diff --git a/kmod/src/counters.h b/kmod/src/counters.h
index 9d5db004..cc4fc7a8 100644
--- a/kmod/src/counters.h
+++ b/kmod/src/counters.h
@@ -115,11 +115,12 @@
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_commit_sync_fs)			\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_commit_timer)			\
 	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_level0_seg_write_bytes)		\
-	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_level0_seg_writes)
-
+	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_level0_seg_writes)			\
+	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_write_item)			\
+	EXPAND_COUNTER(trans_write_deletion_item)
 
 #define FIRST_COUNTER	btree_read_error
-#define LAST_COUNTER	trans_level0_seg_writes
+#define LAST_COUNTER	trans_write_deletion_item
 
 #undef EXPAND_COUNTER
 #define EXPAND_COUNTER(which) struct percpu_counter which;
diff --git a/kmod/src/item.c b/kmod/src/item.c
index 77cd5057..b6432f19 100644
--- a/kmod/src/item.c
+++ b/kmod/src/item.c
@@ -1734,6 +1734,11 @@ int scoutfs_item_dirty_seg(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_segment *seg)
 		/* trans reservation should have limited dirty */
 		BUG_ON(!appended);
 
+		if (item->deletion)
+			scoutfs_inc_counter(sb, trans_write_deletion_item);
+		else
+			scoutfs_inc_counter(sb, trans_write_item);
+
 		clear_item_dirty(sb, cac, item);
 
 		del = item;