diff --git a/firmware/include/vboot_api.h b/firmware/include/vboot_api.h
index 5d29cf2a9d..41a7f3e0e2 100644
--- a/firmware/include/vboot_api.h
+++ b/firmware/include/vboot_api.h
@@ -179,6 +179,8 @@ typedef struct VbCommonParams {
 #define VB_INIT_FLAG_OPROM_MATTERS       0x00000100
 /* EC on this platform supports EC software sync. */
 #define VB_INIT_FLAG_EC_SOFTWARE_SYNC    0x00000200
+/* EC on this platform is slow to update. */
+#define VB_INIT_FLAG_EC_SLOW_UPDATE      0x00000400
 
 /* Output flags for VbInitParams.out_flags.  Used to indicate
  * potential boot paths and configuration to the calling firmware
diff --git a/firmware/include/vboot_struct.h b/firmware/include/vboot_struct.h
index 4b951b2ab5..f8451a3f2a 100644
--- a/firmware/include/vboot_struct.h
+++ b/firmware/include/vboot_struct.h
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ typedef struct VbKernelPreambleHeader {
 #define VBSD_HONOR_VIRT_DEV_SWITCH      0x00000400
 /* VbInit() was told the system supports EC software sync */
 #define VBSD_EC_SOFTWARE_SYNC           0x00000800
+/* VbInit() was told that the EC firmware is slow to update */
+#define VBSD_EC_SLOW_UPDATE             0x00001000
 
 /* Supported flags by header version.  It's ok to add new flags while keeping
  * struct version 2 as long as flag-NOT-present is the correct value for
diff --git a/firmware/lib/vboot_api_init.c b/firmware/lib/vboot_api_init.c
index dbeb1e66ce..a561890980 100644
--- a/firmware/lib/vboot_api_init.c
+++ b/firmware/lib/vboot_api_init.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (c) 2011 The Chromium OS Authors. All rights reserved.
+/* Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium OS Authors. All rights reserved.
  * Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
  * found in the LICENSE file.
  *
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ VbError_t VbInit(VbCommonParams* cparams, VbInitParams* iparams) {
     shared->flags |= VBSD_BOOT_RO_NORMAL_SUPPORT;
   if (iparams->flags & VB_INIT_FLAG_EC_SOFTWARE_SYNC)
     shared->flags |= VBSD_EC_SOFTWARE_SYNC;
+  if (iparams->flags & VB_INIT_FLAG_EC_SLOW_UPDATE)
+    shared->flags |= VBSD_EC_SLOW_UPDATE;
 
   is_s3_resume = (iparams->flags & VB_INIT_FLAG_S3_RESUME ? 1 : 0);
 
diff --git a/firmware/lib/vboot_api_kernel.c b/firmware/lib/vboot_api_kernel.c
index db82756884..6c68d73b9d 100644
--- a/firmware/lib/vboot_api_kernel.c
+++ b/firmware/lib/vboot_api_kernel.c
@@ -437,7 +437,8 @@ static VbError_t EcProtectRW(void) {
   return rv;
 }
 
-VbError_t VbEcSoftwareSync(VbSharedDataHeader *shared) {
+VbError_t VbEcSoftwareSync(VbCommonParams* cparams) {
+  VbSharedDataHeader* shared = (VbSharedDataHeader*)cparams->shared_data_blob;
   int in_rw = 0;
   int rv;
   const uint8_t *ec_hash;
@@ -455,7 +456,7 @@ VbError_t VbEcSoftwareSync(VbSharedDataHeader *shared) {
     /* Recovery mode; just verify the EC is in RO code */
     if (rv == VBERROR_SUCCESS && in_rw == 1) {
       /* EC is definitely in RW firmware.  We want it in read-only code, so
-       * preseve the current recovery reason and reboot.
+       * preserve the current recovery reason and reboot.
        *
        * We don't reboot on error or unknown EC code, because we could end
        * up in an endless reboot loop.  If we had some way to track that we'd
@@ -569,10 +570,11 @@ VbError_t VbEcSoftwareSync(VbSharedDataHeader *shared) {
   if (need_update) {
     VBDEBUG(("VbEcSoftwareSync() updating EC-RW...\n"));
 
-    /*
-     * TODO: need flag passed into VbInit that EC update is slow; if it is,
-     * display an "updating" screen while the update happens.
-     */
+    if (shared->flags & VBSD_EC_SLOW_UPDATE) {
+      VBDEBUG(("VbEcSoftwareSync() - EC is slow. Show WAIT screen.\n"));
+      /* FIXME(crosbug.com/p/12257): Ensure the VGA Option ROM is loaded! */
+      VbDisplayScreen(cparams, VB_SCREEN_WAIT, 0, &vnc);
+    }
 
     rv = VbExEcUpdateRW(expected, expected_size);
     if (rv == VBERROR_EC_REBOOT_TO_RO_REQUIRED) {
@@ -642,7 +644,7 @@ VbError_t VbSelectAndLoadKernel(VbCommonParams* cparams,
 
   /* Do EC software sync if necessary */
   if (shared->flags & VBSD_EC_SOFTWARE_SYNC) {
-    retval = VbEcSoftwareSync(shared);
+    retval = VbEcSoftwareSync(cparams);
     if (retval != VBERROR_SUCCESS)
       goto VbSelectAndLoadKernel_exit;
   }