diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/gpg_badges.js b/app/assets/javascripts/gpg_badges.js
index 1c379e9bb67..7ac9dcd1112 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/gpg_badges.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/gpg_badges.js
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 export default class GpgBadges {
   static fetch() {
+    const badges = $('.js-loading-gpg-badge');
     const form = $('.commits-search-form');
 
+    badges.html('<i class="fa fa-spinner fa-spin"></i>');
+
     $.get({
       url: form.data('signatures-path'),
       data: form.serialize(),
     }).done((response) => {
-      const badges = $('.js-loading-gpg-badge');
       response.signatures.forEach((signature) => {
         badges.filter(`[data-commit-sha="${signature.commit_sha}"]`).replaceWith(signature.html);
       });
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/commits.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/commits.scss
index cd9f2d787c5..46fbfe5f91e 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/commits.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/commits.scss
@@ -286,6 +286,10 @@
 
 
 .gpg-status-box {
+  &:empty {
+    display: none;
+  }
+
   &.valid {
     @include green-status-color;
   }
diff --git a/app/views/projects/commit/_ajax_signature.html.haml b/app/views/projects/commit/_ajax_signature.html.haml
index 22674b671c9..83821326aec 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/commit/_ajax_signature.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/commit/_ajax_signature.html.haml
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 - if commit.has_signature?
   %button{ class: commit_signature_badge_classes('js-loading-gpg-badge'), data: { toggle: 'tooltip', placement: 'auto top', title: 'GPG signature (loading...)', 'commit-sha' => commit.sha } }
-    %i.fa.fa-spinner.fa-spin
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/gpg_badges_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/gpg_badges_spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7a826487bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/javascripts/gpg_badges_spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import GpgBadges from '~/gpg_badges';
+
+describe('GpgBadges', () => {
+  const dummyCommitSha = 'n0m0rec0ffee';
+  const dummyBadgeHtml = 'dummy html';
+  const dummyResponse = {
+    signatures: [{
+      commit_sha: dummyCommitSha,
+      html: dummyBadgeHtml,
+    }],
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    setFixtures(`
+      <div class="parent-container">
+        <div class="js-loading-gpg-badge" data-commit-sha="${dummyCommitSha}"></div>
+      </div>
+    `);
+  });
+
+  it('displays a loading spinner', () => {
+    spyOn($, 'get').and.returnValue({
+      done() {
+        // intentionally left blank
+      },
+    });
+
+    GpgBadges.fetch();
+
+    expect(document.querySelector('.js-loading-gpg-badge:empty')).toBe(null);
+    const spinners = document.querySelectorAll('.js-loading-gpg-badge i.fa.fa-spinner.fa-spin');
+    expect(spinners.length).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('replaces the loading spinner', () => {
+    spyOn($, 'get').and.returnValue({
+      done(callback) {
+        callback(dummyResponse);
+      },
+    });
+
+    GpgBadges.fetch();
+
+    expect(document.querySelector('.js-loading-gpg-badge')).toBe(null);
+    const parentContainer = document.querySelector('.parent-container');
+    expect(parentContainer.innerHTML.trim()).toEqual(dummyBadgeHtml);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/spec/support/gpg_helpers.rb b/spec/support/gpg_helpers.rb
index 96ea6f28b30..65b38626a51 100644
--- a/spec/support/gpg_helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/support/gpg_helpers.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 module GpgHelpers
+  SIGNED_COMMIT_SHA = '8a852d50dda17cc8fd1408d2fd0c5b0f24c76ca4'.freeze
+
   module User1
     extend self
 
diff --git a/spec/views/projects/commits/_commit.html.haml_spec.rb b/spec/views/projects/commits/_commit.html.haml_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4c247361bd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/views/projects/commits/_commit.html.haml_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe 'projects/commits/_commit.html.haml' do
+  context 'with a singed commit' do
+    let(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
+    let(:repository) { project.repository }
+    let(:ref) { GpgHelpers::SIGNED_COMMIT_SHA }
+    let(:commit) { repository.commit(ref) }
+
+    it 'does not display a loading spinner for GPG status' do
+      render partial: 'projects/commits/commit', locals: {
+        project: project,
+        ref: ref,
+        commit: commit
+      }
+
+      within '.gpg-status-box' do
+        expect(page).not_to have_css('i.fa.fa-spinner.fa-spin')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end