diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/site/markdown/Metrics.md b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/site/markdown/Metrics.md
index cb2b48d60f839..38723ac2a1794 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/site/markdown/Metrics.md
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/site/markdown/Metrics.md
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ Each metrics record contains tags such as ProcessName, SessionId, and Hostname a
 | `EditLogTailIntervalAvgTime` | Average time of intervals between edit log tailings by standby NameNode in milliseconds |
 | `EditLogTailInterval`*num*`s(50/75/90/95/99)thPercentileLatency` | The 50/75/90/95/99th percentile of time between edit log tailings by standby NameNode in milliseconds (*num* seconds granularity). Percentile measurement is off by default, by watching no intervals. The intervals are specified by `dfs.metrics.percentiles.intervals`. |
 | `PendingEditsCount` | Current number of pending edits |
+| `PendingSyncEditsCount` | Current number of pending sync edits |
 
 FSNamesystem
 ------------
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSEditLogAsync.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSEditLogAsync.java
index 115e9485fa0a9..949f6c52a3e38 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSEditLogAsync.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/FSEditLogAsync.java
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ private Edit dequeueEdit() throws InterruptedException {
   @Override
   public void run() {
     try {
+      NameNodeMetrics metrics = NameNode.getNameNodeMetrics();
       while (true) {
-        NameNodeMetrics metrics = NameNode.getNameNodeMetrics();
         boolean doSync;
         Edit edit = dequeueEdit();
         if (edit != null) {
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ public void run() {
           doSync = !syncWaitQ.isEmpty();
           metrics.setPendingEditsCount(0);
         }
+        metrics.setPendingSyncEditsCount(syncWaitQ.size());
         if (doSync) {
           // normally edit log exceptions cause the NN to terminate, but tests
           // relying on ExitUtil.terminate need to see the exception.
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/metrics/NameNodeMetrics.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/metrics/NameNodeMetrics.java
index f0cf00238b5ee..94350508e9e92 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/metrics/NameNodeMetrics.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/server/namenode/metrics/NameNodeMetrics.java
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ public class NameNodeMetrics {
   MutableCounterLong blockOpsBatched;
   @Metric("Number of pending edits")
   MutableGaugeInt pendingEditsCount;
+  @Metric("Number of pending sync edits")
+  MutableGaugeInt pendingSyncEditsCount;
   @Metric("Number of delete blocks Queued")
   MutableGaugeInt deleteBlocksQueued;
   @Metric("Number of pending deletion blocks")
@@ -365,6 +367,10 @@ public void setPendingEditsCount(int size) {
     pendingEditsCount.set(size);
   }
 
+  public void setPendingSyncEditsCount(int size) {
+    pendingSyncEditsCount.set(size);
+  }
+
   public void addTransaction(long latency) {
     transactions.add(latency);
   }