>Interestingly enough, I switched from a label to a textbox for this very reason and it didn't solve the problem. I then inserted inkey(.1) after the refresh and it started working. Apparently FoxPro feels no responsibility to make the screen right until a wait state has been reached. I had successfully changed the label in many other places, but there was one place it wouldn't work.

It doesn't work ? Is it in a pageframe ?
Leave controlsource empty or set to a memvar. Then it responds any memvar or .value change instantly w/o a need to refresh.
OTOH I don't understand why you don't just use a label and set caption. It doesn't need a refresh too.
Cetin