diff --git a/fastd-exporter.go b/fastd-exporter.go
index 8bf0147..d33d79b 100644
--- a/fastd-exporter.go
+++ b/fastd-exporter.go
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ type PrometheusExporter struct {
 	txErrorPackets *prometheus.Desc
 	txErrorBytes   *prometheus.Desc
 
+	peersUpTotal *prometheus.Desc
+
 	peerUp     *prometheus.Desc
 	peerUptime *prometheus.Desc
 
@@ -124,6 +126,8 @@ func NewPrometheusExporter(ifName string, sockName string) PrometheusExporter {
 		txErrorPackets:   prometheus.NewDesc(c("tx_error_packets"), "tx error packets count", nil, l),
 		txErrorBytes:     prometheus.NewDesc(c("tx_error_bytes"), "tx error bytes count", nil, l),
 
+		peersUpTotal: prometheus.NewDesc(c("peers_up_total"), "number of connected peers", nil, l),
+
 		// per peer metrics
 		peerUp:     prometheus.NewDesc(c("peer_up"), "whether the peer is connected", p, l),
 		peerUptime: prometheus.NewDesc(c("peer_uptime_seconds"), "peer session uptime", p, l),
@@ -156,6 +160,8 @@ func (e PrometheusExporter) Describe(c chan<- *prometheus.Desc) {
 	c <- e.txDroppedPackets
 	c <- e.txDroppedBytes
 
+	c <- e.peersUpTotal
+
 	c <- e.peerUp
 	c <- e.peerUptime
 
@@ -193,8 +199,14 @@ func (e PrometheusExporter) Collect(c chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 	c <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.txDroppedPackets, prometheus.CounterValue, float64(data.Statistics.TX.Count))
 	c <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.txDroppedBytes, prometheus.CounterValue, float64(data.Statistics.TX_Dropped.Bytes))
 
-	if *peerMetrics {
-		for publicKey, peer := range data.Peers {
+	peersUpTotal := 0
+
+	for publicKey, peer := range data.Peers {
+		if peer.Connection != nil {
+			peersUpTotal += 1
+		}
+
+		if *peerMetrics {
 			if peer.Connection == nil {
 				c <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.peerUp, prometheus.GaugeValue, float64(0), publicKey, peer.Name)
 			} else {
@@ -215,6 +227,8 @@ func (e PrometheusExporter) Collect(c chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	c <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.peersUpTotal, prometheus.GaugeValue, float64(peersUpTotal))
 }
 
 func data_from_sock(sock string) (Message, error) {