diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/stars/components/star_count.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/stars/components/star_count.vue
index d3a44152d3e465bb633d47202eb7537a73fb9a14..332d58d39282eb7f42dbb4825b068ebe1ac89fcb 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/stars/components/star_count.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/stars/components/star_count.vue
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export default {
   },
   data() {
     return {
+      isLoading: false,
       count: this.starCount,
       isStarred: this.starred,
     };
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ export default {
     },
     tooltip() {
       if (isLoggedIn()) {
-        return this.starText;
+        return '';
       }
 
       return s__('ProjectOverview|You must sign in to star a project');
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ export default {
       }
 
       try {
+        this.isLoading = true;
         const { data } = await this.$apollo.mutate({
           mutation: setStarStatusMutation,
           variables: {
@@ -93,6 +95,8 @@ export default {
       } catch (failure) {
         reportToSentry(this.$options.name, failure);
         this.showToastMessage();
+      } finally {
+        this.isLoading = false;
       }
     },
   },
@@ -109,6 +113,7 @@ export default {
       data-testid="star-button"
       :title="tooltip"
       :href="starHref"
+      :disabled="isLoading"
       @click="setStarStatus()"
     >
       <gl-icon :name="starIcon" :size="16" />
diff --git a/spec/frontend/stars/components/star_count_spec.js b/spec/frontend/stars/components/star_count_spec.js
index b07ae1d9e2928873b77d7d882c475c3e81e56d17..27feb04cda2e1c15236e9ea35e05e34915806369 100644
--- a/spec/frontend/stars/components/star_count_spec.js
+++ b/spec/frontend/stars/components/star_count_spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import VueApollo from 'vue-apollo';
-import Vue from 'vue';
+import Vue, { nextTick } from 'vue';
 import { mountExtended } from 'helpers/vue_test_utils_helper';
 import StarCount from '~/stars/components/star_count.vue';
 import createMockApollo from 'helpers/mock_apollo_helper';
@@ -151,4 +151,32 @@ describe('StarCount', () => {
       expect(findStarButton().attributes('href')).toBe('sign/in/path');
     });
   });
+
+  describe('star button state', () => {
+    it('is disabled when query is running and enabled when query is succesful', async () => {
+      createComponent();
+      const starButton = findStarButton();
+
+      starButton.vm.$emit('click');
+      await nextTick();
+      expect(starButton.props('disabled')).toBe(true);
+
+      await waitForPromises();
+      expect(starButton.props('disabled')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('is disabled when query is running and enabled when query fails', async () => {
+      createComponent({
+        setStarStatusHandler: jest.fn().mockRejectedValue('Internal server error'),
+      });
+      const starButton = findStarButton();
+
+      starButton.vm.$emit('click');
+      await nextTick();
+      expect(starButton.props('disabled')).toBe(true);
+
+      await waitForPromises();
+      expect(starButton.props('disabled')).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
 });