diff --git a/src/kudu/client/batcher.cc b/src/kudu/client/batcher.cc
index 91c60be..9bee8d5 100644
--- a/src/kudu/client/batcher.cc
+++ b/src/kudu/client/batcher.cc
@@ -791,6 +791,8 @@ void Batcher::ProcessWriteResponse(const WriteRpc& rpc,
     MarkHadErrors();
   }
 
+  client_->data_->write_histo_->Increment(rpc.num_attempts());
+
   CheckForFinishedFlush();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kudu/client/client-internal.cc b/src/kudu/client/client-internal.cc
index bfc421f..cf7f047 100644
--- a/src/kudu/client/client-internal.cc
+++ b/src/kudu/client/client-internal.cc
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "kudu/master/master.proxy.h"
 #include "kudu/rpc/rpc.h"
 #include "kudu/rpc/rpc_controller.h"
+#include "kudu/util/metrics.h"
 #include "kudu/util/net/dns_resolver.h"
 #include "kudu/util/net/net_util.h"
 #include "kudu/util/thread_restrictions.h"
@@ -30,6 +31,12 @@ using std::set;
 using std::string;
 using std::vector;
 
+METRIC_DEFINE_entity(client);
+METRIC_DEFINE_histogram(client, write_attempt_count, "Write Attempt Count",
+                        kudu::MetricUnit::kRequests,
+                        "Number of attempts per write RPC",
+                        1000, 2);
+
 namespace kudu {
 
 using consensus::RaftPeerPB;
@@ -210,7 +217,9 @@ Status KuduClient::Data::SyncLeaderMasterRpc(
                                  RpcController*)>& func);
 
 KuduClient::Data::Data()
-    : latest_observed_timestamp_(KuduClient::kNoTimestamp) {
+    : latest_observed_timestamp_(KuduClient::kNoTimestamp),
+      entity_(METRIC_ENTITY_client.Instantiate(&registry_, "foo")),
+      write_histo_(METRIC_write_attempt_count.Instantiate(entity_.get())) {
 }
 
 KuduClient::Data::~Data() {
diff --git a/src/kudu/client/client-internal.h b/src/kudu/client/client-internal.h
index 886ad1b..4ec41a2 100644
--- a/src/kudu/client/client-internal.h
+++ b/src/kudu/client/client-internal.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "kudu/client/client.h"
 #include "kudu/util/atomic.h"
 #include "kudu/util/locks.h"
+#include "kudu/util/metrics.h"
 #include "kudu/util/net/net_util.h"
 
 namespace kudu {
@@ -202,6 +203,9 @@ class KuduClient::Data {
 
   AtomicInt<uint64_t> latest_observed_timestamp_;
 
+  MetricRegistry registry_;
+  scoped_refptr<MetricEntity> entity_;
+  scoped_refptr<Histogram> write_histo_;
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(Data);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.cc b/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.cc
index 00978a7..d0c2732 100644
--- a/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.cc
+++ b/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.cc
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "kudu/client/client-internal.h"
 #include "kudu/gutil/stl_util.h"
+#include "kudu/util/metrics.h"
 #include "kudu/util/test_util.h"
 
 namespace kudu {
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ void LogSessionErrorsAndDie(const std::tr1::shared_ptr<KuduSession>& session,
               << " had status " << e->status().ToString();
     i++;
   }
+
+  LOG(INFO) << DumpWritesHistogram(session->client());
   CHECK_OK(s); // will fail
 }
 
@@ -60,5 +64,16 @@ KuduSchema KuduSchemaFromSchema(const Schema& schema) {
   return KuduSchema(schema);
 }
 
+string DumpWritesHistogram(KuduClient* client) {
+  std::stringstream ss;
+  JsonWriter w(&ss, JsonWriter::PRETTY);
+  MetricJsonOptions opts;
+  opts.include_raw_histograms = true;
+  opts.include_schema_info = true;
+  CHECK_OK(client->data_->write_histo_->WriteAsJson(&w, opts));
+  return ss.str();
+}
+
+
 } // namespace client
 } // namespace kudu
diff --git a/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.h b/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.h
index 8b3af23..0d307ec 100644
--- a/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.h
+++ b/src/kudu/client/client-test-util.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ void ScanToStrings(KuduScanner* scanner, std::vector<std::string>* row_strings);
 // Convert a kudu::Schema to a kudu::client::KuduSchema.
 KuduSchema KuduSchemaFromSchema(const Schema& schema);
 
+std::string DumpWritesHistogram(KuduClient* client);
+
 } // namespace client
 } // namespace kudu
 
diff --git a/src/kudu/client/client.h b/src/kudu/client/client.h
index 3b91025..b722424 100644
--- a/src/kudu/client/client.h
+++ b/src/kudu/client/client.h
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ class KUDU_EXPORT KuduClient : public std::tr1::enable_shared_from_this<KuduClie
   friend class internal::RemoteTablet;
   friend class internal::RemoteTabletServer;
   friend class internal::WriteRpc;
+  friend std::string DumpWritesHistogram(KuduClient* client);
 
   FRIEND_TEST(ClientTest, TestGetTabletServerBlacklist);
   FRIEND_TEST(ClientTest, TestMasterDown);
diff --git a/src/kudu/integration-tests/full_stack-insert-scan-test.cc b/src/kudu/integration-tests/full_stack-insert-scan-test.cc
index 849c14e..43a81f7 100644
--- a/src/kudu/integration-tests/full_stack-insert-scan-test.cc
+++ b/src/kudu/integration-tests/full_stack-insert-scan-test.cc
@@ -294,6 +294,8 @@ void FullStackInsertScanTest::DoConcurrentClientInserts() {
                 .Join());
     }
   }
+
+  LOG(INFO) << DumpWritesHistogram(client_.get());
 }
 
 void FullStackInsertScanTest::DoTestScans() {