diff --git a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/endpoints.go b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/endpoints.go
index cb7a9e5519..696298dfb6 100644
--- a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/endpoints.go
+++ b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/endpoints.go
@@ -83,12 +83,15 @@ func (e *Endpoints) Run(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetGroup) {
 
 	e.endpointsInf.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("endpoint", "add").Inc()
 			send(e.buildEndpoints(o.(*apiv1.Endpoints)))
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(_, o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("endpoint", "update").Inc()
 			send(e.buildEndpoints(o.(*apiv1.Endpoints)))
 		},
 		DeleteFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("endpoint", "delete").Inc()
 			send(&config.TargetGroup{Source: endpointsSource(o.(*apiv1.Endpoints).ObjectMeta)})
 		},
 	})
diff --git a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index ed228a5ad5..b5cb59662d 100644
--- a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/config"
 
 	"github.com/prometheus/common/log"
@@ -35,8 +36,40 @@ const (
 	// in this discovery.
 	metaLabelPrefix = model.MetaLabelPrefix + "kubernetes_"
 	namespaceLabel  = metaLabelPrefix + "namespace"
+
+	// Constants for instrumentation.
+	namespace = "prometheus"
 )
 
+var (
+	eventCount = prometheus.NewCounterVec(
+		prometheus.CounterOpts{
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			Name:      "sd_kubernetes_events_total",
+			Help:      "The number of Kubernetes events received.",
+		},
+		[]string{"type", "event"},
+	)
+)
+
+func init() {
+	prometheus.MustRegister(eventCount)
+
+	// Initialize metric vectors.
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("endpoint", "add")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("endpoint", "delete")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("endpoint", "update")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("node", "add")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("node", "delete")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("node", "update")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("pod", "add")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("pod", "delete")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("pod", "update")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("service", "add")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("service", "delete")
+	eventCount.WithLabelValues("service", "update")
+}
+
 // Kubernetes implements the TargetProvider interface for discovering
 // targets from Kubernetes.
 type Kubernetes struct {
diff --git a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/node.go b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/node.go
index e2d684b841..4b8faf7308 100644
--- a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/node.go
+++ b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/node.go
@@ -63,12 +63,15 @@ func (n *Node) Run(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetGroup) {
 	}
 	n.informer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("node", "add").Inc()
 			send(n.buildNode(o.(*apiv1.Node)))
 		},
 		DeleteFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("node", "delete").Inc()
 			send(&config.TargetGroup{Source: nodeSource(o.(*apiv1.Node))})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(_, o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("node", "update").Inc()
 			send(n.buildNode(o.(*apiv1.Node)))
 		},
 	})
diff --git a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/pod.go b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/pod.go
index 3d16ea8b9d..d2f6406a4f 100644
--- a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/pod.go
+++ b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/pod.go
@@ -71,12 +71,15 @@ func (p *Pod) Run(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetGroup) {
 	}
 	p.informer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("pod", "add").Inc()
 			send(p.buildPod(o.(*apiv1.Pod)))
 		},
 		DeleteFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("pod", "delete").Inc()
 			send(&config.TargetGroup{Source: podSource(o.(*apiv1.Pod))})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(_, o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("pod", "update").Inc()
 			send(p.buildPod(o.(*apiv1.Pod)))
 		},
 	})
diff --git a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/service.go b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/service.go
index bb6cb6631a..b483423d00 100644
--- a/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/service.go
+++ b/retrieval/discovery/kubernetes/service.go
@@ -61,12 +61,15 @@ func (s *Service) Run(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetGroup) {
 	}
 	s.informer.AddEventHandler(cache.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 		AddFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("service", "add").Inc()
 			send(s.buildService(o.(*apiv1.Service)))
 		},
 		DeleteFunc: func(o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("service", "delete").Inc()
 			send(&config.TargetGroup{Source: serviceSource(o.(*apiv1.Service))})
 		},
 		UpdateFunc: func(_, o interface{}) {
+			eventCount.WithLabelValues("service", "update").Inc()
 			send(s.buildService(o.(*apiv1.Service)))
 		},
 	})