diff --git a/light9/web/RdfDbChannel.ts b/light9/web/RdfDbChannel.ts
--- a/light9/web/RdfDbChannel.ts
+++ b/light9/web/RdfDbChannel.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ export class RdfDbChannel {
     }
     log("send patch to server, " + body.length + " bytes");
     this.ws.send(body);
+    this.messagesSent++;
+    this.updateStatus();
     return true;
   }
 
diff --git a/light9/web/rdfdbclient.ts b/light9/web/rdfdbclient.ts
--- a/light9/web/rdfdbclient.ts
+++ b/light9/web/rdfdbclient.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import debug from "debug";
 import { parseJsonPatch, Patch } from "./patch";
 import { RdfDbChannel } from "./RdfDbChannel";
-export const log = debug("rdfdbclient");
+const log = debug("rdfdbclient");
 
 export class RdfDbClient {
   private channel: RdfDbChannel;
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ export class RdfDbClient {
       this.clearGraphOnNewConnection();
     });
     this.channel.serverMessage.subscribe((m) => {
-      log('got server json', m.body)
       parseJsonPatch(m.body, (p: Patch) => {
         log('patch from server:', p.dump())
         if (p.isEmpty()) {
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ export class RdfDbClient {
 
   async _continueSending() {
     // we could call this less often and coalesce patches together to optimize
-    // the dragging cases.
+    // the dragging cases. See rdfdb 'compactPatches' and 'processInbox'.
     while (this._patchesToSend.length) {
       const patch = this._patchesToSend.splice(0, 1)[0];
       const json = await patch.toJsonPatch();