diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/js/status_cache.js b/bookwyrm/static/js/status_cache.js
index b3e345b1..2a50bfcb 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/static/js/status_cache.js
+++ b/bookwyrm/static/js/status_cache.js
@@ -141,8 +141,10 @@ let StatusCache = new class {
             modal.getElementsByClassName("modal-close")[0].click();
 
             // Update shelve buttons
-            document.querySelectorAll("[data-shelve-button-book='" + form.book.value +"']")
-                .forEach(button => this.cycleShelveButtons(button, form.reading_status.value));
+            if (form.reading_status) {
+                document.querySelectorAll("[data-shelve-button-book='" + form.book.value +"']")
+                    .forEach(button => this.cycleShelveButtons(button, form.reading_status.value));
+            }
 
             return;
         }
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/finish_reading_modal.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/finish_reading_modal.html
index b041b70a..96e4da9b 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/finish_reading_modal.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/finish_reading_modal.html
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Finish "<em>{{ book_title }}</em>"
 {% block modal-form-open %}
 <form name="finish-reading" action="{% url 'reading-status' 'finish' book.id %}" method="post" class="submit-status">
 {% csrf_token %}
+<input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ readthrough.id }}">
 <input type="hidden" name="reading_status" value="read">
 {% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/form.html
index 382407ba..4a7ac3a5 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/form.html
@@ -5,12 +5,13 @@
 
 {% block content_label %}
 {% trans "Comment:" %}
+{% if optional %}
 <span class="help mt-0 has-text-weight-normal">{% trans "(Optional)" %}</span>
+{% endif %}
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block initial_fields %}
 <input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ request.user.id }}">
 <input type="hidden" name="mention_books" value="{{ book.id }}">
 <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ book.id }}">
-<input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ readthrough.id }}">
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/layout.html
index 0f5dedb0..95010b37 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/layout.html
@@ -13,14 +13,18 @@
         {% trans "Post to feed" %}
     </label>
     <div class="is-hidden" id="hide_reading_content_{{ local_uuid }}_{{ uuid }}">
-        <button class="button is-link" type="submit">{% trans "Save" %}</button>
+        <button class="button is-link" type="submit">
+            <span class="icon icon-spinner" aria-hidden="true"></span>
+            <span>{% trans "Save" %}</span>
+        </button>
     </div>
 </div>
 
 <div id="reading_content_{{ local_uuid }}_{{ uuid }}">
     <hr aria-hidden="true">
     <fieldset id="reading_content_fieldset_{{ local_uuid }}_{{ uuid }}">
-        {% include "snippets/reading_modals/form.html" with optional=True %}
+        {% comparison_bool controls_text "progress_update" True as optional %}
+        {% include "snippets/reading_modals/form.html" with optional=optional %}
     </fieldset>
 </div>
 {% endwith %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html
index fb52432c..713dad8d 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block modal-form-open %}
-<form action="{% url 'edit-readthrough' %}" method="POST" class="submit-status">
+<form name="reading-progress" action="{% url 'reading-status-update' book.id %}" method="POST" class="submit-status">
 {% csrf_token %}
+<input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ readthrough.id }}">
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block reading-dates %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html
index 0af16a93..b70ba1b9 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 {% include 'snippets/reading_modals/finish_reading_modal.html' with book=active_shelf.book controls_text="finish_reading" controls_uid=uuid readthrough=readthrough %}
 
-{% include 'snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html' with book=active_shelf_book.book controls_text="progress_update" controls_uid=uuid readthrough=readthrough %}
+{% include 'snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html' with book=active_shelf.book controls_text="progress_update" controls_uid=uuid readthrough=readthrough %}
 
 {% endwith %}
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py b/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py
index 76b4cd3f..d31f0e4d 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/templatetags/utilities.py
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@ def get_title(book, too_short=5):
 
 
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=False)
-def comparison_bool(str1, str2):
+def comparison_bool(str1, str2, reverse=False):
     """idk why I need to write a tag for this, it returns a bool"""
+    if reverse:
+        return str1 != str2
     return str1 == str2
 
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index 7d9ab312..360f147f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -370,6 +370,11 @@ urlpatterns = [
     re_path(r"^create-readthrough/?$", views.create_readthrough),
     re_path(r"^delete-progressupdate/?$", views.delete_progressupdate),
     # shelve actions
+    re_path(
+        r"^reading-status/update/(?P<book_id>\d+)/?$",
+        views.update_progress,
+        name="reading-status-update",
+    ),
     re_path(
         r"^reading-status/(?P<status>want|start|finish)/(?P<book_id>\d+)/?$",
         views.ReadingStatus.as_view(),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index e5b083d0..be59d59c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ from .search import Search
 from .shelf import Shelf
 from .shelf import create_shelf, delete_shelf
 from .shelf import shelve, unshelve
-from .status import CreateStatus, DeleteStatus, DeleteAndRedraft
+from .status import CreateStatus, DeleteStatus, DeleteAndRedraft, update_progress
 from .updates import get_notification_count, get_unread_status_count
 from .user import User, Followers, Following, hide_suggestions
 from .wellknown import *
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/status.py b/bookwyrm/views/status.py
index 3da8c725..3292bfa7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/status.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/status.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views import View
+from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 
 from markdown import markdown
 from bookwyrm import forms, models
@@ -135,6 +136,15 @@ class DeleteAndRedraft(View):
         return TemplateResponse(request, "compose.html", data)
 
 
+@login_required
+@require_POST
+def update_progress(request, book_id):
+    """Either it's just a progress update, or it's a comment with a progress update"""
+    if request.POST.get("post-status"):
+        return CreateStatus.as_view()(request, "comment")
+    return edit_readthrough(request)
+
+
 def find_mentions(content):
     """detect @mentions in raw status content"""
     if not content: