diff --git a/src/plugins/reactdevtools/index.tsx b/src/plugins/reactdevtools/index.tsx
index ad0a0f4f6..cebd089b9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/reactdevtools/index.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/reactdevtools/index.tsx
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@
  * @format
  */
 
-import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
 import ReactDevToolsStandalone from 'react-devtools-core/standalone';
-import {FlipperPlugin, AndroidDevice, styled} from 'flipper';
+import {FlipperPlugin, AndroidDevice, styled, View, Toolbar} from 'flipper';
 import React from 'react';
 import getPort from 'get-port';
 import address from 'address';
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ const Container = styled.div({
   flex: '1 1 0%',
   justifyContent: 'center',
   alignItems: 'stretch',
+  height: '100%',
 });
 
 const DEV_TOOLS_NODE_ID = 'reactdevtools-out-of-react-node';
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function findDevToolsNode(): HTMLElement | null {
 }
 
 function attachDevTools(target: Element | Text, devToolsNode: HTMLElement) {
-  target.insertBefore(devToolsNode, target.childNodes[0]);
+  target.appendChild(devToolsNode);
   devToolsNode.style.display = 'flex';
 }
 
@@ -52,27 +52,89 @@ function detachDevTools(devToolsNode: HTMLElement) {
   document.body && document.body.appendChild(devToolsNode);
 }
 
-export default class extends FlipperPlugin<{}, any, {}> {
+const CONNECTED = 'DevTools connected';
+
+export default class extends FlipperPlugin<
+  {
+    status: string;
+  },
+  any,
+  {}
+> {
+  pollHandle?: NodeJS.Timeout;
+  containerRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement> = React.createRef();
+  triedToAutoConnect = false;
+
+  state = {
+    status: 'initializing',
+  };
+
   componentDidMount() {
     let devToolsNode = findDevToolsNode();
     if (!devToolsNode) {
       devToolsNode = createDevToolsNode();
       this.initializeDevTools(devToolsNode);
+    } else {
+      this.setStatus(
+        'DevTools have been initialized, waiting for connection...',
+      );
+      if (devToolsNode.innerHTML) {
+        this.setStatus(CONNECTED);
+      } else {
+        this.startPollForConnection();
+      }
     }
 
-    const currentComponentNode = ReactDOM.findDOMNode(this);
-    currentComponentNode && attachDevTools(currentComponentNode, devToolsNode);
+    attachDevTools(this.containerRef?.current!, devToolsNode);
+    this.startPollForConnection();
   }
 
   componentWillUnmount() {
+    if (this.pollHandle) {
+      clearTimeout(this.pollHandle);
+    }
     const devToolsNode = findDevToolsNode();
     devToolsNode && detachDevTools(devToolsNode);
   }
 
+  setStatus(status: string) {
+    console.log(`[ReactDevtoolsPlugin] ${status}`);
+    if (status.startsWith('The server is listening on')) {
+      this.setState({status: status + ' Waiting for connection...'});
+    } else {
+      this.setState({status});
+    }
+  }
+
+  startPollForConnection() {
+    this.pollHandle = setTimeout(() => {
+      if (findDevToolsNode()?.innerHTML) {
+        this.setStatus(CONNECTED);
+      } else {
+        if (!this.triedToAutoConnect) {
+          this.triedToAutoConnect = true;
+          this.setStatus(
+            "The DevTools didn't connect yet. Please open the DevMenu or Reload to connect",
+          );
+          // TODO: send reload command
+        }
+        this.startPollForConnection();
+      }
+    }, 3000);
+  }
+
   async initializeDevTools(devToolsNode: HTMLElement) {
+    this.setStatus('Waiting for port 8097');
     const port = await getPort({port: 8097}); // default port for dev tools
-    ReactDevToolsStandalone.setContentDOMNode(devToolsNode).startServer(port);
+    this.setStatus('Starting DevTools server on ' + port);
+    ReactDevToolsStandalone.setContentDOMNode(devToolsNode)
+      .setStatusListener(status => {
+        this.setStatus(status);
+      })
+      .startServer(port);
+    this.setStatus('Waiting for device');
     const device = await this.getDevice();
+
     if (device) {
       const host =
         device.deviceType === 'physical'
@@ -80,16 +142,25 @@ export default class extends FlipperPlugin<{}, any, {}> {
           : device instanceof AndroidDevice
           ? '10.0.2.2' // Host IP for Android emulator host system
           : 'localhost';
+      this.setStatus(`Updating config to ${host}:${port}`);
       this.client.call('config', {port, host});
 
       if (['quest', 'go', 'pacific'].includes(device.title.toLowerCase())) {
         const device = await this.getDevice();
+        this.setStatus(`Setting up reverse port mapping: ${port}:${port}`);
         (device as AndroidDevice).reverse([port, port]);
       }
     }
   }
 
   render() {
-    return <Container />;
+    return (
+      <View grow>
+        {this.state.status !== CONNECTED ? (
+          <Toolbar>{this.state.status}</Toolbar>
+        ) : null}
+        <Container ref={this.containerRef} />
+      </View>
+    );
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/reactdevtools/react-devtools-core.d.tsx b/src/plugins/reactdevtools/react-devtools-core.d.tsx
index f5be99f0c..755fdae9f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/reactdevtools/react-devtools-core.d.tsx
+++ b/src/plugins/reactdevtools/react-devtools-core.d.tsx
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
 
 declare module 'react-devtools-core/standalone' {
   interface DevTools {
-    setContentDOMNode(node: HTMLElement): DevTools;
-    startServer(port: number): DevTools;
+    setContentDOMNode(node: HTMLElement): this;
+    startServer(port: number): this;
+    setStatusListener(listener: (message: string) => void): this;
   }
   const DevTools: DevTools;
   export default DevTools;