diff --git a/lib/metrics.go b/lib/metrics.go
index 36b0addc..6c2480cb 100644
--- a/lib/metrics.go
+++ b/lib/metrics.go
@@ -15,18 +15,18 @@ var (
 		[]string{"host"},
 	)
 
-	routeReloadCountMetric = prometheus.NewCounter(
-		prometheus.CounterOpts{
-			Name: "router_route_reload_total",
-			Help: "Total number of attempts to reload the routing table",
-		},
-	)
-
-	routeReloadErrorCountMetric = prometheus.NewCounter(
-		prometheus.CounterOpts{
-			Name: "router_route_reload_error_total",
-			Help: "Number of failed attempts to reload the routing table",
+	routeReloadDurationMetric = prometheus.NewSummaryVec(
+		prometheus.SummaryOpts{
+			Name: "router_route_reload_duration_seconds",
+			Help: "Histogram of route reload durations in seconds",
+			Objectives: map[float64]float64{
+				0.5:  0.01,
+				0.9:  0.01,
+				0.95: 0.01,
+				0.99: 0.005,
+			},
 		},
+		[]string{"success"},
 	)
 
 	routesCountMetric = prometheus.NewGauge(
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ var (
 func registerMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer) {
 	r.MustRegister(
 		internalServerErrorCountMetric,
-		routeReloadCountMetric,
-		routeReloadErrorCountMetric,
+		routeReloadDurationMetric,
 		routesCountMetric,
 	)
 	handlers.RegisterMetrics(r)
diff --git a/lib/router.go b/lib/router.go
index 03e56545..7029440d 100644
--- a/lib/router.go
+++ b/lib/router.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -213,21 +214,24 @@ type mongoDatabase interface {
 // create a new proxy mux, load applications (backends) and routes into it, and
 // then flip the "mux" pointer in the Router.
 func (rt *Router) reloadRoutes(db *mgo.Database, currentOptime bson.MongoTimestamp) {
+	var success bool
+	timer := prometheus.NewTimer(prometheus.ObserverFunc(func(v float64) {
+		labels := prometheus.Labels{"success": strconv.FormatBool(success)}
+		routeReloadDurationMetric.With(labels).Observe(v)
+	}))
 	defer func() {
-		// increment this metric regardless of whether the route reload succeeded
-		routeReloadCountMetric.Inc()
-
+		success = true
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			success = false
 			logWarn("router: recovered from panic in reloadRoutes:", r)
 			logInfo("router: original routes have not been modified")
 			errorMessage := fmt.Sprintf("panic: %v", r)
 			err := logger.RecoveredError{ErrorMessage: errorMessage}
 			logger.NotifySentry(logger.ReportableError{Error: err})
-
-			routeReloadErrorCountMetric.Inc()
 		} else {
 			rt.mongoReadToOptime = currentOptime
 		}
+		timer.ObserveDuration()
 	}()
 
 	logInfo("router: reloading routes")