diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 6cc6ac3..79efce5 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.9.6-populate-progress-fix
+2.9.7-status-format-fix
diff --git a/nfoguard-web/static/index.html b/nfoguard-web/static/index.html
index a3e2fd1..265748c 100644
--- a/nfoguard-web/static/index.html
+++ b/nfoguard-web/static/index.html
@@ -711,6 +711,6 @@
     <!-- Toast Notifications -->
     <div class="toast-container" id="toast-container"></div>
 
-    <script src="/static/js/app.js?v=2.9.5-populate-progress-fix"></script>
+    <script src="/static/js/app.js?v=2.9.7-status-format-fix"></script>
 </body>
 </html>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nfoguard-web/static/js/app.js b/nfoguard-web/static/js/app.js
index 01eef39..ef39dfb 100644
--- a/nfoguard-web/static/js/app.js
+++ b/nfoguard-web/static/js/app.js
@@ -1857,8 +1857,8 @@ function startPopulatePolling() {
             const status = await response.json();
             updatePopulateProgress(status);
 
-            // Stop polling if complete or error
-            if (status.status === 'completed' || status.status === 'error') {
+            // Stop polling if complete or error (API returns "completed": true/false and "error": string)
+            if (status.completed || status.error) {
                 stopPopulatePolling();
 
                 // Re-enable submit button
@@ -1895,7 +1895,8 @@ function updatePopulateProgress(status) {
     const progressText = document.getElementById('populate-progress-text');
     const resultsDiv = document.getElementById('populate-results');
 
-    if (status.status === 'in_progress') {
+    // Handle running status (API returns "running": true/false)
+    if (status.running && !status.completed) {
         if (progressBar) {
             // Show indeterminate progress
             progressBar.style.width = '50%';
@@ -1903,7 +1904,7 @@ function updatePopulateProgress(status) {
         if (progressText) {
             progressText.textContent = 'Populating database...';
         }
-    } else if (status.status === 'completed') {
+    } else if (status.completed) {
         if (progressBar) {
             progressBar.style.width = '100%';
         }
@@ -1911,9 +1912,9 @@ function updatePopulateProgress(status) {
             progressText.textContent = 'Complete!';
         }
 
-        // Show results
-        if (resultsDiv && status.result) {
-            const result = status.result;
+        // Show results (API returns movies/tv directly, not nested in result)
+        if (resultsDiv && (status.movies || status.tv)) {
+            const result = status;  // Use status directly, not status.result
             let html = '<h4>Population Results</h4>';
 
             // Movies