diff --git a/db/commitlog/commitlog.cc b/db/commitlog/commitlog.cc
index b605fdd79f..603027f0d6 100644
--- a/db/commitlog/commitlog.cc
+++ b/db/commitlog/commitlog.cc
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ public:
         uint64_t bytes_slack = 0;
         uint64_t segments_created = 0;
         uint64_t segments_destroyed = 0;
-        uint64_t pending_operations = 0;
+        uint64_t pending_writes = 0;
+        uint64_t pending_flushes = 0;
         uint64_t total_size = 0;
         uint64_t buffer_list_bytes = 0;
         uint64_t total_size_on_disk = 0;
@@ -180,12 +181,21 @@ public:
 
     stats totals;
 
-    void begin_op() {
+    void begin_write() {
         _gate.enter();
-        ++totals.pending_operations;
+        ++totals.pending_writes;
     }
-    void end_op() {
-        --totals.pending_operations;
+    void end_write() {
+        --totals.pending_writes;
+        _gate.leave();
+    }
+
+    void begin_flush() {
+        _gate.enter();
+        ++totals.pending_flushes;
+    }
+    void end_flush() {
+        --totals.pending_flushes;
         _gate.leave();
     }
 
@@ -462,8 +472,8 @@ public:
                         logger.trace("{} already synced! ({} < {})", *this, pos, _flush_pos);
                         return make_ready_future<sseg_ptr>(std::move(me));
                     }
-                    _segment_manager->begin_op();
-                    return _file.flush().then_wrapped([this, pos, me](auto f) {
+                    _segment_manager->begin_flush();
+                    return _file.flush().then_wrapped([this, pos, me](future<> f) {
                                 try {
                                     f.get();
                                     // TODO: retry/ignore/fail/stop - optional behaviour in origin.
@@ -477,7 +487,7 @@ public:
                                     throw;
                                 }
                             }).finally([this, me] {
-                                _segment_manager->end_op();
+                                _segment_manager->end_flush();
                             });
                 });
     }
@@ -565,10 +575,10 @@ public:
         return _dwrite.read_lock().then([this, size, off, buf = std::move(buf), me]() mutable {
             auto written = make_lw_shared<size_t>(0);
             auto p = buf.get();
-            _segment_manager->begin_op();
+            _segment_manager->begin_write();
             return repeat([this, size, off, written, p]() mutable {
                 auto& priority_class = service::get_local_commitlog_priority();
-                return _file.dma_write(off + *written, p + *written, size - *written, priority_class).then_wrapped([this, size, written](auto&& f) {
+                return _file.dma_write(off + *written, p + *written, size - *written, priority_class).then_wrapped([this, size, written](future<size_t>&& f) {
                     try {
                         auto bytes = std::get<0>(f.get());
                         *written += bytes;
@@ -592,7 +602,7 @@ public:
                 });
             }).finally([this, buf = std::move(buf)]() mutable {
                 _segment_manager->release_buffer(std::move(buf));
-                _segment_manager->end_op();
+                _segment_manager->end_write();
             });
         }).then([me] {
             return make_ready_future<sseg_ptr>(std::move(me));
@@ -849,8 +859,12 @@ scollectd::registrations db::commitlog::segment_manager::create_counters() {
         ),
 
         add_polled_metric(type_instance_id("commitlog"
-                        , per_cpu_plugin_instance, "queue_length", "pending_operations")
-                , make_typed(data_type::GAUGE, totals.pending_operations)
+                        , per_cpu_plugin_instance, "queue_length", "pending_writes")
+                , make_typed(data_type::GAUGE, totals.pending_writes)
+        ),
+        add_polled_metric(type_instance_id("commitlog"
+                        , per_cpu_plugin_instance, "queue_length", "pending_flushes")
+                , make_typed(data_type::GAUGE, totals.pending_flushes)
         ),
         add_polled_metric(type_instance_id("commitlog"
                         , per_cpu_plugin_instance, "memory", "total_size")
@@ -1508,7 +1522,8 @@ uint64_t db::commitlog::get_flush_count() const {
 }
 
 uint64_t db::commitlog::get_pending_tasks() const {
-    return _segment_manager->totals.pending_operations;
+    return _segment_manager->totals.pending_writes
+                    + _segment_manager->totals.pending_flushes;
 }
 
 uint64_t db::commitlog::get_num_segments_created() const {