diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-actors/src/mailbox.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-actors/src/mailbox.rs
index 90f95e7b8b3..6c46eb4c07c 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-actors/src/mailbox.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-actors/src/mailbox.rs
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ use std::any::Any;
 use std::convert::Infallible;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
-use std::sync::{Arc, Weak};
+use std::sync::{Arc, OnceLock, Weak};
 use std::time::Instant;
 
-use quickwit_common::metrics::IntCounter;
+use quickwit_common::metrics::{GaugeGuard, IntCounter, IntGauge};
 use tokio::sync::oneshot;
 
 use crate::channel_with_priority::{Receiver, Sender, TrySendError};
@@ -311,39 +311,45 @@ impl<A: Actor> Mailbox<A> {
     }
 }
 
+struct InboxInner<A: Actor> {
+    rx: Receiver<Envelope<A>>,
+    _actors_count_gauge_guard: GaugeGuard<'static>,
+
+}
+
 pub struct Inbox<A: Actor> {
-    rx: Arc<Receiver<Envelope<A>>>,
+    inner: Arc<InboxInner<A>>,
 }
 
 impl<A: Actor> Clone for Inbox<A> {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
         Inbox {
-            rx: self.rx.clone(),
+            inner: self.inner.clone(),
         }
     }
 }
 
 impl<A: Actor> Inbox<A> {
     pub(crate) fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
-        self.rx.is_empty()
+        self.inner.rx.is_empty()
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn recv(&self) -> Result<Envelope<A>, RecvError> {
-        self.rx.recv().await
+        self.inner.rx.recv().await
     }
 
     pub(crate) async fn recv_cmd_and_scheduled_msg_only(&self) -> Envelope<A> {
-        self.rx.recv_high_priority().await
+        self.inner.rx.recv_high_priority().await
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn try_recv(&self) -> Result<Envelope<A>, RecvError> {
-        self.rx.try_recv()
+        self.inner.rx.try_recv()
     }
 
     #[cfg(any(test, feature = "testsuite"))]
     pub async fn recv_typed_message<M: 'static>(&self) -> Result<M, RecvError> {
         loop {
-            match self.rx.recv().await {
+            match self.inner.rx.recv().await {
                 Ok(mut envelope) => {
                     if let Some(msg) = envelope.message_typed() {
                         return Ok(msg);
@@ -362,7 +368,7 @@ impl<A: Actor> Inbox<A> {
     /// Warning this iterator might never be exhausted if there is a living
     /// mailbox associated to it.
     pub fn drain_for_test(&self) -> Vec<Box<dyn Any>> {
-        self.rx
+        self.inner.rx
             .drain_low_priority()
             .into_iter()
             .map(|mut envelope| envelope.message())
@@ -375,7 +381,7 @@ impl<A: Actor> Inbox<A> {
     /// Warning this iterator might never be exhausted if there is a living
     /// mailbox associated to it.
     pub fn drain_for_test_typed<M: 'static>(&self) -> Vec<M> {
-        self.rx
+        self.inner.rx
             .drain_low_priority()
             .into_iter()
             .flat_map(|mut envelope| envelope.message_typed())
@@ -383,11 +389,21 @@ impl<A: Actor> Inbox<A> {
     }
 }
 
+
+fn get_actors_inbox_count_gauge_guard() -> GaugeGuard<'static> {
+    static INBOX_GAUGE: std::sync::OnceLock<IntGauge> = OnceLock::new();
+    let gauge = INBOX_GAUGE.get_or_init(|| {
+        quickwit_common::metrics::new_gauge("inbox_count", "overall count of actors", "actors", &[])
+    });
+    GaugeGuard::from_gauge(gauge)
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn create_mailbox<A: Actor>(
     actor_name: String,
     queue_capacity: QueueCapacity,
     scheduler_client_opt: Option<SchedulerClient>,
 ) -> (Mailbox<A>, Inbox<A>) {
+
     let (tx, rx) = crate::channel_with_priority::channel(queue_capacity);
     let ref_count = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(1));
     let mailbox = Mailbox {
@@ -398,7 +414,13 @@ pub(crate) fn create_mailbox<A: Actor>(
         }),
         ref_count,
     };
-    let inbox = Inbox { rx: Arc::new(rx) };
+    let actors_count_gauge_guard = get_actors_inbox_count_gauge_guard();
+    let inner = InboxInner {
+        rx,
+        _actors_count_gauge_guard: actors_count_gauge_guard,
+
+    };
+    let inbox = Inbox { inner: Arc::new(inner) };
     (mailbox, inbox)
 }