diff --git a/db/db.cpp b/db/db.cpp
index 0326e3e0244..304775b2c99 100644
--- a/db/db.cpp
+++ b/db/db.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
             Message m;
             while ( 1 ) {
+                inPort->clearCounters();
 
                 if ( !dbMsgPort->recv(m) ) {
                     if( !cmdLine.quiet )
@@ -275,6 +276,8 @@ sendmore:
                     }
                 }
 
+                networkCounter.hit( inPort->getBytesIn() , inPort->getBytesOut() );
+
                 m.reset();
             }
 
diff --git a/db/dbcommands.cpp b/db/dbcommands.cpp
index 8697b270556..304a846db92 100644
--- a/db/dbcommands.cpp
+++ b/db/dbcommands.cpp
@@ -397,6 +397,13 @@ namespace mongo {
                 ClientCursor::appendStats( bb );
                 bb.done();
             }
+
+            {
+                BSONObjBuilder bb( result.subobjStart( "network" ) );
+                networkCounter.append( bb );
+                bb.done();
+            }
+
             
             timeBuilder.appendNumber( "after counters" , Listener::getElapsedTimeMillis() - start );            
 
diff --git a/db/stats/counters.cpp b/db/stats/counters.cpp
index 69861a8ec76..fad0f364c5e 100644
--- a/db/stats/counters.cpp
+++ b/db/stats/counters.cpp
@@ -144,25 +144,33 @@ namespace mongo {
 
     void NetworkCounter::hit( long long bytesIn , long long bytesOut ) {
         const long long MAX = 1ULL << 60;
-        mongo::mutex::scoped_lock lk( _mutex );
-        if ( _bytesIn > MAX || _bytesOut > MAX ){
+
+        // don't care about the race as its just a counter
+        bool overflow = _bytesIn > MAX || _bytesOut > MAX;
+
+        if ( overflow ){
+            _lock.lock();
             _overflows++;
             _bytesIn = bytesIn;
             _bytesOut = bytesOut;
+            _requests = 1;
+            _lock.unlock();
         }
         else {
+            _lock.lock();
             _bytesIn += bytesIn;
             _bytesOut += bytesOut;
-            
+            _requests++;
+            _lock.unlock();            
         }
     }
     
-    BSONObj NetworkCounter::getObj() {
-        BSONObjBuilder b( 64 );
-        mongo::mutex::scoped_lock lk( _mutex );
+    void NetworkCounter::append( BSONObjBuilder& b ) {
+        _lock.lock();
         b.appendNumber( "bytesIn" , _bytesIn );
         b.appendNumber( "bytesOut" , _bytesOut );
-        return b.obj();
+        b.appendNumber( "numRequests" , _requests );
+        _lock.unlock();
     }
     
 
diff --git a/db/stats/counters.h b/db/stats/counters.h
index 730602c5a01..1af7ba94b98 100644
--- a/db/stats/counters.h
+++ b/db/stats/counters.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "../jsobj.h"
 #include "../../util/message.h"
 #include "../../util/processinfo.h"
+#include "../../util/concurrency/spin_lock.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
@@ -133,14 +134,17 @@ namespace mongo {
 
     class NetworkCounter {
     public:
-        NetworkCounter() : _bytesIn(0), _bytesOut(0), _overflows(0) , _mutex( "NetworkCounter" ){}
+        NetworkCounter() : _bytesIn(0), _bytesOut(0), _requests(0), _overflows(0){}
         void hit( long long bytesIn , long long bytesOut );
-        BSONObj getObj();
+        void append( BSONObjBuilder& b );
     private:
         long long _bytesIn;
         long long _bytesOut;
+        long long _requests;
+
         long long _overflows;
-        mongo::mutex _mutex;
+
+        SpinLock _lock;
     };
     
     extern NetworkCounter networkCounter;
diff --git a/s/commands_admin.cpp b/s/commands_admin.cpp
index d9c714d86fd..dee072c4a35 100644
--- a/s/commands_admin.cpp
+++ b/s/commands_admin.cpp
@@ -141,6 +141,13 @@ namespace mongo {
                     asserts.append( "rollovers" , assertionCount.rollovers );
                     asserts.done();
                 }
+                
+                {
+                    BSONObjBuilder bb( result.subobjStart( "network" ) );
+                    networkCounter.append( bb );
+                    bb.done();
+                }
+
 
                 return 1;
             }
diff --git a/util/message.cpp b/util/message.cpp
index 8c53531d224..915cf7801b6 100644
--- a/util/message.cpp
+++ b/util/message.cpp
@@ -311,12 +311,12 @@ namespace mongo {
         ports.closeAll(mask);
     }
 
-    MessagingPort::MessagingPort(int _sock, const SockAddr& _far) : sock(_sock), piggyBackData(0), farEnd(_far), _timeout(), tag(0) {
+    MessagingPort::MessagingPort(int _sock, const SockAddr& _far) : sock(_sock), piggyBackData(0), farEnd(_far), _timeout(), tag(0), _bytesIn(0), _bytesOut(0) {
         _logLevel = 0;
         ports.insert(this);
     }
 
-    MessagingPort::MessagingPort( double timeout, int ll ) : tag(0) {
+    MessagingPort::MessagingPort( double timeout, int ll ) : tag(0), _bytesIn(0), _bytesOut(0) {
         _logLevel = ll;
         ports.insert(this);
         sock = -1;
@@ -452,6 +452,7 @@ namespace mongo {
                 throw;
             }
             
+            _bytesIn += len;
             m.setData(md, true);
             return true;
             
@@ -519,6 +520,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
     // sends all data or throws an exception    
     void MessagingPort::send( const char * data , int len, const char *context ) {
+        _bytesOut += len;
         while( len > 0 ) {
             int ret = ::send( sock , data , len , portSendFlags );
             if ( ret == -1 ) {
diff --git a/util/message.h b/util/message.h
index 40c8ffef621..f23f02c01fa 100644
--- a/util/message.h
+++ b/util/message.h
@@ -128,9 +128,17 @@ namespace mongo {
         void recv( char * data , int len );
         
         int unsafe_recv( char *buf, int max );
+
+        void clearCounters() { _bytesIn = 0; _bytesOut = 0; }
+        long long getBytesIn() const { return _bytesIn; }
+        long long getBytesOut() const { return _bytesOut; }
     private:
         int sock;
         PiggyBackData * piggyBackData;
+
+        long long _bytesIn;
+        long long _bytesOut;
+
     public:
         SockAddr farEnd;
         double _timeout;
diff --git a/util/message_server_port.cpp b/util/message_server_port.cpp
index 6365ac7d888..cb789366a25 100644
--- a/util/message_server_port.cpp
+++ b/util/message_server_port.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "message_server.h"
 
 #include "../db/cmdline.h"
+#include "../db/stats/counters.h"
 
 namespace mongo {
 
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
                 while ( 1 ){
                     m.reset();
+                    p->clearCounters();
 
                     if ( ! p->recv(m) ) {
                         if( !cmdLine.quiet )
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ namespace mongo {
                     }
                     
                     handler->process( m , p.get() );
+                    networkCounter.hit( p->getBytesIn() , p->getBytesOut() );
                 }
             }
             catch ( const SocketException& ){