diff --git a/api/api_full.go b/api/api_full.go
index 772ce92506a..6d2d0c7b5bb 100644
--- a/api/api_full.go
+++ b/api/api_full.go
@@ -725,6 +725,8 @@ type ActiveSync struct {
 
 type SyncState struct {
 	ActiveSyncs []ActiveSync
+
+	VMApplied uint64
 }
 
 type SyncStateStage int
diff --git a/chain/vm/vm.go b/chain/vm/vm.go
index 3bafbe0900f..54ea4769804 100644
--- a/chain/vm/vm.go
+++ b/chain/vm/vm.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	block "github.com/ipfs/go-block-format"
@@ -40,6 +41,12 @@ var log = logging.Logger("vm")
 var actorLog = logging.Logger("actors")
 var gasOnActorExec = newGasCharge("OnActorExec", 0, 0)
 
+// stat counters
+var (
+	StatSends   uint64
+	StatApplied uint64
+)
+
 // ResolveToKeyAddr returns the public key type of address (`BLS`/`SECP256K1`) of an account actor identified by `addr`.
 func ResolveToKeyAddr(state types.StateTree, cst cbor.IpldStore, addr address.Address) (address.Address, error) {
 	if addr.Protocol() == address.BLS || addr.Protocol() == address.SECP256K1 {
@@ -204,6 +211,8 @@ type ApplyRet struct {
 func (vm *VM) send(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message, parent *Runtime,
 	gasCharge *GasCharge, start time.Time) ([]byte, aerrors.ActorError, *Runtime) {
 
+	defer atomic.AddUint64(&StatSends, 1)
+
 	st := vm.cstate
 
 	origin := msg.From
@@ -312,6 +321,7 @@ func checkMessage(msg *types.Message) error {
 
 func (vm *VM) ApplyImplicitMessage(ctx context.Context, msg *types.Message) (*ApplyRet, error) {
 	start := build.Clock.Now()
+	defer atomic.AddUint64(&StatApplied, 1)
 	ret, actorErr, rt := vm.send(ctx, msg, nil, nil, start)
 	rt.finilizeGasTracing()
 	return &ApplyRet{
@@ -331,6 +341,7 @@ func (vm *VM) ApplyMessage(ctx context.Context, cmsg types.ChainMsg) (*ApplyRet,
 	start := build.Clock.Now()
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "vm.ApplyMessage")
 	defer span.End()
+	defer atomic.AddUint64(&StatApplied, 1)
 	msg := cmsg.VMMessage()
 	if span.IsRecordingEvents() {
 		span.AddAttributes(
diff --git a/cli/sync.go b/cli/sync.go
index 3b4e2e9fbf6..bee87cf70ae 100644
--- a/cli/sync.go
+++ b/cli/sync.go
@@ -225,6 +225,16 @@ var syncCheckpointCmd = &cli.Command{
 }
 
 func SyncWait(ctx context.Context, napi api.FullNode) error {
+	tick := time.Second / 4
+
+	lastLines := 0
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(tick)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
+	samples := 8
+	i := 0
+	var app, lastApp uint64
+
 	for {
 		state, err := napi.SyncState(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -266,7 +276,24 @@ func SyncWait(ctx context.Context, napi api.FullNode) error {
 			heightDiff = 0
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("\r\x1b[2KWorker %d: Base Height: %d\tTarget Height: %d\t Height diff: %d\tTarget: %s\tState: %s\tHeight: %d", working, baseHeight, theight, heightDiff, target, ss.Stage, ss.Height)
+		for i := 0; i < lastLines; i++ {
+			fmt.Print("\r\x1b[2K\x1b[A")
+		}
+
+		fmt.Printf("Worker: %d; Base: %d; Target: %d (diff: %d)\n", working, baseHeight, theight, heightDiff)
+		fmt.Printf("State: %s; Current Epoch: %d; Todo: %d\n", ss.Stage, ss.Height, theight-ss.Height)
+		lastLines = 2
+
+		if i%samples == 0 {
+			lastApp = app
+			app = state.VMApplied
+		}
+		if i > 0 {
+			fmt.Printf("Validated %d messages (%d per second)\n", state.VMApplied, (app-lastApp)*uint64(time.Second/tick)/uint64(samples))
+			lastLines++
+		}
+
+		_ = target // todo: maybe print? (creates a bunch of line wrapping issues with most tipsets)
 
 		if time.Now().Unix()-int64(head.MinTimestamp()) < int64(build.BlockDelaySecs) {
 			fmt.Println("\nDone!")
@@ -277,7 +304,9 @@ func SyncWait(ctx context.Context, napi api.FullNode) error {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			fmt.Println("\nExit by user")
 			return nil
-		case <-build.Clock.After(1 * time.Second):
+		case <-ticker.C:
 		}
+
+		i++
 	}
 }
diff --git a/documentation/en/api-methods.md b/documentation/en/api-methods.md
index 22aa8e4748c..e489fcb0f89 100644
--- a/documentation/en/api-methods.md
+++ b/documentation/en/api-methods.md
@@ -4303,7 +4303,8 @@ Inputs: `null`
 Response:
 ```json
 {
-  "ActiveSyncs": null
+  "ActiveSyncs": null,
+  "VMApplied": 42
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/node/impl/full/sync.go b/node/impl/full/sync.go
index 31a707b9075..dc3bfe230f0 100644
--- a/node/impl/full/sync.go
+++ b/node/impl/full/sync.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package full
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	cid "github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	pubsub "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-pubsub"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/gen/slashfilter"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/types"
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/vm"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/node/modules/dtypes"
 )
 
@@ -28,7 +30,9 @@ type SyncAPI struct {
 func (a *SyncAPI) SyncState(ctx context.Context) (*api.SyncState, error) {
 	states := a.Syncer.State()
 
-	out := &api.SyncState{}
+	out := &api.SyncState{
+		VMApplied: atomic.LoadUint64(&vm.StatApplied),
+	}
 
 	for i := range states {
 		ss := &states[i]