diff --git a/db/view/node_view_update_backlog.hh b/db/view/node_view_update_backlog.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a02f75b7eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/view/node_view_update_backlog.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2018 ScyllaDB
+ */
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Scylla.
+ *
+ * Scylla is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Scylla is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with Scylla.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "db/view/view_update_backlog.hh"
+
+#include <seastar/core/cacheline.hh>
+#include <seastar/core/lowres_clock.hh>
+
+#include <atomic>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <new>
+
+namespace db::view {
+
+/**
+ * An atomic view update backlog representation, safe to update from multiple shards.
+ * It is legal for a stale current max value to be returned.
+ */
+class node_update_backlog {
+    using clock = seastar::lowres_clock;
+    struct per_shard_backlog {
+        // Multiply by 2 to defeat the prefetcher
+        alignas(seastar::cache_line_size * 2) std::atomic<update_backlog> backlog = update_backlog::no_backlog();
+
+        update_backlog load() const {
+            return backlog.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+        }
+    };
+    std::vector<per_shard_backlog> _backlogs;
+    std::chrono::milliseconds _interval;
+    std::atomic<clock::time_point> _last_update;
+    std::atomic<update_backlog> _max;
+
+public:
+    explicit node_update_backlog(size_t shards, std::chrono::milliseconds interval)
+            : _backlogs(shards)
+            , _interval(interval)
+            , _last_update(clock::now() - _interval)
+            , _max(update_backlog::no_backlog()) {
+    }
+
+    update_backlog add_fetch(unsigned shard, update_backlog backlog);
+
+    // Exposed for testing only.
+    update_backlog load() const {
+        return _max.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    }
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/db/view/view.cc b/db/view/view.cc
index 1fe1b66679..ddf296ba8b 100644
--- a/db/view/view.cc
+++ b/db/view/view.cc
@@ -1643,5 +1643,22 @@ future<> view_builder::wait_until_built(const sstring& ks_name, const sstring& v
     });
 }
 
+update_backlog node_update_backlog::add_fetch(unsigned shard, update_backlog backlog) {
+    _backlogs[shard].backlog.store(backlog, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    auto now = clock::now();
+    if (now >= _last_update.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) + _interval) {
+        _last_update.store(now, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+        auto new_max = boost::accumulate(
+                _backlogs,
+                update_backlog::no_backlog(),
+                [] (const update_backlog& lhs, const per_shard_backlog& rhs) {
+                    return std::max(lhs, rhs.load());
+                });
+        _max.store(new_max, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+        return new_max;
+    }
+    return std::max(backlog, _max.load(std::memory_order_relaxed));
+}
+
 } // namespace view
 } // namespace db