diff --git a/aider/coders/base_coder.py b/aider/coders/base_coder.py
@@ -1140,11 +1140,12 @@ async def _run_patched(self, with_message=None, preproc=True):
                             self.io.stop_spinner()
 
                     if user_message and self.run_one_completed and self.compact_context_completed:
+                        if self.commands.is_command(user_message):
+                            self.io.placeholder = "Running command..."
                         processing_task = asyncio.create_task(
                             self._processing_logic(user_message, preproc)
                         )
                         # Start spinner for processing task
-                        self.io.start_spinner("Processing...")
                         user_message = None  # Clear message after starting task
                 except KeyboardInterrupt:
                     if processing_task:

diff --git a/aider/commands.py b/aider/commands.py
@@ -316,7 +316,11 @@ def matching_commands(self, inp):
     async def run(self, inp):
         if inp.startswith("!"):
             self.coder.event("command_run")
-            return await self.do_run("run", inp[1:])
+            self.io.placeholder = "Running command..."
+            try:
+                return await self.do_run("run", inp[1:])
+            finally:
+                self.io.placeholder = ""
 
         res = self.matching_commands(inp)
         if res is None:
@@ -325,11 +329,19 @@ async def run(self, inp):
         if len(matching_commands) == 1:
             command = matching_commands[0][1:]
             self.coder.event(f"command_{command}")
-            return await self.do_run(command, rest_inp)
+            self.io.placeholder = f"Running {command}..."
+            try:
+                return await self.do_run(command, rest_inp)
+            finally:
+                self.io.placeholder = ""
         elif first_word in matching_commands:
             command = first_word[1:]
             self.coder.event(f"command_{command}")
-            return await self.do_run(command, rest_inp)
+            self.io.placeholder = f"Running {command}..."
+            try:
+                return await self.do_run(command, rest_inp)
+            finally:
+                self.io.placeholder = ""
         elif len(matching_commands) > 1:
             self.io.tool_error(f"Ambiguous command: {', '.join(matching_commands)}")
         else: