicationlauncherjob.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 #include "kprocessrunner_p.h"
 #include "kiogui_debug.h"
 
+#include <KLocalizedString>
+
 class KIO::ApplicationLauncherJobPrivate
 {
 public:
@@ -86,6 +88,8 @@
 
 void KIO::ApplicationLauncherJob::start()
 {
+    emit description(this, i18nc("Launching application", "Launching %1", d->m_service->name()), {}, {});
+
     if (d->m_urls.count() > 1 && !d->m_service->allowMultipleFiles()) {
         // We need to launch the application N times.
         // We ignore the result for application 2 to N.
diff --git a/src/gui/commandlauncherjob.cpp b/src/gui/commandlauncherjob.cpp
--- a/src/gui/commandlauncherjob.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/commandlauncherjob.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include "kiogui_debug.h"
 #include <kshell.h>
 
+#include <KLocalizedString>
+
 class KIO::CommandLauncherJobPrivate
 {
 public:
@@ -90,6 +92,15 @@
             d->m_executable = args.first();
         }
     }
+
+    QString displayName = d->m_executable;
+    KService::Ptr service = KService::serviceByDesktopName(d->m_desktopName);
+    if (service) {
+        displayName = service->name();
+    }
+
+    emit description(this, i18nc("Launching application", "Launching %1", displayName), {}, {});
+
     if (d->m_iconName.isEmpty()) {
         d->m_iconName = d->m_executable;
     }