diff --git a/g10/ChangeLog b/g10/ChangeLog
index 2eb39ed9b..4e10c08f9 100644
--- a/g10/ChangeLog
+++ b/g10/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 2004-05-20  David Shaw  <dshaw@jabberwocky.com>
 
+	* options.h (ctrl): New for member IN_AUTO_KEY_RETRIEVE.
+
+	* mainproc.c (check_sig_and_print): track whether we are
+	retrieving a key.
+
+	* status.c (status_currently_allowed): New.
+	(write_status_text, write_status_text_and_buffer): Use it here.
+
 	* g10.c: New command --gpgconf-list.
 	(gpgconf_list): New.  From Werner on stable branch.
 
diff --git a/g10/mainproc.c b/g10/mainproc.c
index db15b0b5a..7c760b1a3 100644
--- a/g10/mainproc.c
+++ b/g10/mainproc.c
@@ -1348,7 +1348,12 @@ check_sig_and_print( CTX c, KBNODE node )
     if( rc == G10ERR_NO_PUBKEY && opt.keyserver
 	&& (opt.keyserver_options.options&KEYSERVER_AUTO_KEY_RETRIEVE))
       {
-	if( keyserver_import_keyid ( sig->keyid )==0 )
+	int res;
+
+	ctrl.in_auto_key_retrieve++;
+	res=keyserver_import_keyid ( sig->keyid );
+	ctrl.in_auto_key_retrieve--;
+	if(!res)
 	  rc = do_check_sig(c, node, NULL, &is_expkey, &is_revkey );
       }
 
diff --git a/g10/options.h b/g10/options.h
index c2a68b7b5..d8ed34b3e 100644
--- a/g10/options.h
+++ b/g10/options.h
@@ -201,6 +201,15 @@ struct
 
 } opt;
 
+/* CTRL is used to keep some global variables we currently can't
+   avoid.  Future concurrent versions of gpg will put it into a per
+   request structure CTRL. */
+EXTERN_UNLESS_MAIN_MODULE
+struct {
+  int in_auto_key_retrieve; /* True if we are doing an
+                               auto_key_retrieve. */
+} ctrl;
+
 #define DBG_PACKET_VALUE  1	/* debug packet reading/writing */
 #define DBG_MPI_VALUE	  2	/* debug mpi details */
 #define DBG_CIPHER_VALUE  4	/* debug cipher handling */
diff --git a/g10/status.c b/g10/status.c
index 5506e25a4..91443a10a 100644
--- a/g10/status.c
+++ b/g10/status.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /* status.c
- * Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
+ *               2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  *
  * This file is part of GnuPG.
  *
@@ -157,6 +158,39 @@ get_status_string ( int no )
     return s;
 }
 
+
+/* Return true if the status message NO may currently be issued.  We
+   need this to avoid syncronisation problem while auto retrieving a
+   key.  There it may happen that a status NODATA is issued for a non
+   available key and the user may falsely interpret this has a missing
+   signature. */
+static int
+status_currently_allowed (int no)
+{
+  if (!ctrl.in_auto_key_retrieve)
+    return 1; /* Yes. */
+
+  /* We allow some statis anyway, so that import statistics are
+     correct and to avoid problems if the retriebval subsystem will
+     prompt the user. */
+  switch (no)
+    {
+    case STATUS_GET_BOOL:	 
+    case STATUS_GET_LINE:	 
+    case STATUS_GET_HIDDEN:	 
+    case STATUS_GOT_IT:	 
+    case STATUS_IMPORTED:
+    case STATUS_IMPORT_OK:	
+    case STATUS_IMPORT_CHECK:  
+    case STATUS_IMPORT_RES:
+      return 1; /* Yes. */
+    default:
+      break;
+    }
+  return 0; /* No. */
+}
+
+
 void
 set_status_fd ( int fd )
 {
@@ -202,8 +236,8 @@ write_status ( int no )
 void
 write_status_text ( int no, const char *text)
 {
-    if( !statusfp )
-	return;  /* not enabled */
+    if( !statusfp || !status_currently_allowed (no) )
+	return;  /* Not enabled or allowed. */
 
     fputs ( "[GNUPG:] ", statusfp );
     fputs ( get_status_string (no), statusfp );
@@ -238,8 +272,8 @@ write_status_text_and_buffer ( int no, const char *string,
     int lower_limit = ' ';
     size_t n, count, dowrap;
 
-    if( !statusfp )
-	return;  /* not enabled */
+    if( !statusfp || !status_currently_allowed (no) )
+	return;  /* Not enabled or allowed. */
     
     if (wrap == -1) {
         lower_limit--;