diff --git a/db/size_estimates_virtual_reader.hh b/db/size_estimates_virtual_reader.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2d6e496981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/size_estimates_virtual_reader.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 ScyllaDB
+ *
+ * Modified by 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/>.
+ */
+
+#include <boost/range/adaptor/indirected.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/adaptor/map.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/adaptor/transformed.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/algorithm/find_if.hpp>
+
+#include "clustering_bounds_comparator.hh"
+#include "database.hh"
+#include "db/system_keyspace.hh"
+#include "dht/i_partitioner.hh"
+#include "mutation_reader.hh"
+#include "partition_range_compat.hh"
+#include "range.hh"
+#include "service/storage_service.hh"
+#include "stdx.hh"
+#include "streamed_mutation.hh"
+
+namespace db {
+
+namespace size_estimates {
+
+class size_estimates_mutation_reader final : public mutation_reader::impl {
+    struct token_range {
+        bytes start;
+        bytes end;
+    };
+    schema_ptr _schema;
+    const query::partition_range& _prange;
+    const query::partition_slice& _slice;
+    using ks_range = std::vector<sstring>;
+    stdx::optional<ks_range> _keyspaces;
+    ks_range::const_iterator _current_partition;
+public:
+    size_estimates_mutation_reader(schema_ptr schema, const query::partition_range& prange, const query::partition_slice& slice)
+            : _schema(schema)
+            , _prange(prange)
+            , _slice(slice)
+    { }
+
+    virtual future<streamed_mutation_opt> operator()() override {
+        // For each specified range, estimate (crudely) mean partition size and partitions count.
+        auto& db = service::get_local_storage_proxy().get_db().local();
+        if (!_keyspaces) {
+            _keyspaces = get_keyspaces(*_schema, db, _prange);
+            _current_partition = _keyspaces->begin();
+        }
+        if (_current_partition == _keyspaces->end()) {
+            return make_ready_future<streamed_mutation_opt>();
+        }
+        return get_local_ranges().then([&db, this] (auto&& ranges) {
+            auto estimates = this->estimates_for_current_keyspace(db, std::move(ranges));
+            auto mutations = db::system_keyspace::make_size_estimates_mutation(*_current_partition, std::move(estimates));
+            ++_current_partition;
+            return streamed_mutation_opt(streamed_mutation_from_mutation(std::move(mutations)));
+        });
+    }
+    /**
+     * Returns the primary ranges for the local node.
+     * Used for testing as well.
+     */
+    static future<std::vector<token_range>> get_local_ranges() {
+        auto& ss = service::get_local_storage_service();
+        return ss.get_local_tokens().then([&ss] (auto&& tokens) {
+            auto ranges = ss.get_token_metadata().get_primary_ranges_for(std::move(tokens));
+            std::vector<token_range> local_ranges;
+            auto to_bytes = [](const stdx::optional<nonwrapping_range<dht::token>::bound>& b) {
+                assert(b);
+                return utf8_type->decompose(dht::global_partitioner().to_sstring(b->value()));
+            };
+            // We merge the ranges to be compatible with how Cassandra shows it's size estimates table.
+            // All queries will be on that table, where all entries are text and there's no notion of
+            // token ranges form the CQL point of view.
