diff --git a/weed/stats/metrics.go b/weed/stats/metrics.go
index a6e96d496..fccf64d19 100644
--- a/weed/stats/metrics.go
+++ b/weed/stats/metrics.go
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ var (
 			Name:      "volumes",
 			Help:      "Number of volumes.",
 		})
+
+	VolumeServerEcShardCounter = prometheus.NewGauge(
+		prometheus.GaugeOpts{
+			Namespace: "SeaweedFS",
+			Subsystem: "volumeServer",
+			Name:      "ecShards",
+			Help:      "Number of EC shards.",
+		})
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -65,6 +73,7 @@ func init() {
 	VolumeServerGather.MustRegister(VolumeServerRequestCounter)
 	VolumeServerGather.MustRegister(VolumeServerRequestHistogram)
 	VolumeServerGather.MustRegister(VolumeServerVolumeCounter)
+	VolumeServerGather.MustRegister(VolumeServerEcShardCounter)
 
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go
index 2009beb9c..bcfa2c721 100644
--- a/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go
+++ b/weed/storage/erasure_coding/ec_shard.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
 
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/stats"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 )
 
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ func NewEcVolumeShard(dirname string, collection string, id needle.VolumeId, sha
 	}
 	v.ecdFileSize = ecdFi.Size()
 
+	stats.VolumeServerEcShardCounter.Inc()
+
 	return
 }
 
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ func (shard *EcVolumeShard) Close() {
 
 func (shard *EcVolumeShard) Destroy() {
 	os.Remove(shard.FileName() + ToExt(int(shard.ShardId)))
+	stats.VolumeServerEcShardCounter.Dec()
 }
 
 func (shard *EcVolumeShard) ReadAt(buf []byte, offset int64) (int, error) {
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume.go b/weed/storage/volume.go
index 44e96015e..f3d5b9922 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/pb/master_pb"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/stats"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 
 	"os"
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ func (v *Volume) Close() {
 	if v.dataFile != nil {
 		_ = v.dataFile.Close()
 		v.dataFile = nil
+		stats.VolumeServerVolumeCounter.Dec()
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_loading.go b/weed/storage/volume_loading.go
index 51fbe12e5..4c7b93418 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_loading.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_loading.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/stats"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 	"github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/opt"
 
@@ -116,6 +117,8 @@ func (v *Volume) load(alsoLoadIndex bool, createDatIfMissing bool, needleMapKind
 		}
 	}
 
+	stats.VolumeServerVolumeCounter.Inc()
+
 	return e
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/storage/volume_vacuum.go b/weed/storage/volume_vacuum.go
index f89f2cf0a..6e8d3a861 100644
--- a/weed/storage/volume_vacuum.go
+++ b/weed/storage/volume_vacuum.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/glog"
+	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/stats"
 	idx2 "github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/idx"
 	"github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 	. "github.com/chrislusf/seaweedfs/weed/storage/types"
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ func (v *Volume) CommitCompact() error {
 		glog.V(0).Infof("fail to close volume %d", v.Id)
 	}
 	v.dataFile = nil
+	stats.VolumeServerVolumeCounter.Dec()
 
 	var e error
 	if e = v.makeupDiff(v.FileName()+".cpd", v.FileName()+".cpx", v.FileName()+".dat", v.FileName()+".idx"); e != nil {