diff --git a/shelfmark/release_sources/webshare/handler.py b/shelfmark/release_sources/webshare/handler.py
index e2595243..8953e46d 100644
--- a/shelfmark/release_sources/webshare/handler.py
+++ b/shelfmark/release_sources/webshare/handler.py
@@ -68,8 +68,10 @@ class WebshareHandler(DownloadHandler):
             link = WebshareClient(*get_credentials()).file_link(ident)
 
             book_path = _target_path(task, ident, link)
-            status_callback("downloading", None)
-            if not self._stream(link, book_path, cancel_flag, progress_callback):
+            # An empty message clears "Resolving..."; None would leave it on screen.
+            status_callback("downloading", "")
+            expected_size = downloader.parse_size_string(task.size or "") or 0
+            if not self._stream(link, book_path, cancel_flag, progress_callback, expected_size):
                 book_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
                 status_callback("cancelled", "Cancelled")
                 return None
@@ -95,8 +97,13 @@ class WebshareHandler(DownloadHandler):
         book_path: Path,
         cancel_flag: Event,
         progress_callback: Callable[[float], None],
+        expected_size: float = 0,
     ) -> bool:
-        """Stream ``link`` into ``book_path``; return False if cancelled midway."""
+        """Stream ``link`` into ``book_path``; return False if cancelled midway.
+
+        Without a Content-Length the search result's size drives progress, so the
+        orchestrator's stall detection still sees the download moving.
+        """
         with requests.get(
             link,
             headers=downloader.DOWNLOAD_HEADERS,
@@ -106,7 +113,7 @@ class WebshareHandler(DownloadHandler):
             verify=network.get_ssl_verify(link),
         ) as response:
             response.raise_for_status()
-            total = int(response.headers.get("Content-Length") or 0)
+            total = int(response.headers.get("Content-Length") or 0) or expected_size
             written = 0
             with book_path.open("wb") as file:
                 for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=_CHUNK_SIZE):
diff --git a/tests/webshare/test_handler.py b/tests/webshare/test_handler.py
index e8e55739..be8a5e4c 100644
--- a/tests/webshare/test_handler.py
+++ b/tests/webshare/test_handler.py
@@ -13,17 +13,17 @@ def _task(task_id="webshare:abc123", fmt="epub"):
     return DownloadTask(task_id=task_id, source="webshare", title="Krysar", format=fmt)
 
 
-def _http_response(body: bytes):
+def _http_response(body: bytes, *, content_length=True):
     response = MagicMock()
     response.__enter__.return_value = response
     response.__exit__.return_value = False
-    response.headers = {"Content-Length": str(len(body))}
+    response.headers = {"Content-Length": str(len(body))} if content_length else {}
     response.raise_for_status.return_value = None
     response.iter_content.return_value = [body[i : i + 4096] for i in range(0, len(body), 4096)]
     return response
 
 
-def _run(tmp_path, *, file_link, body=b"x" * 20000, cancel=None, task=None):
+def _run(tmp_path, *, file_link, body=b"x" * 20000, cancel=None, task=None, content_length=True):
     status = MagicMock()
     progress = MagicMock()
     cancel = cancel or threading.Event()
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@ def _run(tmp_path, *, file_link, body=b"x" * 20000, cancel=None, task=None):
         ),
         patch.object(webshare_handler, "get_credentials", return_value=("user", "pw")),
         patch.object(webshare_handler.WebshareClient, "file_link", side_effect=file_link),
-        patch.object(webshare_handler.requests, "get", return_value=_http_response(body)),
+        patch.object(
+            webshare_handler.requests,
+            "get",
+            return_value=_http_response(body, content_length=content_length),
+        ),
     ):
         result = WebshareHandler().download(task or _task(), cancel, progress, status)
     return result, status, progress
@@ -58,6 +62,27 @@ def test_download_streams_file_named_after_link(tmp_path):
     progress.assert_called_with(100.0)
 
 
+def test_downloading_status_clears_resolving_message(tmp_path):
+    _, status, _ = _run(tmp_path, file_link=lambda ident: "https://dl.webshare.cz/f.epub")
+
+    # None would keep "Resolving Webshare link" on screen for the whole download.
+    status.assert_any_call("downloading", "")
+
+
+def test_progress_uses_release_size_without_content_length(tmp_path):
+    task = _task()
+    task.size = "40 KB"
+    _, _, progress = _run(
+        tmp_path,
+        file_link=lambda ident: "https://dl.webshare.cz/f.epub",
+        body=b"x" * 20480,
+        task=task,
+        content_length=False,
+    )
+
+    progress.assert_any_call(50.0)
+
+
 def test_too_small_file_is_rejected_and_removed(tmp_path):
     result, status, _ = _run(
         tmp_path, file_link=lambda ident: "https://dl.webshare.cz/f.epub", body=b"tiny"