diff --git a/perf/reader.go b/perf/reader.go
index 47d1b3218..1aec79d50 100644
--- a/perf/reader.go
+++ b/perf/reader.go
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ type Record struct {
 	// The number of samples which could not be output, since
 	// the ring buffer was full.
 	LostSamples uint64
+
+	// The minimum number of bytes remaining in the per-CPU buffer after this Record has been read.
+	// Negative for overwritable buffers.
+	Remaining int
 }
 
 // Read a record from a reader and tag it as being from the given CPU.
@@ -158,6 +162,8 @@ type Reader struct {
 
 	paused       bool
 	overwritable bool
+
+	bufferSize int
 }
 
 // ReaderOptions control the behaviour of the user
@@ -216,6 +222,7 @@ func NewReaderWithOptions(array *ebpf.Map, perCPUBuffer int, opts ReaderOptions)
 	// bpf_perf_event_output checks which CPU an event is enabled on,
 	// but doesn't allow using a wildcard like -1 to specify "all CPUs".
 	// Hence we have to create a ring for each CPU.
+	bufferSize := 0
 	for i := 0; i < nCPU; i++ {
 		ring, err := newPerfEventRing(i, perCPUBuffer, opts.Watermark, opts.Overwritable)
 		if errors.Is(err, unix.ENODEV) {
@@ -224,6 +231,7 @@ func NewReaderWithOptions(array *ebpf.Map, perCPUBuffer int, opts ReaderOptions)
 			pauseFds = append(pauseFds, -1)
 			continue
 		}
+		bufferSize = ring.size()
 
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create perf ring for CPU %d: %v", i, err)
@@ -251,6 +259,7 @@ func NewReaderWithOptions(array *ebpf.Map, perCPUBuffer int, opts ReaderOptions)
 		eventHeader:  make([]byte, perfEventHeaderSize),
 		pauseFds:     pauseFds,
 		overwritable: opts.Overwritable,
+		bufferSize:   bufferSize,
 	}
 	if err = pr.Resume(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -430,6 +439,11 @@ func (pr *Reader) Resume() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// BufferSize is the size in bytes of each per-CPU buffer
+func (pr *Reader) BufferSize() int {
+	return pr.bufferSize
+}
+
 // NB: Has to be preceded by a call to ring.loadHead.
 func (pr *Reader) readRecordFromRing(rec *Record, ring *perfEventRing) error {
 	defer ring.writeTail()
@@ -439,6 +453,7 @@ func (pr *Reader) readRecordFromRing(rec *Record, ring *perfEventRing) error {
 	if pr.overwritable && (errors.Is(err, io.EOF) || errors.Is(err, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF)) {
 		return errEOR
 	}
+	rec.Remaining = ring.remaining()
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/perf/reader_test.go b/perf/reader_test.go
index e3c0e6457..d693c4965 100644
--- a/perf/reader_test.go
+++ b/perf/reader_test.go
@@ -38,9 +38,15 @@ func TestPerfReader(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	defer rd.Close()
 
-	outputSamples(t, events, 5)
+	qt.Assert(t, rd.BufferSize(), qt.Equals, 4096)
 
-	checkRecord(t, rd)
+	outputSamples(t, events, 5, 5)
+
+	_, rem := checkRecord(t, rd)
+	qt.Assert(t, rem >= 5, qt.IsTrue, qt.Commentf("expected at least 5 Remaining"))
+
+	_, rem = checkRecord(t, rd)
+	qt.Assert(t, rem, qt.Equals, 0, qt.Commentf("expected zero Remaining"))
 
 	rd.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(4 * time.Millisecond))
 	_, err = rd.Read()
@@ -155,7 +161,7 @@ func outputSamplesProg(tb testing.TB, events *ebpf.Map, sampleSizes ...byte) *eb
 	return prog
 }
 
-func checkRecord(tb testing.TB, rd *Reader) (id int) {
+func checkRecord(tb testing.TB, rd *Reader) (id int, remaining int) {
 	tb.Helper()
 
 	rec, err := rd.Read()
@@ -172,7 +178,7 @@ func checkRecord(tb testing.TB, rd *Reader) (id int) {
 
 	// padding is ignored since it's value is undefined.
 
