diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py
index ed7484a847..340171f566 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/boss.py
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ class Boss(QObject):
         self._edit_file_on_open = self._search_text_on_open = None
 
         if job.traceback is not None:
+            self.gui.update_status_bar_default_message()
             if 'DRMError:' in job.traceback:
                 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.drm_error import DRMErrorMessage
                 return DRMErrorMessage(self.gui).exec()
@@ -390,6 +391,7 @@ class Boss(QObject):
             path = os.path.abspath(container.path_to_ebook)
             if path in recent_books:
                 recent_books.remove(path)
+            self.gui.update_status_bar_default_message(path)
             recent_books.insert(0, path)
             tprefs['recent-books'] = recent_books[:10]
             self.gui.update_recent_books()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/ui.py
index 9723e8a9fe..f0539ea578 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/ui.py
@@ -305,8 +305,10 @@ class Main(MainWindow):
         self.status_bar.addPermanentWidget(self.boss.save_manager.status_widget)
         self.cursor_position_widget = CursorPositionWidget(self)
         self.status_bar.addPermanentWidget(self.cursor_position_widget)
-        self.status_bar_default_msg = la = QLabel(' ' + _('{0} {1} created by {2}').format(__appname__, get_version(), 'Kovid Goyal'))
+        v = get_version()
+        self.status_bar_default_msg = la = QLabel(' ' + _('{0} {1} created by {2}').format(__appname__, v, 'Kovid Goyal'))
         la.base_template = str(la.text())
+        la.editing_template = _('{appname} {version} editing: {{path}}').format(appname=__appname__, version=v)
         self.status_bar.addWidget(la)
 
         self.boss(self)
@@ -332,6 +334,13 @@ class Main(MainWindow):
     def show_status_message(self, msg, timeout=5):
         self.status_bar.showMessage(msg, int(timeout*1000))
 
+    def update_status_bar_default_message(self, path=''):
+        m = self.status_bar_default_msg
+        if path:
+            m.setText(m.editing_template.format(path=path))
+        else:
+            m.setText(m.base_template)
+
     def elided_text(self, text, width=300):
         return elided_text(text, font=self.font(), width=width)