diff --git a/contrib/photils.lua b/contrib/photils.lua
index 69829be..32931e7 100644
--- a/contrib/photils.lua
+++ b/contrib/photils.lua
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ local GUI = {
     attach_button = dt.new_widget("button") {
         label = "",
         sensitive = false,
-        clicked_callback = function() PHOTILS.attach_tags() end
+        clicked_callback = function(self) PHOTILS.attach_tags() end
     },
     confidence_slider = dt.new_widget("slider") {
         step = 1,
@@ -226,16 +226,25 @@ function PHOTILS.paginate()
 end
 
 function PHOTILS.attach_tags()
-    local image = dt.gui.selection()[1]
-    for tag, _ in pairs(PHOTILS.selected_tags) do
-        local dt_tag = dt.tags.create(tag)
-        dt.tags.attach(dt_tag, image)
+    local num_selected = #dt.gui.selection()
+    local job = dt.gui.create_job(_("Apply tag to image"), true)
+
+    for i = 1, num_selected, 1 do
+        local image = dt.gui.selection()[i]
+        for tag, _ in pairs(PHOTILS.selected_tags) do
+            local dt_tag = dt.tags.create(tag)
+            dt.tags.attach(dt_tag, image)
+        end
+
+        job.percent = i / num_selected
+        dt.print(_("Tags successfully attached to image"))
     end
 
-    dt.print(_("Tags successfully attached to image"))
+    job.valid = false
 end
 
 function PHOTILS.get_tags(image, with_export)
+
     local tmp_file = df.create_tmp_file()
     local in_arg = df.sanitize_filename(tostring(image))
     local out_arg = df.sanitize_filename(tmp_file)
@@ -305,7 +314,8 @@ function PHOTILS.on_tags_clicked()
             dt.control.sleep(2000)
         end
 
-        if not PHOTILS.get_tags(images[1], true) then
+        with_export = dt.preferences.read(MODULE_NAME, "export_image_before_for_tags", "bool")
+        if not PHOTILS.get_tags(images[1], with_export) then
             local msg = string.format(_("%s failed, see terminal output for details"), MODULE_NAME)
             GUI.warning_label.label = msg
             GUI.stack.active = GUI.error_view
@@ -435,6 +445,15 @@ dt.preferences.register(MODULE_NAME,
                         _("if enabled, the confidence value for each tag is displayed"),
                         true)
 
+dt.preferences.register(MODULE_NAME,
+                        "export_image_before_for_tags",
+                        "bool",
+                        _("photils: use exported image for tag request"),
+                        _("If enabled, the image passed to photils for tag suggestion is based on the exported, already edited image. " ..
+                          "Otherwise, the embedded thumbnail of the RAW file will be used for tag suggestion." ..
+                          "The embedded thumbnail could speedup the tag suggestion but can fail if the RAW file is not supported."),
+                        true)
+
 dt.register_event("photils", "mouse-over-image-changed",
     PHOTILS.image_changed)