diff --git a/mvcc/backend/backend.go b/mvcc/backend/backend.go
index dd8f1edb6..8d20db4b9 100644
--- a/mvcc/backend/backend.go
+++ b/mvcc/backend/backend.go
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ type Backend interface {
 	// Since the backend can manage free space in a non-byte unit such as
 	// number of pages, the returned value can be not exactly accurate in bytes.
 	SizeInUse() int64
+	// OpenReadTxN returns the number of currently open read transactions in the backend.
+	OpenReadTxN() int64
 	Defrag() error
 	ForceCommit()
 	Close() error
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ type backend struct {
 	sizeInUse int64
 	// commits counts number of commits since start
 	commits int64
+	// openReadTxN is the number of currently open read transactions in the backend
+	openReadTxN int64
 
 	mu sync.RWMutex
 	db *bolt.DB
@@ -198,6 +202,7 @@ func (b *backend) ConcurrentReadTx() ReadTx {
 	defer b.readTx.RUnlock()
 	// prevent boltdb read Tx from been rolled back until store read Tx is done.
 	b.readTx.txWg.Add(1)
+	// TODO: might want to copy the read buffer lazily - create copy when A) end of a write transaction B) end of a batch interval.
 	return &concurrentReadTx{
 		buf:     b.readTx.buf.unsafeCopy(),
 		tx:      b.readTx.tx,
@@ -513,6 +518,7 @@ func (b *backend) begin(write bool) *bolt.Tx {
 	db := tx.DB()
 	atomic.StoreInt64(&b.size, size)
 	atomic.StoreInt64(&b.sizeInUse, size-(int64(db.Stats().FreePageN)*int64(db.Info().PageSize)))
+	atomic.StoreInt64(&b.openReadTxN, int64(db.Stats().OpenTxN))
 
 	return tx
 }
@@ -529,6 +535,10 @@ func (b *backend) unsafeBegin(write bool) *bolt.Tx {
 	return tx
 }
 
+func (b *backend) OpenReadTxN() int64 {
+	return atomic.LoadInt64(&b.openReadTxN)
+}
+
 // NewTmpBackend creates a backend implementation for testing.
 func NewTmpBackend(batchInterval time.Duration, batchLimit int) (*backend, string) {
 	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir(os.TempDir(), "etcd_backend_test")
diff --git a/mvcc/kvstore.go b/mvcc/kvstore.go
index 187f94029..bc6b895ed 100644
--- a/mvcc/kvstore.go
+++ b/mvcc/kvstore.go
@@ -354,6 +354,9 @@ func (s *store) restore() error {
 	reportDbTotalSizeInUseInBytesMu.Lock()
 	reportDbTotalSizeInUseInBytes = func() float64 { return float64(b.SizeInUse()) }
 	reportDbTotalSizeInUseInBytesMu.Unlock()
+	reportDbOpenReadTxNMu.Lock()
+	reportDbOpenReadTxN = func() float64 { return float64(b.OpenReadTxN()) }
+	reportDbOpenReadTxNMu.Unlock()
 
 	min, max := newRevBytes(), newRevBytes()
 	revToBytes(revision{main: 1}, min)
diff --git a/mvcc/kvstore_test.go b/mvcc/kvstore_test.go
index 7a5a6c4f4..27d72b63d 100644
--- a/mvcc/kvstore_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/kvstore_test.go
@@ -793,6 +793,7 @@ func (b *fakeBackend) ConcurrentReadTx() backend.ReadTx
 func (b *fakeBackend) Hash(ignores map[backend.IgnoreKey]struct{}) (uint32, error) { return 0, nil }
 func (b *fakeBackend) Size() int64                                                 { return 0 }
 func (b *fakeBackend) SizeInUse() int64                                            { return 0 }
+func (b *fakeBackend) OpenReadTxN() int64                                          { return 0 }
 func (b *fakeBackend) Snapshot() backend.Snapshot                                  { return nil }
 func (b *fakeBackend) ForceCommit()                                                {}
 func (b *fakeBackend) Defrag() error                                               { return nil }
diff --git a/mvcc/metrics.go b/mvcc/metrics.go
index 9163cc7c6..4f3c49aef 100644
--- a/mvcc/metrics.go
+++ b/mvcc/metrics.go
@@ -194,6 +194,23 @@ var (
 	reportDbTotalSizeInUseInBytesMu sync.RWMutex
 	reportDbTotalSizeInUseInBytes   = func() float64 { return 0 }
 
+	dbOpenReadTxN = prometheus.NewGaugeFunc(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
+		Namespace: "etcd",
+		Subsystem: "mvcc",
+		Name:      "db_open_read_transactions",
+		Help:      "The number of currently open read transactions",
+	},
+
+		func() float64 {
+			reportDbOpenReadTxNMu.RLock()
+			defer reportDbOpenReadTxNMu.RUnlock()
+			return reportDbOpenReadTxN()
+		},
+	)
+	// overridden by mvcc initialization
+	reportDbOpenReadTxNMu sync.RWMutex
+	reportDbOpenReadTxN   = func() float64 { return 0 }
+
 	hashSec = prometheus.NewHistogram(prometheus.HistogramOpts{
 		Namespace: "etcd",
 		Subsystem: "mvcc",
@@ -237,6 +254,7 @@ func init() {
 	prometheus.MustRegister(dbTotalSize)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(dbTotalSizeDebugging)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(dbTotalSizeInUse)
+	prometheus.MustRegister(dbOpenReadTxN)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(hashSec)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(hashRevSec)
 }