diff --git a/influxdb_iox/src/commands/run/router2.rs b/influxdb_iox/src/commands/run/router2.rs
index a609f6a8c5..8ba517b337 100644
--- a/influxdb_iox/src/commands/run/router2.rs
+++ b/influxdb_iox/src/commands/run/router2.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use data_types::database_rules::{PartitionTemplate, TemplatePart};
 use observability_deps::tracing::*;
 use router2::{
     dml_handlers::{NamespaceAutocreation, Partitioner, SchemaValidator, ShardedWriteBuffer},
-    namespace_cache::{MemoryNamespaceCache, ShardedCache},
+    namespace_cache::{metrics::InstrumentedCache, MemoryNamespaceCache, ShardedCache},
     sequencer::Sequencer,
     server::{http::HttpDelegate, RouterServer},
     sharder::JumpHash,
@@ -94,10 +94,14 @@ pub async fn command(config: Config) -> Result<()> {
     )
     .await?;
 
-    // Initialise a namespace cache to be shared with the schema validator, and
-    // namespace auto-creator.
-    let ns_cache = Arc::new(ShardedCache::new(
-        iter::repeat_with(|| Arc::new(MemoryNamespaceCache::default())).take(10),
+    // Initialise an instrumented namespace cache to be shared with the schema
+    // validator, and namespace auto-creator that reports cache hit/miss/update
+    // metrics.
+    let ns_cache = Arc::new(InstrumentedCache::new(
+        Arc::new(ShardedCache::new(
+            iter::repeat_with(|| Arc::new(MemoryNamespaceCache::default())).take(10),
+        )),
+        Arc::clone(&metrics),
     ));
     // Add the schema validator layer.
     let handler_stack =
diff --git a/router2/src/dml_handlers/schema_validation.rs b/router2/src/dml_handlers/schema_validation.rs
index b700841bc4..d7beafb035 100644
--- a/router2/src/dml_handlers/schema_validation.rs
+++ b/router2/src/dml_handlers/schema_validation.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use observability_deps::tracing::*;
 use thiserror::Error;
 use trace::ctx::SpanContext;
 
-use crate::namespace_cache::{MemoryNamespaceCache, NamespaceCache};
+use crate::namespace_cache::{metrics::InstrumentedCache, MemoryNamespaceCache, NamespaceCache};
 
 use super::{DmlError, DmlHandler, Partitioned};
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ pub enum SchemaError {
 ///
 /// [#3573]: https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb_iox/issues/3573
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct SchemaValidator<D, C = Arc<MemoryNamespaceCache>> {
+pub struct SchemaValidator<D, C = Arc<InstrumentedCache<MemoryNamespaceCache>>> {
     inner: D,
     catalog: Arc<dyn Catalog>,
 
@@ -266,7 +266,10 @@ mod tests {
         catalog
     }
 
-    fn assert_cache<D>(handler: &SchemaValidator<D>, table: &str, col: &str, want: ColumnType) {
+    fn assert_cache<D, C>(handler: &SchemaValidator<D, C>, table: &str, col: &str, want: ColumnType)
+    where
+        C: NamespaceCache,
+    {
         // The cache should be populated.
         let ns = handler
             .cache
diff --git a/router2/src/namespace_cache.rs b/router2/src/namespace_cache.rs
index 1d61ad24af..6082682f14 100644
--- a/router2/src/namespace_cache.rs
+++ b/router2/src/namespace_cache.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ pub use memory::*;
 mod sharded_cache;
 pub use sharded_cache::*;
 
+pub mod metrics;
+
 use std::{fmt::Debug, sync::Arc};
 
 use data_types::DatabaseName;
diff --git a/router2/src/namespace_cache/metrics.rs b/router2/src/namespace_cache/metrics.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0cddf389d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/router2/src/namespace_cache/metrics.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+//! Metric instrumentation for a [`NamespaceCache`] implementation.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use data_types::DatabaseName;
+use iox_catalog::interface::NamespaceSchema;
+use metric::{Metric, U64Counter};
+
+use super::NamespaceCache;
+
+/// An [`InstrumentedCache`] decorates a [`NamespaceCache`] with cache read
+/// hit/miss and cache put insert/update metrics.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct InstrumentedCache<T> {
+    inner: T,
+
+    /// A cache read hit
+    get_hit_counter: U64Counter,
+    /// A cache read miss
+    get_miss_counter: U64Counter,
+
+    /// A cache put for a namespace that did not previously exist.
+    put_insert_counter: U64Counter,
+    /// A cache put replacing a namespace that previously had a cache entry.
+    put_update_counter: U64Counter,
+}
+
+impl<T> InstrumentedCache<T> {
+    /// Instrument `T`, recording cache operations to `registry`.
+    pub fn new(inner: T, registry: Arc<metric::Registry>) -> Self {
+        let get_counter: Metric<U64Counter> =
+            registry.register_metric("namespace_cache_get_count", "cache read requests");
+        let get_hit_counter = get_counter.recorder(&[("result", "hit")]);
+        let get_miss_counter = get_counter.recorder(&[("result", "miss")]);
+
+        let put_counter: Metric<U64Counter> =
+            registry.register_metric("namespace_cache_put_count", "cache put requests");
+        let put_insert_counter = put_counter.recorder(&[("op", "insert")]);
+        let put_update_counter = put_counter.recorder(&[("op", "update")]);
+
+        Self {
+            inner,
+            get_hit_counter,
+            get_miss_counter,
+            put_insert_counter,
+            put_update_counter,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> NamespaceCache for Arc<InstrumentedCache<T>>
+where
+    T: NamespaceCache,
+{
+    fn get_schema(&self, namespace: &DatabaseName<'_>) -> Option<Arc<NamespaceSchema>> {
+        match self.inner.get_schema(namespace) {
+            Some(v) => {
+                self.get_hit_counter.inc(1);
+                Some(v)
+            }
+            None => {
+                self.get_miss_counter.inc(1);
+                None
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn put_schema(
+        &self,
+        namespace: DatabaseName<'static>,
+        schema: impl Into<Arc<NamespaceSchema>>,
+    ) -> Option<Arc<NamespaceSchema>> {
+        match self.inner.put_schema(namespace, schema) {
+            Some(v) => {
+                self.put_update_counter.inc(1);
+                Some(v)
+            }
+            None => {
+                self.put_insert_counter.inc(1);
+                None
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}