diff --git a/docs/manual.rst b/docs/manual.rst
index f547f7575..0775a83b3 100644
--- a/docs/manual.rst
+++ b/docs/manual.rst
@@ -687,9 +687,18 @@ struct has the following members::
 		int num_unchoked;
 		int allowed_upload_slots;
 
+		int up_bandwidth_queue;
+		int down_bandwidth_queue;
+
+		int up_bandwidth_bytes_queue;
+		int down_bandwidth_bytes_queue;
+
 		int optimistic_unchoke_counter;
 		int unchoke_counter;
 
+		int disk_write_queue;
+		int disk_read_queue;
+
 		int dht_nodes;
 		int dht_node_cache;
 		int dht_torrents;
@@ -742,11 +751,20 @@ be assigned a torrent yet.
 ``num_unchoked`` is the current number of unchoked peers.
 ``allowed_upload_slots`` is the current allowed number of unchoked peers.
 
+``up_bandwidth_queue`` and ``down_bandwidth_queue`` are the number of peers that are
+waiting for more bandwidth quota from the torrent rate limiter.
+``up_bandwidth_bytes_queue`` and ``down_bandwidth_bytes_queue`` count the number of
+bytes the connections are waiting for to be able to send and receive.
+
 ``optimistic_unchoke_counter`` and ``unchoke_counter`` tells the number of
 seconds until the next optimistic unchoke change and the start of the next
 unchoke interval. These numbers may be reset prematurely if a peer that is
 unchoked disconnects or becomes notinterested.
 
+``disk_write_queue`` and ``disk_read_queue`` are the number of peers currently
+waiting on a disk write or disk read to complete before it receives or sends
+any more data on the socket. It'a a metric of how disk bound you are.
+
 ``dht_nodes``, ``dht_node_cache`` and ``dht_torrents`` are only available when
 built with DHT support. They are all set to 0 if the DHT isn't running. When
 the DHT is running, ``dht_nodes`` is set to the number of nodes in the routing
diff --git a/examples/client_test.cpp b/examples/client_test.cpp
index 963c2090e..56d2f3517 100644
--- a/examples/client_test.cpp
+++ b/examples/client_test.cpp
@@ -1544,7 +1544,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		out += str;
 
 		snprintf(str, sizeof(str), "==== waste: %s fail: %s unchoked: %d / %d "
-			"bw queues: %8d (%d) | %8d (%d) cache: w: %"PRId64"%% r: %"PRId64"%% size: %s (%s) / %s dq: %"PRId64" ===\n"
+			"bw queues: %8d (%d) | %8d (%d) disk queues: %d | %d cache: w: %"PRId64"%% r: %"PRId64"%% "
+			"size: %s (%s) / %s dq: %"PRId64" ===\n"
 			, add_suffix(sess_stat.total_redundant_bytes).c_str()
 			, add_suffix(sess_stat.total_failed_bytes).c_str()
 			, sess_stat.num_unchoked, sess_stat.allowed_upload_slots
@@ -1552,6 +1553,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 			, sess_stat.up_bandwidth_queue
 			, sess_stat.down_bandwidth_bytes_queue
 			, sess_stat.down_bandwidth_queue
+			, sess_stat.disk_write_queue
+			, sess_stat.disk_read_queue
 			, (cs.blocks_written - cs.writes) * 100 / cs.blocks_written
 			, cs.blocks_read_hit * 100 / cs.blocks_read
 			, add_suffix(cs.cache_size * 16 * 1024).c_str()
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
index 3a4e102d5..3f5dde957 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/aux_/session_impl.hpp
@@ -426,6 +426,19 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			mutable libtorrent::mutex mut;
 			mutable libtorrent::condition cond;
 
+			void inc_disk_queue(int channel)
+			{
+				TORRENT_ASSERT(channel >= 0 && channel < 2);
+				++m_disk_queues[channel];
+			}
+
+			void dec_disk_queue(int channel)
+			{
+				TORRENT_ASSERT(channel >= 0 && channel < 2);
+				TORRENT_ASSERT(m_disk_queues[channel] > 0);
+				--m_disk_queues[channel];
+			}
+
 //		private:
 
 			void update_connections_limit();
@@ -560,6 +573,12 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 			bandwidth_channel* m_bandwidth_channel[2];
 
