The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for sending interim notifications to a client of a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller receives a client request to access a file. The cloud controller determines that it will need to contact at least one of another peer cloud controller or a cloud storage system to service the request, and sends an interim notification to the client to notify the client that the request is pending.