diff --git a/src/serve.c b/src/serve.c
index 0d52571..bf99766 100644
--- a/src/serve.c
+++ b/src/serve.c
@@ -326,6 +326,20 @@ int cleanup_and_find_client_slot(struct server* params)
 	return slot;
 }
 
+int server_count_clients( struct server *params )
+{
+	NULLCHECK( params );
+	int i, count = 0;
+
+	for ( i = 0 ; i < params->max_nbd_clients ; i++ ) {
+		if ( params->nbd_client[i].thread != 0 ) {
+			count++;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return count;
+}
+
 
 /** Check whether the address client_address is allowed or not according
  * to the current acl.  If params->acl is NULL, the result will be 1,
diff --git a/src/serve.h b/src/serve.h
index 48e41b2..4a22d7a 100644
--- a/src/serve.h
+++ b/src/serve.h
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ void server_close_clients( struct server *serve );
 void server_join_clients( struct server *serve );
 void server_allow_new_clients( struct server *serve );
 
+/* Returns a count (ish) of the number of currently-running client threads */
+int server_count_clients( struct server *params );
+
 void server_unlink( struct server * serve );
 
 int do_serve( struct server *, struct self_pipe * );