diff --git a/pageserver/src/metrics.rs b/pageserver/src/metrics.rs
index 09a71b0498..66bf21ddec 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/metrics.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/metrics.rs
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ pub(crate) static READ_NUM_LAYERS_VISITED: Lazy<Histogram> = Lazy::new(|| {
     )
     .expect("failed to define a metric")
 });
+
+pub(crate) static VEC_READ_NUM_LAYERS_VISITED: Lazy<Histogram> = Lazy::new(|| {
+    register_histogram!(
+        "pageserver_layers_visited_per_vectored_read_global",
+        "Average number of layers visited to reconstruct one key",
+        vec![1.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16.0, 32.0, 64.0, 128.0, 256.0, 512.0, 1024.0],
     )
     .expect("failed to define a metric")
 });
@@ -2774,8 +2780,8 @@ pub fn preinitialize_metrics() {
 
     // histograms
     [
-        &READ_NUM_FS_LAYERS,
         &READ_NUM_LAYERS_VISITED,
+        &VEC_READ_NUM_LAYERS_VISITED,
         &WAIT_LSN_TIME,
         &WAL_REDO_TIME,
         &WAL_REDO_RECORDS_HISTOGRAM,
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
index 9a2b086828..9ddd916700 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/storage_layer.rs
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ValuesReconstructState {
     pub(crate) keys: HashMap<Key, Result<VectoredValueReconstructState, PageReconstructError>>,
 
     keys_done: KeySpaceRandomAccum,
+    layers_visited: u32,
 }
 
 impl ValuesReconstructState {
@@ -125,6 +126,7 @@ impl ValuesReconstructState {
         Self {
             keys: HashMap::new(),
             keys_done: KeySpaceRandomAccum::new(),
+            layers_visited: 0,
         }
     }
 
@@ -138,6 +140,14 @@ impl ValuesReconstructState {
         }
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn on_layer_visited(&mut self) {
+        self.layers_visited += 1;
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn get_layers_visited(&self) -> u32 {
+        self.layers_visited
+    }
+
     /// Update the state collected for a given key.
     /// Returns true if this was the last value needed for the key and false otherwise.
     ///
diff --git a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
index 7a07618f48..2d350acb4f 100644
--- a/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
+++ b/pageserver/src/tenant/timeline.rs
@@ -957,6 +957,7 @@ impl Timeline {
             .await?;
 
         let mut results: BTreeMap<Key, Result<Bytes, PageReconstructError>> = BTreeMap::new();
+        let layers_visited = reconstruct_state.get_layers_visited();
         for (key, res) in reconstruct_state.keys {
             match res {
                 Err(err) => {
@@ -971,6 +972,12 @@ impl Timeline {
             }
         }
 
+        // Note that this is an approximation. Tracking the exact number of layers visited
+        // per key requires virtually unbounded memory usage and is inefficient
+        // (i.e. segment tree tracking each range queried from a layer)
+        crate::metrics::VEC_READ_NUM_LAYERS_VISITED
+            .observe(layers_visited as f64 / results.len() as f64);
+
         Ok(results)
     }
 
@@ -3129,6 +3136,8 @@ impl Timeline {
 
                 unmapped_keyspace = keyspace_to_read;
                 cont_lsn = next_cont_lsn;
+
+                reconstruct_state.on_layer_visited();
             } else {
                 break;
             }