diff --git a/examples/random/main.go b/examples/random/main.go
index 1738408..144c58a 100644
--- a/examples/random/main.go
+++ b/examples/random/main.go
@@ -31,19 +31,19 @@ func main() {
 		BucketMaker:           metrics.AccumulatingBucketBuilder(metrics.EvictAndReplaceWith(10, maths.Average), 50),
 		ReportablePercentiles: []float64{0.01, 0.05, 0.5, 0.90, 0.99},
 	})
-	foo_rpc_calls := &metrics.GaugeMetric{}
+	foo_rpc_calls := &metrics.CounterMetric{}
 	bar_rpc_latency := metrics.CreateHistogram(&metrics.HistogramSpecification{
 		Starts:                metrics.EquallySizedBucketsFor(0, 200, 4),
 		BucketMaker:           metrics.AccumulatingBucketBuilder(metrics.EvictAndReplaceWith(10, maths.Average), 50),
 		ReportablePercentiles: []float64{0.01, 0.05, 0.5, 0.90, 0.99},
 	})
-	bar_rpc_calls := &metrics.GaugeMetric{}
+	bar_rpc_calls := &metrics.CounterMetric{}
 	zed_rpc_latency := metrics.CreateHistogram(&metrics.HistogramSpecification{
 		Starts:                metrics.EquallySizedBucketsFor(0, 200, 4),
 		BucketMaker:           metrics.AccumulatingBucketBuilder(metrics.EvictAndReplaceWith(10, maths.Average), 50),
 		ReportablePercentiles: []float64{0.01, 0.05, 0.5, 0.90, 0.99},
 	})
-	zed_rpc_calls := &metrics.GaugeMetric{}
+	zed_rpc_calls := &metrics.CounterMetric{}
 
 	metrics := registry.NewRegistry()
 	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_foo_microseconds", foo_rpc_latency)
diff --git a/metrics/constants.go b/metrics/constants.go
index 61f24bc..0514ae7 100644
--- a/metrics/constants.go
+++ b/metrics/constants.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ package metrics
 const (
 	valueKey           = "value"
 	gaugeTypeValue     = "gauge"
+	counterTypeValue   = "counter"
 	typeKey            = "type"
 	histogramTypeValue = "histogram"
 	floatFormat        = 'f'
diff --git a/metrics/counter.go b/metrics/counter.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01549a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metrics/counter.go
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2012, Matt T. Proud
+All rights reserved.
+
+Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+*/
+
+package metrics
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+type CounterMetric struct {
+	value float64
+	mutex sync.RWMutex
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) Set(value float64) float64 {
+	metric.mutex.Lock()
+	defer metric.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	metric.value = value
+
+	return metric.value
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) Reset() {
+	metric.Set(0)
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) String() string {
+	formatString := "[CounterMetric; value=%f]"
+
+	metric.mutex.RLock()
+	defer metric.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf(formatString, metric.value)
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) IncrementBy(value float64) float64 {
+	metric.mutex.Lock()
+	defer metric.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	metric.value += value
+
+	return metric.value
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) Increment() float64 {
+	return metric.IncrementBy(1)
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) DecrementBy(value float64) float64 {
+	metric.mutex.Lock()
+	defer metric.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	metric.value -= value
+
+	return metric.value
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) Decrement() float64 {
+	return metric.DecrementBy(1)
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) Get() float64 {
+	metric.mutex.RLock()
+	defer metric.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	return metric.value
+}
+
+func (metric *CounterMetric) Marshallable() map[string]interface{} {
+	metric.mutex.RLock()
+	defer metric.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	v := make(map[string]interface{}, 2)
+
+	v[valueKey] = metric.value
+	v[typeKey] = counterTypeValue
+
+	return v
+}
diff --git a/metrics/counter_test.go b/metrics/counter_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94bde05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metrics/counter_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/*
+Copyright (c) 2012, Matt T. Proud
+All rights reserved.
+
+Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+*/
+
+package metrics
+
+import (
+	. "launchpad.net/gocheck"
+)
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterCreate(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	c.Assert(m, Not(IsNil))
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterGet(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 42.23}
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 42.23)
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterSet(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 42.23}
+	m.Set(40.4)
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 40.4)
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterReset(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 42.23}
+	m.Reset()
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 0.0)
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterIncrementBy(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	m.IncrementBy(1.5)
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 2.5)
+	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[CounterMetric; value=2.500000]")
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterIncrement(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	m.Increment()
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 2.0)
+	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[CounterMetric; value=2.000000]")
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterDecrementBy(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	m.DecrementBy(1.0)
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 0.0)
+	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[CounterMetric; value=0.000000]")
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterDecrement(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	m.Decrement()
+
+	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 0.0)
+	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[CounterMetric; value=0.000000]")
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterString(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 2.0}
+	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[CounterMetric; value=2.000000]")
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterMetricMarshallable(c *C) {
+	m := CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	returned := m.Marshallable()
+
+	c.Assert(returned, Not(IsNil))
+
+	c.Check(returned, HasLen, 2)
+	c.Check(returned["value"], Equals, 1.0)
+	c.Check(returned["type"], Equals, "counter")
+}
+
+func (s *S) TestCounterAsMetric(c *C) {
+	var metric Metric = &CounterMetric{value: 1.0}
+
+	c.Assert(metric, Not(IsNil))
+}
diff --git a/metrics/gauge.go b/metrics/gauge.go
index ed8f448..4197336 100644
--- a/metrics/gauge.go
+++ b/metrics/gauge.go
@@ -42,32 +42,6 @@ func (metric *GaugeMetric) Set(value float64) float64 {
 	return metric.value
 }
 