+            auto left_inf = boost::find_if(ranges, [] (auto&& r) {
+                return !r.start() || r.start()->value() == dht::minimum_token();
+            });
+            auto right_inf = boost::find_if(ranges, [] (auto&& r) {
+                return !r.end() || r.start()->value() == dht::maximum_token();
+            });
+            if (left_inf != right_inf && left_inf != ranges.end() && right_inf != ranges.end()) {
+                local_ranges.push_back(token_range{to_bytes(right_inf->start()), to_bytes(left_inf->end())});
+                ranges.erase(left_inf);
+                ranges.erase(right_inf);
+            }
+            for (auto&& r : ranges) {
+                local_ranges.push_back(token_range{to_bytes(r.start()), to_bytes(r.end())});
+            }
+            boost::sort(local_ranges, [] (auto&& tr1, auto&& tr2) {
+                return utf8_type->less(tr1.start, tr2.start);
+            });
+            return local_ranges;
+        });
+    }
+private:
+    struct virtual_row {
+        const bytes& cf_name;
+        const token_range& tokens;
+        clustering_key_prefix as_key() const {
+            return clustering_key_prefix::from_exploded(std::vector<bytes_view>{cf_name, tokens.start, tokens.end});
+        }
+    };
+    struct virtual_row_comparator {
+        schema_ptr _schema;
+        virtual_row_comparator(schema_ptr schema) : _schema(schema) { }
+        bool operator()(const clustering_key_prefix& key1, const clustering_key_prefix& key2) {
+            return clustering_key_prefix::prefix_equality_less_compare(*_schema)(key1, key2);
+        }
+        bool operator()(const virtual_row& row, const clustering_key_prefix& key) {
+            return operator()(row.as_key(), key);
+        }
+        bool operator()(const clustering_key_prefix& key, const virtual_row& row) {
+            return operator()(key, row.as_key());
+        }
+    };
+    class virtual_row_iterator : public std::iterator<std::input_iterator_tag, const virtual_row> {
+        std::reference_wrapper<const std::vector<bytes>> _cf_names;
+        std::reference_wrapper<const std::vector<token_range>> _ranges;
+        size_t _cf_names_idx = 0;
+        size_t _ranges_idx = 0;
+    public:
+        struct end_iterator_tag {};
+        virtual_row_iterator(const std::vector<bytes>& cf_names, const std::vector<token_range>& ranges)
+                : _cf_names(ref(cf_names))
+                , _ranges(ref(ranges))
+        { }
+        virtual_row_iterator(const std::vector<bytes>& cf_names, const std::vector<token_range>& ranges, end_iterator_tag)
+                : _cf_names(ref(cf_names))
+                , _ranges(ref(ranges))
+                , _cf_names_idx(cf_names.size())
+                , _ranges_idx(ranges.size())
+        { }
+        virtual_row_iterator& operator++() {
+            if (++_ranges_idx == _ranges.get().size() && ++_cf_names_idx < _cf_names.get().size()) {
+                _ranges_idx = 0;
+            }
+            return *this;
+        }
+        virtual_row_iterator operator++(int) {
+            virtual_row_iterator i(*this);
+            ++(*this);
+            return i;
+        }
+        const value_type operator*() const {
+            return { _cf_names.get()[_cf_names_idx], _ranges.get()[_ranges_idx] };
+        }
+        bool operator==(const virtual_row_iterator& i) const {
+            return _cf_names_idx == i._cf_names_idx
+                && _ranges_idx == i._ranges_idx;
+        }
+        bool operator!=(const virtual_row_iterator& i) const {
+            return !(*this == i);
+        }
+    };
+
+    std::vector<db::system_keyspace::range_estimates>
+    estimates_for_current_keyspace(const database& db, std::vector<token_range> local_ranges) const {
+        auto pkey = partition_key::from_single_value(*_schema, utf8_type->decompose(*_current_partition));
+        auto cfs = db.find_keyspace(*_current_partition).metadata()->cf_meta_data();
+        auto cf_names = boost::copy_range<std::vector<bytes>>(cfs | boost::adaptors::transformed([] (auto&& cf) {
+            return utf8_type->decompose(cf.first);
+        }));
+        boost::sort(cf_names, [] (auto&& n1, auto&& n2) {
+            return utf8_type->less(n1, n2);
+        });
+        std::vector<db::system_keyspace::range_estimates> estimates;
+        for (auto& range : _slice.row_ranges(*_schema, pkey)) {
+            auto rows = boost::make_iterator_range(
+                    virtual_row_iterator(cf_names, local_ranges),
+                    virtual_row_iterator(cf_names, local_ranges, virtual_row_iterator::end_iterator_tag()));
+            auto rows_to_estimate = range.slice(rows, virtual_row_comparator(_schema));
+            for (auto&& r : rows_to_estimate) {
+                auto& cf = db.find_column_family(*_current_partition, utf8_type->to_string(r.cf_name));
+                estimates.push_back(estimate(cf, r.tokens));
+                if (estimates.size() >= _slice.partition_row_limit()) {
+                    return estimates;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return estimates;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the keyspaces, ordered by name, as selected by the partition_range.
