diff --git a/retrieval/discovery/consul/consul.go b/retrieval/discovery/consul/consul.go
index 75d81704b..58b2da806 100644
--- a/retrieval/discovery/consul/consul.go
+++ b/retrieval/discovery/consul/consul.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	consul "github.com/hashicorp/consul/api"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"github.com/prometheus/common/log"
 	"github.com/prometheus/common/model"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -48,8 +49,37 @@ const (
 	datacenterLabel = model.MetaLabelPrefix + "consul_dc"
 	// serviceIDLabel is the name of the label containing the service ID.
 	serviceIDLabel = model.MetaLabelPrefix + "consul_service_id"
+
+	// Constants for instrumentation.
+	namespace = "prometheus"
 )
 
+var (
+	rpcFailuresCount = prometheus.NewCounter(
+		prometheus.CounterOpts{
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			Name:      "sd_consul_rpc_failures_total",
+			Help:      "The number of Consul RPC call failures.",
+		})
+	rpcDuration = prometheus.NewSummaryVec(
+		prometheus.SummaryOpts{
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			Name:      "sd_consul_rpc_duration_seconds",
+			Help:      "The duration of a Consul RPC call in seconds.",
+		},
+		[]string{"endpoint", "call"},
+	)
+)
+
+func init() {
+	prometheus.MustRegister(rpcFailuresCount)
+	prometheus.MustRegister(rpcDuration)
+
+	// Initialize metric vectors.
+	rpcDuration.WithLabelValues("catalog", "service")
+	rpcDuration.WithLabelValues("catalog", "services")
+}
+
 // Discovery retrieves target information from a Consul server
 // and updates them via watches.
 type Discovery struct {
@@ -110,10 +140,12 @@ func (cd *Discovery) Run(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetGroup) {
 	var lastIndex uint64
 	for {
 		catalog := cd.client.Catalog()
+		t0 := time.Now()
 		srvs, meta, err := catalog.Services(&consul.QueryOptions{
 			WaitIndex: lastIndex,
 			WaitTime:  watchTimeout,
 		})
+		rpcDuration.WithLabelValues("catalog", "services").Observe(time.Since(t0).Seconds())
 
 		// We have to check the context at least once. The checks during channel sends
 		// do not guarantee that.
@@ -125,6 +157,7 @@ func (cd *Discovery) Run(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetGroup) {
 
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("Error refreshing service list: %s", err)
+			rpcFailuresCount.Inc()
 			time.Sleep(retryInterval)
 			continue
 		}
@@ -202,10 +235,13 @@ func (srv *consulService) watch(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetG
 
 	lastIndex := uint64(0)
 	for {
+		t0 := time.Now()
 		nodes, meta, err := catalog.Service(srv.name, "", &consul.QueryOptions{
 			WaitIndex: lastIndex,
 			WaitTime:  watchTimeout,
 		})
+		rpcDuration.WithLabelValues("catalog", "service").Observe(time.Since(t0).Seconds())
+
 		// Check the context before potentially falling in a continue-loop.
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -216,6 +252,7 @@ func (srv *consulService) watch(ctx context.Context, ch chan<- []*config.TargetG
 
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("Error refreshing service %s: %s", srv.name, err)
+			rpcFailuresCount.Inc()
 			time.Sleep(retryInterval)
 			continue
 		}