-func (metric *GaugeMetric) IncrementBy(value float64) float64 {
-	metric.mutex.Lock()
-	defer metric.mutex.Unlock()
-
-	metric.value += value
-
-	return metric.value
-}
-
-func (metric *GaugeMetric) Increment() float64 {
-	return metric.IncrementBy(1)
-}
-
-func (metric *GaugeMetric) DecrementBy(value float64) float64 {
-	metric.mutex.Lock()
-	defer metric.mutex.Unlock()
-
-	metric.value -= value
-
-	return metric.value
-}
-
-func (metric *GaugeMetric) Decrement() float64 {
-	return metric.DecrementBy(1)
-}
-
 func (metric *GaugeMetric) Get() float64 {
 	metric.mutex.RLock()
 	defer metric.mutex.RUnlock()
diff --git a/metrics/gauge_test.go b/metrics/gauge_test.go
index ed479b4..6930c40 100644
--- a/metrics/gauge_test.go
+++ b/metrics/gauge_test.go
@@ -12,19 +12,19 @@ import (
 	. "launchpad.net/gocheck"
 )
 
-func (s *S) TestCreate(c *C) {
+func (s *S) TestGaugeCreate(c *C) {
 	m := GaugeMetric{value: 1.0}
 
 	c.Assert(m, Not(IsNil))
 	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 1.0)
 }
 
-func (s *S) TestString(c *C) {
+func (s *S) TestGaugeString(c *C) {
 	m := GaugeMetric{value: 2.0}
 	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[GaugeMetric; value=2.000000]")
 }
 
-func (s *S) TestSet(c *C) {
+func (s *S) TestGaugeSet(c *C) {
 	m := GaugeMetric{value: -1.0}
 
 	m.Set(-99.0)
@@ -32,42 +32,6 @@ func (s *S) TestSet(c *C) {
 	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, -99.0)
 }
 
-func (s *S) TestIncrementBy(c *C) {
-	m := GaugeMetric{value: 1.0}
-
-	m.IncrementBy(1.5)
-
-	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 2.5)
-	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[GaugeMetric; value=2.500000]")
-}
-
-func (s *S) TestIncrement(c *C) {
-	m := GaugeMetric{value: 1.0}
-
-	m.Increment()
-
-	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 2.0)
-	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[GaugeMetric; value=2.000000]")
-}
-
-func (s *S) TestDecrementBy(c *C) {
-	m := GaugeMetric{value: 1.0}
-
-	m.DecrementBy(1.0)
-
-	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 0.0)
-	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[GaugeMetric; value=0.000000]")
-}
-
-func (s *S) TestDecrement(c *C) {
-	m := GaugeMetric{value: 1.0}
-
-	m.Decrement()
-
-	c.Check(m.Get(), Equals, 0.0)
-	c.Check(m.String(), Equals, "[GaugeMetric; value=0.000000]")
-}
-
 func (s *S) TestGaugeMetricMarshallable(c *C) {
 	m := GaugeMetric{value: 1.0}
 
diff --git a/registry.go b/registry.go
index 66b406f..5af343a 100644
--- a/registry.go
+++ b/registry.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ exposed if the DefaultRegistry's exporter is hooked into the HTTP request
 handler.
 */
 
-var requestCount *metrics.GaugeMetric = &metrics.GaugeMetric{}
+var requestCount *metrics.CounterMetric = &metrics.CounterMetric{}
 var requestLatencyLogarithmicBuckets []float64 = metrics.LogarithmicSizedBucketsFor(0, 1000)
 var requestLatencyEqualBuckets []float64 = metrics.EquallySizedBucketsFor(0, 1000, 10)
 var requestLatencyLogarithmicAccumulating *metrics.Histogram = metrics.CreateHistogram(&metrics.HistogramSpecification{