diff --git a/discovery/manager.go b/discovery/manager.go
index 4625e42a3..5457bd9b2 100644
--- a/discovery/manager.go
+++ b/discovery/manager.go
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	failedConfigs = prometheus.NewCounterVec(
-		prometheus.CounterOpts{
-			Name: "prometheus_sd_configs_failed_total",
-			Help: "Total number of service discovery configurations that failed to load.",
+	failedConfigs = prometheus.NewGaugeVec(
+		prometheus.GaugeOpts{
+			Name: "prometheus_sd_failed_configs",
+			Help: "Current number of service discovery configurations that failed to load.",
 		},
 		[]string{"name"},
 	)
@@ -194,10 +194,14 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyConfig(cfg map[string]sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig) e
 	m.targets = make(map[poolKey]map[string]*targetgroup.Group)
 	m.providers = nil
 	m.discoverCancel = nil
+
+	failedCount := 0
 	for name, scfg := range cfg {
-		m.registerProviders(scfg, name)
+		failedCount += m.registerProviders(scfg, name)
 		discoveredTargets.WithLabelValues(m.name, name).Set(0)
 	}
+	failedConfigs.WithLabelValues(m.name).Set(float64(failedCount))
+
 	for _, prov := range m.providers {
 		m.startProvider(m.ctx, prov)
 	}
@@ -317,8 +321,12 @@ func (m *Manager) allGroups() map[string][]*targetgroup.Group {
 	return tSets
 }
 
-func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setName string) {
-	var added bool
+// registerProviders returns a number of failed SD config.
+func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setName string) int {
+	var (
+		failedCount int
+		added       bool
+	)
 	add := func(cfg interface{}, newDiscoverer func() (Discoverer, error)) {
 		t := reflect.TypeOf(cfg).String()
 		for _, p := range m.providers {
@@ -332,7 +340,7 @@ func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setNam
 		d, err := newDiscoverer()
 		if err != nil {
 			level.Error(m.logger).Log("msg", "Cannot create service discovery", "err", err, "type", t)
-			failedConfigs.WithLabelValues(m.name).Inc()
+			failedCount++
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -421,6 +429,7 @@ func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setNam
 			return &StaticProvider{TargetGroups: []*targetgroup.Group{{}}}, nil
 		})
 	}
+	return failedCount
 }
 
 // StaticProvider holds a list of target groups that never change.
diff --git a/discovery/manager_test.go b/discovery/manager_test.go
index b2bff1fc4..9e5b229fb 100644
--- a/discovery/manager_test.go
+++ b/discovery/manager_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-kit/kit/log"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	dto "github.com/prometheus/client_model/go"
 	"github.com/prometheus/common/model"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/config"
 	sd_config "github.com/prometheus/prometheus/discovery/config"
@@ -949,6 +951,91 @@ scrape_configs:
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGaugeFailedConfigs(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		fcGauge prometheus.Gauge
+		err     error
+	)
+
+	cfgOneText := `
+scrape_configs:
+- job_name: prometheus
+  consul_sd_configs:
+  - server: "foo:8500"
+    tls_config:
+      cert_file: "/tmp/non_existent"
+  - server: "bar:8500"
+    tls_config:
+      cert_file: "/tmp/non_existent"
+  - server: "foo2:8500"
+    tls_config:
+      cert_file: "/tmp/non_existent"
+`
+	cfgOne := &config.Config{}
+
+	err = yaml.UnmarshalStrict([]byte(cfgOneText), cfgOne)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unable to load YAML config cfgOne: %s", err)
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	discoveryManager := NewManager(ctx, log.NewNopLogger())
+	discoveryManager.updatert = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	go discoveryManager.Run()
+
+	c := make(map[string]sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig)
+	for _, v := range cfgOne.ScrapeConfigs {
+		c[v.JobName] = v.ServiceDiscoveryConfig
+	}
+
+	discoveryManager.ApplyConfig(c)
+	<-discoveryManager.SyncCh()
+
+	metricOne := &dto.Metric{}
+	fcGauge, err = failedConfigs.GetMetricWithLabelValues(discoveryManager.name)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	fcGauge.Write(metricOne)
+
+	failedCount := metricOne.GetGauge().GetValue()
+	if failedCount != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to have 3 failed configs, got: %v", failedCount)
+	}
+
+	cfgTwoText := `
+scrape_configs:
+  - job_name: 'prometheus'
+    static_configs:
+    - targets: ["foo:9090"]
+`
+	cfgTwo := &config.Config{}
+	if err := yaml.UnmarshalStrict([]byte(cfgTwoText), cfgTwo); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unable to load YAML config cfgTwo: %s", err)
+	}
+	c = make(map[string]sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig)
+	for _, v := range cfgTwo.ScrapeConfigs {
+		c[v.JobName] = v.ServiceDiscoveryConfig
+	}
+
+	discoveryManager.ApplyConfig(c)
+	<-discoveryManager.SyncCh()
+
+	metricTwo := &dto.Metric{}
+	fcGauge, err = failedConfigs.GetMetricWithLabelValues(discoveryManager.name)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	fcGauge.Write(metricTwo)
+
+	failedCount = metricTwo.GetGauge().GetValue()
+	if failedCount != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected to get no failed config, got: %v", failedCount)
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestCoordinationWithReceiver(t *testing.T) {
 	updateDelay := 100 * time.Millisecond