+			// the number of peer connections that are waiting
+			// for the disk. one for each channel.
+			// upload_channel means waiting to read from disk
+			// and download_channel is waiting to write to disk
+			int m_disk_queues[2];
+
 			tracker_manager m_tracker_manager;
 			torrent_map m_torrents;
 			std::map<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<torrent> > m_uuids;
diff --git a/include/libtorrent/session_status.hpp b/include/libtorrent/session_status.hpp
index 347d54be2..c4002434e 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/session_status.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/session_status.hpp
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		int optimistic_unchoke_counter;
 		int unchoke_counter;
 
+		int disk_write_queue;
+		int disk_read_queue;
+
 #ifndef TORRENT_DISABLE_DHT
 		int dht_nodes;
 		int dht_node_cache;
diff --git a/src/peer_connection.cpp b/src/peer_connection.cpp
index a97aae7cf..b481034c2 100644
--- a/src/peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/peer_connection.cpp
@@ -4458,6 +4458,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			&& m_reading_bytes > 0
 			&& quota_left > 0)
 		{
+			if (m_channel_state[upload_channel] != peer_info::bw_disk)
+				m_ses.inc_disk_queue(upload_channel);
 			m_channel_state[upload_channel] = peer_info::bw_disk;
 
 			if (!m_connecting
@@ -4523,6 +4525,8 @@ namespace libtorrent
 			vec, make_write_handler(boost::bind(
 				&peer_connection::on_send_data, self(), _1, _2)));
 
+		if (m_channel_state[upload_channel] == peer_info::bw_disk)
+			m_ses.dec_disk_queue(upload_channel);
 		m_channel_state[upload_channel] = peer_info::bw_network;
 	}
 
@@ -4531,6 +4535,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		if (m_channel_state[download_channel] != peer_info::bw_disk) return;
 		boost::intrusive_ptr<peer_connection> me(this);
 	
+		m_ses.dec_disk_queue(download_channel);
 		m_channel_state[download_channel] = peer_info::bw_idle;
 		setup_receive();
 	}
@@ -5018,6 +5023,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		if (!disk)
 		{
+			if (m_channel_state[download_channel] != peer_info::bw_disk) m_ses.inc_disk_queue(download_channel);
 			if (state) *state = peer_info::bw_disk;
 			return false;
 		}
diff --git a/src/session_impl.cpp b/src/session_impl.cpp
index aed566257..e4263b2ba 100644
--- a/src/session_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/session_impl.cpp
@@ -536,6 +536,9 @@ namespace aux {
 		, m_network_thread(0)
 #endif
 	{
+		m_disk_queues[0] = 0;
+		m_disk_queues[1] = 0;
+
 #if defined TORRENT_VERBOSE_LOGGING || defined TORRENT_LOGGING || defined TORRENT_ERROR_LOGGING
 		m_logger = create_log("main_session", listen_port(), false);
 		(*m_logger) << time_now_string() << "\n";
@@ -3999,6 +4002,9 @@ namespace aux {
 		s.up_bandwidth_bytes_queue = m_upload_rate.queued_bytes();
 		s.down_bandwidth_bytes_queue = m_download_rate.queued_bytes();
 
+		s.disk_write_queue = m_disk_queues[peer_connection::download_channel];
+		s.disk_read_queue = m_disk_queues[peer_connection::upload_channel];
+
 		s.has_incoming_connections = m_incoming_connection;
 
 		// total
@@ -4805,6 +4811,7 @@ namespace aux {
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(m_allowed_upload_slots >= m_settings.unchoke_slots_limit);
 		int unchokes = 0;
 		int num_optimistic = 0;
+		int disk_queue[2] = {0, 0};
 		for (connection_map::const_iterator i = m_connections.begin();
 			i != m_connections.end(); ++i)
 		{
@@ -4813,6 +4820,9 @@ namespace aux {
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(unique_peers.find(i->get()) == unique_peers.end());
 			unique_peers.insert(i->get());
 
+			if ((*i)->m_channel_state[0] == peer_info::bw_disk) ++disk_queue[0];
+			if ((*i)->m_channel_state[1] == peer_info::bw_disk) ++disk_queue[1];
+
 			peer_connection* p = i->get();
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(!p->is_disconnecting());
 			if (p->ignore_unchoke_slots()) continue;
@@ -4829,6 +4839,9 @@ namespace aux {
 			}
 		}
 
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(disk_queue[0] == m_disk_queues[0]);
+		TORRENT_ASSERT(disk_queue[1] == m_disk_queues[1]);
+
 		if (m_settings.num_optimistic_unchoke_slots)
 		{
 			TORRENT_ASSERT(num_optimistic <= m_settings.num_optimistic_unchoke_slots);