diff --git a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.html b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.html
index 7789b682783..88525eb18bf 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.html
+++ b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.html
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     </button>
   </div>
 
-  <div *ngIf="item && bundles?.length > 0" class="mt-4 table-border scrollable-table">
+  <div *ngIf="item && bundles?.length > 0" class="mt-4 table-border scrollable-table" [ngClass]="{'disabled-overlay': (isProcessingMoveRequest | async)}">
     <ds-item-edit-bitstream-bundle *ngFor="let bundle of bundles; first as isFirst"
                                    [bundle]="bundle"
                                    [item]="item"
@@ -63,3 +63,5 @@
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
+
+<ds-themed-loading *ngIf="isProcessingMoveRequest | async" class="loading-overlay"></ds-themed-loading>
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.scss b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.scss
index 985516ab121..7fd1f4b31e7 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.scss
+++ b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.scss
@@ -43,3 +43,13 @@
 .scrollable-table {
   overflow-x: auto;
 }
+
+.disabled-overlay {
+  opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
+.loading-overlay {
+  position: fixed;
+  top: 50%;
+  left: 50%;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.ts b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.ts
index 6ee5dcb545f..72f85675c93 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent impleme
    */
   itemUpdateSubscription: Subscription;
 
+  /**
+   * An observable which emits a boolean which represents whether the service is currently handling a 'move' request
+   */
+  isProcessingMoveRequest: Observable<boolean>;
+
   constructor(
     public itemService: ItemDataService,
     public objectUpdatesService: ObjectUpdatesService,
@@ -84,6 +89,7 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent impleme
    */
   postItemInit(): void {
     const bundlesOptions = this.itemBitstreamsService.getInitialBundlesPaginationOptions();
+    this.isProcessingMoveRequest = this.itemBitstreamsService.getPerformingMoveRequest$();
 
     this.bundles$ = this.itemService.getBundles(this.item.id, new PaginatedSearchOptions({pagination: bundlesOptions})).pipe(
       getFirstSucceededRemoteData(),
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.spec.ts b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.spec.ts
index f2af25f22f7..a0277ef064b 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.spec.ts
@@ -573,8 +573,6 @@ describe('ItemBitstreamsService', () => {
     const to = 7;
     const callback = createSpy('callbackFunction');
 
-    console.log('bundle:', bundle);
-
     it('should correctly create the Move request', () => {
       const expectedOperation: MoveOperation = {
         op: 'move',
@@ -601,6 +599,22 @@ describe('ItemBitstreamsService', () => {
       service.performBitstreamMoveRequest(bundle, from, to, callback);
       expect(callback).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
+
+    it('should emit at the start and end of the request', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const emittedActions = [];
+
+      service.getPerformingMoveRequest$().subscribe(selected => emittedActions.push(selected));
+
+      expect(emittedActions.length).toBe(1);
+      expect(emittedActions[0]).toBeFalse();
+
+      service.performBitstreamMoveRequest(bundle, from, to, callback);
+      tick();
+
+      expect(emittedActions.length).toBe(3);
+      expect(emittedActions[1]).toBeTrue();
+      expect(emittedActions[2]).toBeFalse();
+    }));
   });
 
   describe('displayNotifications', () => {
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.stub.ts b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.stub.ts
index 7aac79fe695..f60693f7263 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.stub.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.stub.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsServiceStub {
 
   performBitstreamMoveRequest = jasmine.createSpy('performBitstreamMoveRequest');
 
+  getPerformingMoveRequest = jasmine.createSpy('getPerformingMoveRequest').and.returnValue(false);
+
+  getPerformingMoveRequest$ = jasmine.createSpy('getPerformingMoveRequest$').and.returnValue(of(false));
+
   getInitialBundlesPaginationOptions = jasmine.createSpy('getInitialBundlesPaginationOptions').and
     .returnValue(new PaginationComponentOptions());
 
diff --git a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.ts b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.ts
index 2329107c29d..9bbf3804873 100644
--- a/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/item-page/edit-item-page/item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.service.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
    */
   protected selectionAction$: BehaviorSubject<SelectionAction> = new BehaviorSubject(null);
 
-  protected isPerformingMoveRequest = false;
+  protected isPerformingMoveRequest: BehaviorSubject<boolean> = new BehaviorSubject(false);
 
   constructor(
     protected notificationsService: NotificationsService,
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
   cancelSelection() {
     const selected = this.getSelectedBitstream();
 
-    if (hasNoValue(selected) || this.isPerformingMoveRequest) {
+    if (hasNoValue(selected) || this.getPerformingMoveRequest()) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
   moveSelectedBitstreamUp() {
     const selected = this.getSelectedBitstream();
 
-    if (hasNoValue(selected) || this.isPerformingMoveRequest) {
+    if (hasNoValue(selected) || this.getPerformingMoveRequest()) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
   moveSelectedBitstreamDown() {
     const selected = this.getSelectedBitstream();
 
-    if (hasNoValue(selected) || this.isPerformingMoveRequest) {
+    if (hasNoValue(selected) || this.getPerformingMoveRequest()) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
    * @param finish Optional: Function to execute once the response has been received
    */
   performBitstreamMoveRequest(bundle: Bundle, fromIndex: number, toIndex: number, finish?: () => void) {
-    if (this.isPerformingMoveRequest) {
+    if (this.getPerformingMoveRequest()) {
       console.warn('Attempted to perform move request while previous request has not completed yet');
       return;
     }
@@ -310,18 +310,34 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
       path: `/_links/bitstreams/${toIndex}/href`,
     };
 
-    this.isPerformingMoveRequest = true;
+    this.announceLoading();
+    this.isPerformingMoveRequest.next(true);
     this.bundleService.patch(bundle, [moveOperation]).pipe(
       getFirstCompletedRemoteData(),
       tap((response: RemoteData<Bundle>) => this.displayFailedResponseNotifications(MOVE_KEY, [response])),
       switchMap(() => this.requestService.setStaleByHrefSubstring(bundle.self)),
       take(1),
     ).subscribe(() => {
-      this.isPerformingMoveRequest = false;
+      console.log('got here!');
+      this.isPerformingMoveRequest.next(false);
       finish?.();
     });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Whether the service currently is processing a 'move' request
+   */
+  getPerformingMoveRequest(): boolean {
+    return this.isPerformingMoveRequest.value;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns an observable which emits when the service starts, or ends, processing a 'move' request
+   */
+  getPerformingMoveRequest$(): Observable<boolean> {
+    return this.isPerformingMoveRequest;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the pagination options to use when fetching the bundles
    */
@@ -526,4 +542,12 @@ export class ItemBitstreamsService {
       { bitstream: bitstreamName });
     this.liveRegionService.addMessage(message);
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Adds a message to the live region mentioning that the
+   */
+  announceLoading() {
+    const message = this.translateService.instant('item.edit.bitstreams.edit.live.loading');
+    this.liveRegionService.addMessage(message);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5 b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
index 519189ed691..9007982a728 100644
--- a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
+++ b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
@@ -1954,6 +1954,8 @@
 
   "item.edit.bitstreams.edit.live.clear": "{{ bitstream }} is no longer selected.",
 
+  "item.edit.bitstreams.edit.live.loading": "Waiting for move to complete.",
+
   "item.edit.bitstreams.edit.live.select": "{{ bitstream }} is selected.",
 
   "item.edit.bitstreams.edit.live.move": "{{ bitstream }} is now in position {{ toIndex }}.",