diff --git a/api/src/handlers.rs b/api/src/handlers.rs
index 14ec832b2..97e86e46f 100644
--- a/api/src/handlers.rs
+++ b/api/src/handlers.rs
@@ -62,11 +62,13 @@ pub fn start_rest_apis(
 	chain: Arc<chain::Chain>,
 	tx_pool: Arc<RwLock<pool::TransactionPool>>,
 	peers: Arc<p2p::Peers>,
+	sync_state: Arc<chain::SyncState>,
 	api_secret: Option<String>,
 	tls_config: Option<TLSConfig>,
 ) -> bool {
 	let mut apis = ApiServer::new();
-	let mut router = build_router(chain, tx_pool, peers).expect("unable to build API router");
+	let mut router =
+		build_router(chain, tx_pool, peers, sync_state).expect("unable to build API router");
 	if let Some(api_secret) = api_secret {
 		let api_basic_auth = format!("Basic {}", util::to_base64(&format!("grin:{}", api_secret)));
 		let basic_auth_middleware = Arc::new(BasicAuthMiddleware::new(
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ pub fn build_router(
 	chain: Arc<chain::Chain>,
 	tx_pool: Arc<RwLock<pool::TransactionPool>>,
 	peers: Arc<p2p::Peers>,
+	sync_state: Arc<chain::SyncState>,
 ) -> Result<Router, RouterError> {
 	let route_list = vec![
 		"get blocks".to_string(),
@@ -144,6 +147,7 @@ pub fn build_router(
 	let status_handler = StatusHandler {
 		chain: Arc::downgrade(&chain),
 		peers: Arc::downgrade(&peers),
+		sync_state: Arc::downgrade(&sync_state),
 	};
 	let kernel_download_handler = KernelDownloadHandler {
 		peers: Arc::downgrade(&peers),
diff --git a/api/src/handlers/server_api.rs b/api/src/handlers/server_api.rs
index d7dbd6220..cfa144510 100644
--- a/api/src/handlers/server_api.rs
+++ b/api/src/handlers/server_api.rs
@@ -13,13 +13,14 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 use super::utils::w;
-use crate::chain;
+use crate::chain::{Chain, SyncState, SyncStatus};
 use crate::p2p;
 use crate::rest::*;
 use crate::router::{Handler, ResponseFuture};
 use crate::types::*;
 use crate::web::*;
 use hyper::{Body, Request, StatusCode};
+use serde_json::json;
 use std::sync::Weak;
 
 // RESTful index of available api endpoints
@@ -62,8 +63,9 @@ impl Handler for KernelDownloadHandler {
 /// Status handler. Post a summary of the server status
 /// GET /v1/status
 pub struct StatusHandler {
-	pub chain: Weak<chain::Chain>,
+	pub chain: Weak<Chain>,
 	pub peers: Weak<p2p::Peers>,
+	pub sync_state: Weak<SyncState>,
 }
 
 impl StatusHandler {
@@ -71,9 +73,13 @@ impl StatusHandler {
 		let head = w(&self.chain)?
 			.head()
 			.map_err(|e| ErrorKind::Internal(format!("can't get head: {}", e)))?;
+		let sync_status = w(&self.sync_state)?.status();
+		let (api_sync_status, api_sync_info) = sync_status_to_api(sync_status);
 		Ok(Status::from_tip_and_peers(
 			head,
 			w(&self.peers)?.peer_count(),
+			api_sync_status,
+			api_sync_info,
 		))
 	}
 }
@@ -83,3 +89,50 @@ impl Handler for StatusHandler {
 		result_to_response(self.get_status())
 	}
 }
+
+/// Convert a SyncStatus in a readable API representation
+fn sync_status_to_api(sync_status: SyncStatus) -> (String, Option<serde_json::Value>) {
+	match sync_status {
+		SyncStatus::NoSync => ("no_sync".to_string(), None),
+		SyncStatus::AwaitingPeers(_) => ("awaiting_peers".to_string(), None),
+		SyncStatus::HeaderSync {
+			current_height,
+			highest_height,
+		} => (
+			"header_sync".to_string(),
+			Some(json!({ "current_height": current_height, "highest_height": highest_height })),
+		),
+		SyncStatus::TxHashsetDownload {
+			start_time: _,
+			prev_update_time: _,
+			update_time: _,
+			prev_downloaded_size: _,
+			downloaded_size,
+			total_size,
+		} => (
+			"txhashset_download".to_string(),
+			Some(json!({ "downloaded_size": downloaded_size, "total_size": total_size })),
+		),
+		SyncStatus::TxHashsetValidation {
+			kernels,
+			kernel_total,
+			rproofs,
+			rproof_total,
+		} => (
+			"txhashset_validation".to_string(),
+			Some(
+				json!({ "kernels": kernels, "kernel_total": kernel_total ,"rproofs": rproofs, "rproof_total": rproof_total }),
+			),
+		),
+		SyncStatus::BodySync {
+			current_height,
+			highest_height,
+		} => (
+			"body_sync".to_string(),
+			Some(json!({ "current_height": current_height, "highest_height": highest_height })),
+		),
+		SyncStatus::Shutdown => ("shutdown".to_string(), None),
+		// any other status is considered syncing (should be unreachable)
+		_ => ("syncing".to_string(), None),
+	}
+}
diff --git a/api/src/types.rs b/api/src/types.rs
index 64e95d1cc..aa984e20c 100644
--- a/api/src/types.rs
+++ b/api/src/types.rs
@@ -79,15 +79,27 @@ pub struct Status {
 	pub connections: u32,
 	// The state of the current fork Tip
 	pub tip: Tip,
+	// The current sync status
+	pub sync_status: String,
+	// Additional sync information
+	#[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+	pub sync_info: Option<serde_json::Value>,
 }
 
 impl Status {
-	pub fn from_tip_and_peers(current_tip: chain::Tip, connections: u32) -> Status {
+	pub fn from_tip_and_peers(
+		current_tip: chain::Tip,
+		connections: u32,
+		sync_status: String,
+		sync_info: Option<serde_json::Value>,
+	) -> Status {
 		Status {
 			protocol_version: ser::ProtocolVersion::local().into(),
 			user_agent: p2p::msg::USER_AGENT.to_string(),
 			connections: connections,
 			tip: Tip::from_tip(current_tip),
+			sync_status,
+			sync_info,
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/chain/src/types.rs b/chain/src/types.rs
index c17f6ada7..3b376eae6 100644
--- a/chain/src/types.rs
+++ b/chain/src/types.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ bitflags! {
 }
 
 /// Various status sync can be in, whether it's fast sync or archival.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Eq, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, Eq, PartialEq, Deserialize, Serialize)]
 #[allow(missing_docs)]
 pub enum SyncStatus {
 	/// Initial State (we do not yet know if we are/should be syncing)
diff --git a/servers/src/grin/server.rs b/servers/src/grin/server.rs
index 46319e23c..1b1c5a927 100644
--- a/servers/src/grin/server.rs
+++ b/servers/src/grin/server.rs
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ impl Server {
 			shared_chain.clone(),
 			tx_pool.clone(),
 			p2p_server.peers.clone(),
+			sync_state.clone(),
 			api_secret,
 			tls_conf,
 		);