diff --git a/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.h b/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.h
index 6368f8190..8f867eee6 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.h
+++ b/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.h
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ namespace cryptonote
     std::string get_peers_overview() const;
     std::pair<uint32_t, uint32_t> get_next_needed_pruning_stripe() const;
     bool needs_new_sync_connections() const;
+    bool is_busy_syncing();
+
   private:
     //----------------- commands handlers ----------------------------------------------
     int handle_notify_new_block(int command, NOTIFY_NEW_BLOCK::request& arg, cryptonote_connection_context& context);
diff --git a/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.inl b/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.inl
index 2df5b74a8..e2598e382 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.inl
+++ b/src/cryptonote_protocol/cryptonote_protocol_handler.inl
@@ -2771,6 +2771,13 @@ skip:
   }
   //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   template<class t_core>
+  bool t_cryptonote_protocol_handler<t_core>::is_busy_syncing()
+  {
+    const boost::unique_lock<boost::mutex> sync{m_sync_lock, boost::try_to_lock};
+    return !sync.owns_lock();
+  }
+  //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  template<class t_core>
   void t_cryptonote_protocol_handler<t_core>::drop_connection_with_score(cryptonote_connection_context &context, unsigned score, bool flush_all_spans)
   {
     LOG_DEBUG_CC(context, "dropping connection id " << context.m_connection_id << " (pruning seed " <<
diff --git a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp
index 144ffe888..01735d62e 100644
--- a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp
+++ b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server.cpp
@@ -499,6 +499,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
     res.update_available = restricted ? false : m_core.is_update_available();
     res.version = restricted ? "" : MONERO_VERSION_FULL;
     res.synchronized = check_core_ready();
+    res.busy_syncing = m_p2p.get_payload_object().is_busy_syncing();
 
     res.status = CORE_RPC_STATUS_OK;
     return true;
diff --git a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server_commands_defs.h b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server_commands_defs.h
index 10f7aac7a..bb9005a5f 100644
--- a/src/rpc/core_rpc_server_commands_defs.h
+++ b/src/rpc/core_rpc_server_commands_defs.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
 // advance which version they will stop working with
 // Don't go over 32767 for any of these
 #define CORE_RPC_VERSION_MAJOR 3
-#define CORE_RPC_VERSION_MINOR 3
+#define CORE_RPC_VERSION_MINOR 4
 #define MAKE_CORE_RPC_VERSION(major,minor) (((major)<<16)|(minor))
 #define CORE_RPC_VERSION MAKE_CORE_RPC_VERSION(CORE_RPC_VERSION_MAJOR, CORE_RPC_VERSION_MINOR)
 
@@ -684,6 +684,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
       bool was_bootstrap_ever_used;
       uint64_t database_size;
       bool update_available;
+      bool busy_syncing;
       std::string version;
       bool synchronized;
 
@@ -724,6 +725,7 @@ namespace cryptonote
         KV_SERIALIZE(was_bootstrap_ever_used)
         KV_SERIALIZE(database_size)
         KV_SERIALIZE(update_available)
+        KV_SERIALIZE(busy_syncing)
         KV_SERIALIZE(version)
         KV_SERIALIZE(synchronized)
       END_KV_SERIALIZE_MAP()