-	return int(rec.RawSample[1])
+	return int(rec.RawSample[1]), rec.Remaining
 }
 
 func TestPerfReaderLostSample(t *testing.T) {
@@ -305,8 +311,9 @@ func TestPerfReaderOverwritable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	nextID := maxEvents
 	for i := 0; i < maxEvents; i++ {
-		id := checkRecord(t, rd)
+		id, rem := checkRecord(t, rd)
 		qt.Assert(t, id, qt.Equals, nextID)
+		qt.Assert(t, rem, qt.Equals, -1)
 		nextID--
 	}
 }
diff --git a/perf/ring.go b/perf/ring.go
index 6daa4a6e9..ddf3519f2 100644
--- a/perf/ring.go
+++ b/perf/ring.go
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ func createPerfEvent(cpu, watermark int, overwritable bool) (int, error) {
 type ringReader interface {
 	loadHead()
 	size() int
+	remaining() int
 	writeTail()
 	Read(p []byte) (int, error)
 }
@@ -157,6 +158,10 @@ func (rr *forwardReader) size() int {
 	return len(rr.ring)
 }
 
+func (rr *forwardReader) remaining() int {
+	return int((rr.head - rr.tail) & rr.mask)
+}
+
 func (rr *forwardReader) writeTail() {
 	// Commit the new tail. This lets the kernel know that
 	// the ring buffer has been consumed.
@@ -244,6 +249,12 @@ func (rr *reverseReader) size() int {
 	return len(rr.ring)
 }
 
+func (rr *reverseReader) remaining() int {
+	// remaining data is inaccurate for overwritable buffers
+	// once an overwrite happens, so return -1 here.
+	return -1
+}
+
 func (rr *reverseReader) writeTail() {
 	// We do not care about tail for over writable perf buffer.
 	// So, this function is noop.
diff --git a/ringbuf/reader.go b/ringbuf/reader.go
index d5619fb91..ea11c823f 100644
--- a/ringbuf/reader.go
+++ b/ringbuf/reader.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func (rh *ringbufHeader) dataLen() int {
 
 type Record struct {
 	RawSample []byte
+
+	// The minimum number of bytes remaining in the ring buffer after this Record has been read.
+	Remaining int
 }
 
 // Read a record from an event ring.
@@ -98,6 +101,7 @@ func readRecord(rd *ringbufEventRing, rec *Record, buf []byte) error {
 
 	rd.storeConsumer()
 	rec.RawSample = rec.RawSample[:header.dataLen()]
+	rec.Remaining = rd.remaining()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -231,3 +235,8 @@ func (r *Reader) ReadInto(rec *Record) error {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// BufferSize returns the size in bytes of the ring buffer
+func (r *Reader) BufferSize() int {
+	return r.ring.size()
+}
diff --git a/ringbuf/reader_test.go b/ringbuf/reader_test.go
index 94f8180bf..bed7d0096 100644
--- a/ringbuf/reader_test.go
+++ b/ringbuf/reader_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ func TestRingbufReader(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			defer rd.Close()
 
+			if uint32(rd.BufferSize()) != 2*events.MaxEntries() {
+				t.Errorf("expected %d BufferSize, got %d", events.MaxEntries(), rd.BufferSize())
+			}
+
 			ret, _, err := prog.Test(internal.EmptyBPFContext)
 			testutils.SkipIfNotSupported(t, err)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -77,6 +81,15 @@ func TestRingbufReader(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Fatal("Can't read samples:", err)
 				}
 				raw[len(record.RawSample)] = record.RawSample
+				if len(raw) == len(tt.want) {
+					if record.Remaining != 0 {
+						t.Errorf("expected 0 Remaining, got %d", record.Remaining)
+					}
+				} else {
+					if record.Remaining == 0 {
+						t.Error("expected non-zero Remaining, got 0")
+					}
+				}
 			}
 
 			if diff := cmp.Diff(tt.want, raw); diff != "" {
diff --git a/ringbuf/ring.go b/ringbuf/ring.go
index a3ecc005c..6dd04a93e 100644
--- a/ringbuf/ring.go
+++ b/ringbuf/ring.go
@@ -98,6 +98,17 @@ func (rr *ringReader) isEmpty() bool {
 	return prod == cons
 }
 
+func (rr *ringReader) size() int {
+	return cap(rr.ring)
+}
+
+func (rr *ringReader) remaining() int {
+	cons := atomic.LoadUint64(rr.cons_pos)
+	prod := atomic.LoadUint64(rr.prod_pos)
+
+	return int((prod - cons) & rr.mask)
+}
+
 func (rr *ringReader) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
 	prod := atomic.LoadUint64(rr.prod_pos)