diff --git a/packages/lodestar/src/metrics/metrics/lodestar.ts b/packages/lodestar/src/metrics/metrics/lodestar.ts
index f729cdf42b0..fd981d7dd8b 100644
--- a/packages/lodestar/src/metrics/metrics/lodestar.ts
+++ b/packages/lodestar/src/metrics/metrics/lodestar.ts
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ export function createLodestarMetrics(
       name: "lodestar_sync_status",
       help: "Range sync status: [Stalled, SyncingFinalized, SyncingHead, Synced]",
     }),
+    syncUnknownParentSyncs: register.gauge({
+      name: "lodestar_sync_unknown_parent_syncs_total",
+      help: "Total number of unknown parent syncs",
+    }),
 
     // Validator monitoring
 
diff --git a/packages/lodestar/src/sync/sync.ts b/packages/lodestar/src/sync/sync.ts
index 6a0ddf426c2..f208e15845c 100644
--- a/packages/lodestar/src/sync/sync.ts
+++ b/packages/lodestar/src/sync/sync.ts
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ import {fetchUnknownBlockRoot, getPeerSyncType, PeerSyncType} from "./utils";
 import {MIN_EPOCH_TO_START_GOSSIP} from "./constants";
 import {SyncState, SyncChainDebugState, syncStateMetric} from "./interface";
 import {ISyncOptions} from "./options";
+import {IMetrics} from "../metrics";
 
 export class BeaconSync implements IBeaconSync {
   private readonly config: IBeaconConfig;
   private readonly logger: ILogger;
   private readonly network: INetwork;
   private readonly chain: IBeaconChain;
+  private readonly metrics: IMetrics | null;
   private readonly opts: ISyncOptions;
 
   private readonly rangeSync: RangeSync;
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ export class BeaconSync implements IBeaconSync {
     this.config = config;
     this.network = network;
     this.chain = chain;
+    this.metrics = metrics;
     this.logger = logger;
     this.rangeSync = new RangeSync(modules, this.opts);
     this.slotImportTolerance = SLOTS_PER_EPOCH;
@@ -207,6 +210,7 @@ export class BeaconSync implements IBeaconSync {
       return;
     }
 
+    this.metrics?.syncUnknownParentSyncs.inc(1);
     this.processingRoots.add(parentRootHex);
     this.logger.verbose("Finding block for unknown ancestor root", {parentRootHex});