diff --git a/src/Products/ZCatalog/ZCatalog.py b/src/Products/ZCatalog/ZCatalog.py
index 45be603a..618f2711 100644
--- a/src/Products/ZCatalog/ZCatalog.py
+++ b/src/Products/ZCatalog/ZCatalog.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 from Acquisition import aq_parent
 from Acquisition import Implicit
 from App.special_dtml import DTMLFile
+from BTrees.Length import Length
 from DateTime.DateTime import DateTime
 from DocumentTemplate.DT_Util import InstanceDict
 from DocumentTemplate.DT_Util import TemplateDict
@@ -159,6 +160,8 @@ class is that it is not Zope specific.  You can use it in any
     _v_total = 0
     _v_transaction = None
 
+    _counter = None
+
     def __init__(self, id, title='', vocab_id=None, container=None):
         # ZCatalog no longer cares about vocabularies
         # so the vocab_id argument is ignored (Casey)
@@ -290,6 +293,8 @@ def refreshCatalog(self, clear=0, pghandler=None):
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_entries, 'manage_catalogClear')
     def manage_catalogClear(self, REQUEST=None, RESPONSE=None, URL1=None):
         """ clears the whole enchilada """
+
+        self._increment_counter()
         self._catalog.clear()
 
         if REQUEST and RESPONSE:
@@ -484,6 +489,9 @@ def maintain_zodb_cache(self):
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_entries, 'catalog_object')
     def catalog_object(self, obj, uid=None, idxs=None, update_metadata=1,
                        pghandler=None):
+
+        self._increment_counter()
+
         if uid is None:
             try:
                 uid = obj.getPhysicalPath
@@ -511,8 +519,18 @@ def catalog_object(self, obj, uid=None, idxs=None, update_metadata=1,
 
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_entries, 'uncatalog_object')
     def uncatalog_object(self, uid):
+        self._increment_counter()
         self._catalog.uncatalogObject(uid)
 
+    def _increment_counter(self):
+        if self._counter is None:
+            self._counter = Length()
+        self._counter.change(1)
+
+    security.declarePrivate('getCounter')
+    def getCounter(self):
+        return self._counter is not None and self._counter() or 0
+
     security.declareProtected(search_zcatalog, 'uniqueValuesFor')
     def uniqueValuesFor(self, name):
         # Return the unique values for a given FieldIndex
@@ -819,6 +837,7 @@ def _getProgressThreshold(self):
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_indexes, 'addIndex')
     def addIndex(self, name, type, extra=None):
         if IPluggableIndex.providedBy(type):
+            self._increment_counter()
             self._catalog.addIndex(name, type)
             return
 
@@ -854,14 +873,17 @@ def addIndex(self, name, type, extra=None):
         else:
             index = base(name)
 
+        self._increment_counter()
         self._catalog.addIndex(name, index)
 
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_indexes, 'delIndex')
     def delIndex(self, name):
+        self._increment_counter()
         self._catalog.delIndex(name)
 
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_indexes, 'clearIndex')
     def clearIndex(self, name):
+        self._increment_counter()
         self._catalog.getIndex(name).clear()
 
     security.declareProtected(manage_zcatalog_indexes, 'addColumn')
diff --git a/src/Products/ZCatalog/tests/test_zcatalog.py b/src/Products/ZCatalog/tests/test_zcatalog.py
index 5f246125..0f3ab4cc 100644
--- a/src/Products/ZCatalog/tests/test_zcatalog.py
+++ b/src/Products/ZCatalog/tests/test_zcatalog.py
@@ -211,6 +211,18 @@ def testReindexIndexesFalse(self):
     # manage_reindexIndex
     # catalog_object
     # uncatalog_object
+
+    def test_getcounter(self):
+        counter = self._catalog.getCounter()
+
+        self._catalog.catalog_object(ZDummy(1), 'xyz123')
+        counter_1 = self._catalog.getCounter()
+        self.assertEquals(counter + 1, counter_1)
+
+        self._catalog.uncatalog_object('xyz123')
+        counter_2 = self._catalog.getCounter()
+        self.assertEquals(counter_1 + 1, counter_2)
+
     # uniqueValuesFor
     # getpath
     # getrid