+     */
+    static ks_range get_keyspaces(const schema& s, const database& db, query::partition_range range) {
+        struct keyspace_less_comparator {
+            const schema& _s;
+            keyspace_less_comparator(const schema& s) : _s(s) { }
+            dht::ring_position as_ring_position(const sstring& ks) {
+                auto pkey = partition_key::from_single_value(_s, utf8_type->decompose(ks));
+                return dht::global_partitioner().decorate_key(_s, std::move(pkey));
+            }
+            bool operator()(const sstring& ks1, const sstring& ks2) {
+                return as_ring_position(ks1).less_compare(_s, as_ring_position(ks2));
+            }
+            bool operator()(const sstring& ks, const dht::ring_position& rp) {
+                return as_ring_position(ks).less_compare(_s, rp);
+            }
+            bool operator()(const dht::ring_position& rp, const sstring& ks) {
+                return rp.less_compare(_s, as_ring_position(ks));
+            }
+        };
+        auto keyspaces = db.get_non_system_keyspaces();
+        auto cmp = keyspace_less_comparator(s);
+        boost::sort(keyspaces, cmp);
+        return boost::copy_range<ks_range>(range.slice(keyspaces, std::move(cmp)));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Makes a wrapping range of ring_position from a nonwrapping range of token, used to select sstables.
+     */
+    static nonwrapping_range<dht::ring_position> as_ring_position_range(nonwrapping_range<dht::token>& r) {
+        stdx::optional<range<dht::ring_position>::bound> start_bound, end_bound;
+        if (r.start()) {
+            start_bound = {{ dht::ring_position(r.start()->value(), dht::ring_position::token_bound::start), r.start()->is_inclusive() }};
+        }
+        if (r.end()) {
+            end_bound = {{ dht::ring_position(r.end()->value(), dht::ring_position::token_bound::end), r.end()->is_inclusive() }};
+        }
+        return nonwrapping_range<dht::ring_position>(std::move(start_bound), std::move(end_bound), r.is_singular());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add a new range_estimates for the specified range, considering the sstables associated with `cf`.
+     */
+    static system_keyspace::range_estimates estimate(const column_family& cf, const token_range& r) {
+        int64_t count{0};
+        utils::estimated_histogram hist{0};
+        auto from_bytes = [] (auto& b) {
+            return dht::global_partitioner().from_sstring(utf8_type->to_string(b));
+        };
+        std::vector<nonwrapping_range<dht::token>> ranges;
+        compat::unwrap_into(
+            wrapping_range<dht::token>({{ from_bytes(r.start) }}, {{ from_bytes(r.end) }}),
+            dht::token_comparator(),
+            [&] (auto&& rng) { ranges.push_back(std::move(rng)); });
+        for (auto&& r : ranges) {
+            auto rp_range = as_ring_position_range(r);
+            for (auto&& sstable : cf.select_sstables(rp_range)) {
+                count += sstable->estimated_keys_for_range(r);
+                hist.merge(sstable->get_stats_metadata().estimated_row_size);
+            }
+        }
+        return {cf.schema(), r.start, r.end, count, count > 0 ? hist.mean() : 0};
+    }
+};
+
+struct virtual_reader {
+    mutation_reader operator()(schema_ptr schema,
+            const query::partition_range& range,
+            const query::partition_slice& slice,
+            const io_priority_class& pc,
+            tracing::trace_state_ptr trace_state) {
+        return make_mutation_reader<size_estimates_mutation_reader>(schema, range, slice);
+    }
+};
+
+} // namespace size_estimates
+
+} // namespace db
diff --git a/db/system_keyspace.cc b/db/system_keyspace.cc
index f22820efa9..0a956cf203 100644
--- a/db/system_keyspace.cc
+++ b/db/system_keyspace.cc
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 #include "service/storage_proxy.hh"
 #include "message/messaging_service.hh"
 #include "mutation_query.hh"
+#include "db/size_estimates_virtual_reader.hh"
 
 using days = std::chrono::duration<int, std::ratio<24 * 3600>>;
 
@@ -1022,6 +1023,12 @@ std::vector<schema_ptr> all_tables() {
     return r;
 }
 
+static void maybe_add_virtual_reader(schema_ptr s, database& db) {
+    if (s.get() == size_estimates().get()) {
+        db.find_column_family(s).set_virtual_reader(db::size_estimates::virtual_reader());
+    }
+}
+
 void make(database& db, bool durable, bool volatile_testing_only) {
     auto ksm = make_lw_shared<keyspace_metadata>(NAME,
             "org.apache.cassandra.locator.LocalStrategy",
@@ -1046,6 +1053,7 @@ void make(database& db, bool durable, bool volatile_testing_only) {
     auto& ks = db.find_keyspace(NAME);
     for (auto&& table : all_tables()) {
         db.add_column_family(table, ks.make_column_family_config(*table, db.get_config()));
+        maybe_add_virtual_reader(table, db);
     }
 }