diff --git a/service/storage_service.cc b/service/storage_service.cc
index 69f9d0a91d..37ca2cfa64 100644
--- a/service/storage_service.cc
+++ b/service/storage_service.cc
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ static logging::logger logger("storage_service");
 static const sstring RANGE_TOMBSTONES_FEATURE = "RANGE_TOMBSTONES";
 static const sstring LARGE_PARTITIONS_FEATURE = "LARGE_PARTITIONS";
 static const sstring MATERIALIZED_VIEWS_FEATURE = "MATERIALIZED_VIEWS";
+static const sstring COUNTERS_FEATURE = "COUNTERS";
 
 distributed<storage_service> _the_storage_service;
 
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ sstring storage_service::get_config_supported_features() {
     };
     if (service::get_local_storage_service()._db.local().get_config().experimental()) {
         features.push_back(MATERIALIZED_VIEWS_FEATURE);
+        features.push_back(COUNTERS_FEATURE);
     }
     return join(",", features);
 }
@@ -1349,6 +1351,7 @@ future<> storage_service::init_server(int delay) {
 
             if (ss._db.local().get_config().experimental()) {
                 ss._materialized_views_feature = gms::feature(MATERIALIZED_VIEWS_FEATURE);
+                ss._counters_feature = gms::feature(COUNTERS_FEATURE);
             }
         }).get();
     });
diff --git a/service/storage_service.hh b/service/storage_service.hh
index 643fd2eae3..a15a97bbb8 100644
--- a/service/storage_service.hh
+++ b/service/storage_service.hh
@@ -261,12 +261,14 @@ private:
     gms::feature _range_tombstones_feature;
     gms::feature _large_partitions_feature;
     gms::feature _materialized_views_feature;
+    gms::feature _counters_feature;
 
 public:
     void enable_all_features() {
         _range_tombstones_feature.enable();
         _large_partitions_feature.enable();
         _materialized_views_feature.enable();
+        _counters_feature.enable();
     }
 
     void finish_bootstrapping() {
@@ -2224,6 +2226,10 @@ public:
     bool cluster_supports_materialized_views() const {
         return bool(_materialized_views_feature);
     }
+
+    bool cluster_supports_counters() const {
+        return bool(_counters_feature);
+    }
 };
 
 inline future<> init_storage_service(distributed<database>& db) {