diff --git a/doc/jsonrpc.md b/doc/jsonrpc.md
index e22c33843..6ef0c65c4 100644
--- a/doc/jsonrpc.md
+++ b/doc/jsonrpc.md
@@ -660,7 +660,8 @@ Example response:
           {
             "name": "spdk_rpc_subsystem_poll",
             "state": "waiting",
-            "run_count": 12345
+            "run_count": 12345,
+            "busy_count": 10000,
             "period_ticks": 10000000
           }
         ],
diff --git a/include/spdk_internal/thread.h b/include/spdk_internal/thread.h
index d517e2c37..54dd9934c 100644
--- a/include/spdk_internal/thread.h
+++ b/include/spdk_internal/thread.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ struct spdk_poller {
 	uint64_t			period_ticks;
 	uint64_t			next_run_tick;
 	uint64_t			run_count;
+	uint64_t			busy_count;
 	spdk_poller_fn			fn;
 	void				*arg;
 	struct spdk_thread		*thread;
diff --git a/lib/thread/thread.c b/lib/thread/thread.c
index 455d01046..41dec3a78 100644
--- a/lib/thread/thread.c
+++ b/lib/thread/thread.c
@@ -593,6 +593,9 @@ _spdk_thread_poll(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint32_t max_msgs, uint64_t now)
 		poller_rc = poller->fn(poller->arg);
 
 		poller->run_count++;
+		if (poller_rc > 0) {
+			poller->busy_count++;
+		}
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 		if (poller_rc == -1) {
@@ -634,6 +637,9 @@ _spdk_thread_poll(struct spdk_thread *thread, uint32_t max_msgs, uint64_t now)
 		timer_rc = poller->fn(poller->arg);
 
 		poller->run_count++;
+		if (timer_rc > 0) {
+			poller->busy_count++;
+		}
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 		if (timer_rc == -1) {
diff --git a/module/event/rpc/app_rpc.c b/module/event/rpc/app_rpc.c
index ae65dff7e..b662d5727 100644
--- a/module/event/rpc/app_rpc.c
+++ b/module/event/rpc/app_rpc.c
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ rpc_get_poller(struct spdk_poller *poller, struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w)
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "name", poller->name);
 	spdk_json_write_named_string(w, "state", spdk_poller_state_str(poller->state));
 	spdk_json_write_named_uint64(w, "run_count", poller->run_count);
+	spdk_json_write_named_uint64(w, "busy_count", poller->busy_count);
 	if (poller->period_ticks) {
 		spdk_json_write_named_uint64(w, "period_ticks", poller->period_ticks);
 	}