diff --git a/crates/walrus-service/src/node.rs b/crates/walrus-service/src/node.rs
index 40b1c75d8e..e97844fc7b 100644
--- a/crates/walrus-service/src/node.rs
+++ b/crates/walrus-service/src/node.rs
@@ -2653,10 +2653,12 @@ impl StorageNodeInner {
 
     /// Waits until the recovery deferral for the given blob ID expires
     /// and cancels the recovery deferral upon timeout.
+    ///
+    /// Returns `true` when a deferral existed and the caller waited for it.
     pub async fn wait_until_recovery_deferral_expires(
         &self,
         blob_id: &BlobId,
-    ) -> anyhow::Result<Arc<tokio_util::sync::CancellationToken>> {
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<bool> {
         let (until, token) = {
             let map = self.recovery_deferrals.read().await;
             if let Some((u, existing_token)) = map.get(blob_id).cloned() {
@@ -2681,7 +2683,7 @@ impl StorageNodeInner {
             self.metrics.recovery_deferral_waiters.dec();
         }
 
-        Ok(token)
+        Ok(until.is_some())
     }
 
     /// Returns the node capability object ID.
diff --git a/crates/walrus-service/src/node/blob_sync.rs b/crates/walrus-service/src/node/blob_sync.rs
index e42a0772e6..fe8c3bd3dd 100644
--- a/crates/walrus-service/src/node/blob_sync.rs
+++ b/crates/walrus-service/src/node/blob_sync.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,14 @@ use super::{
     StorageNodeInner,
     committee::CommitteeService,
     contract_service::SystemContractService,
-    metrics::{self, NodeMetricSet, STATUS_IN_PROGRESS, STATUS_QUEUED},
+    metrics::{
+        self,
+        LIVE_UPLOAD_DEFERRAL_OUTCOME_AVOIDED_RECOVERY,
+        LIVE_UPLOAD_DEFERRAL_OUTCOME_RECOVERY_NEEDED,
+        NodeMetricSet,
+        STATUS_IN_PROGRESS,
+        STATUS_QUEUED,
+    },
     storage::Storage,
     system_events::{CompletableHandle, EventHandle},
 };
@@ -418,7 +425,7 @@ impl BlobSyncHandler {
                     },
 
                     (guard, start) = async {
-                        synchronizer.wait_for_recovery_window().await;
+                        let waited_for_deferral = synchronizer.wait_for_recovery_window().await;
 
                         let active_start = tokio::time::Instant::now();
 
@@ -433,7 +440,9 @@ impl BlobSyncHandler {
 
                         let decrement_guard = GaugeGuard::acquire(&in_progress_gauge);
 
-                        synchronizer.run(permits.sliver_pairs).await;
+                        synchronizer
+                            .run(permits.sliver_pairs, waited_for_deferral)
+                            .await;
 
                         (decrement_guard, active_start)
                     } => {
@@ -545,22 +554,26 @@ impl BlobSynchronizer {
         &self.node.metrics
     }
 
-    async fn wait_for_recovery_window(&self) {
+    async fn wait_for_recovery_window(&self) -> bool {
         match self
             .node
             .wait_until_recovery_deferral_expires(&self.blob_id)
             .await
         {
-            Ok(_token) => {
+            Ok(waited_for_deferral) => {
                 self.node.clear_recovery_deferral(&self.blob_id).await;
+                waited_for_deferral
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                tracing::warn!(?err, "failed to wait out recovery deferral");
+                false
             }
-            Err(err) => tracing::warn!(?err, "failed to wait out recovery deferral"),
         }
     }
 
     /// Runs the synchronizer until blob sync is complete.
     #[tracing::instrument(skip_all)]
-    async fn run(self, sliver_permits: Arc<Semaphore>) {
+    async fn run(self, sliver_permits: Arc<Semaphore>, waited_for_deferral: bool) {
         let this = Arc::new(self);
         let histograms = &this.metrics().recover_blob_part_duration_seconds;
 
@@ -578,9 +591,28 @@ impl BlobSynchronizer {
             tracing::debug!(
                 "blob already stored at all owned shards for current epoch, skipping recovery"
             );
+            if waited_for_deferral {
+                this.node
+                    .metrics
+                    .live_upload_deferral_avoided_recovery_total
+                    .inc();
+                walrus_utils::with_label!(
+                    this.node.metrics.live_upload_deferral_outcome_total,
+                    LIVE_UPLOAD_DEFERRAL_OUTCOME_AVOIDED_RECOVERY
+                )
+                .inc();
+            }
             return;
         }
 
+        if waited_for_deferral {
+            walrus_utils::with_label!(
+                this.node.metrics.live_upload_deferral_outcome_total,
+                LIVE_UPLOAD_DEFERRAL_OUTCOME_RECOVERY_NEEDED
+            )
+            .inc();
+        }
+
         let shared_metadata = this
             .clone()
             .recover_metadata()
diff --git a/crates/walrus-service/src/node/metrics.rs b/crates/walrus-service/src/node/metrics.rs
index 2e37b8df11..16eb8d8b0c 100644
--- a/crates/walrus-service/src/node/metrics.rs
+++ b/crates/walrus-service/src/node/metrics.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ pub(crate) const STATUS_IN_PROGRESS: &str = "in-progress";
 pub(crate) const STATUS_STARTED: &str = "started";
 pub(crate) const STATUS_COMPLETED: &str = "completed";
 pub(crate) const STATUS_HIGHEST_FINISHED: &str = "highest_finished";
+pub(crate) const LIVE_UPLOAD_DEFERRAL_OUTCOME_AVOIDED_RECOVERY: &str = "avoided_recovery";
+pub(crate) const LIVE_UPLOAD_DEFERRAL_OUTCOME_RECOVERY_NEEDED: &str = "recovery_needed";
 
 type U64GaugeVec = GenericGaugeVec<AtomicU64>;
 type U64Gauge = GenericGauge<AtomicU64>;
@@ -95,6 +97,13 @@ walrus_utils::metrics::define_metric_set! {
         #[help = "The number of recovery tasks currently waiting for deferrals to expire"]
         recovery_deferral_waiters: IntGauge[],
 
+        #[help = "Total number of blob recoveries avoided because data was already present after \
+        waiting for a live-upload deferral"]
+        live_upload_deferral_avoided_recovery_total: IntCounter[],
+
+        #[help = "Total number of waited live-upload deferrals by outcome"]
+        live_upload_deferral_outcome_total: IntCounterVec["outcome"],
+
         #[help = "Total number of sliver instances returned"]
         slivers_retrieved_total: IntCounterVec["sliver_type"],