diff --git a/METRICS.md b/METRICS.md
index a0e4a1d..3e1cdeb 100644
--- a/METRICS.md
+++ b/METRICS.md
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ github_repo_open_issues{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit
 # HELP github_repo_pull_request_count Total number of pull requests for given repository
 # TYPE github_repo_pull_request_count gauge
 github_repo_pull_request_count{repo="github-exporter",user="githubexporter"} 7
+# HELP github_repo_releases Total number of releases for given repository
+# TYPE github_repo_releases gauge
+github_repo_releases{repo="github-exporter",user="githubexporter"} 20
 # HELP github_repo_size_kb Size in KB for given repository
 # TYPE github_repo_size_kb gauge
 github_repo_size_kb{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="github-exporter",user="githubexporter"} 2185
diff --git a/exporter/metrics.go b/exporter/metrics.go
index 590df9d..e2c812e 100644
--- a/exporter/metrics.go
+++ b/exporter/metrics.go
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ func AddMetrics(cfg *config.Config) map[string]*prometheus.Desc {
 		"Size in KB for given repository",
 		[]string{"repo", "user", "private", "fork", "archived", "license", "language"}, nil,
 	)
+	APIMetrics["Releases"] = prometheus.NewDesc(
+		prometheus.BuildFQName("github", "repo", "releases"),
+		"Total number of releases for given repository",
+		[]string{"repo", "user"}, nil,
+	)
 	APIMetrics["ReleaseDownloads"] = prometheus.NewDesc(
 		prometheus.BuildFQName("github", "repo", "release_downloads"),
 		"Download count for a given release",
@@ -102,6 +107,12 @@ func (e *Exporter) processMetrics(data []*Datum, rates *[]RateLimit, ch chan<- p
 		ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.APIMetrics["Watchers"], prometheus.GaugeValue, float64(x.Watchers), x.Name, x.Owner.Login, strconv.FormatBool(x.Private), strconv.FormatBool(x.Fork), strconv.FormatBool(x.Archived), x.License.Key, x.Language)
 		ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.APIMetrics["Size"], prometheus.GaugeValue, float64(x.Size), x.Name, x.Owner.Login, strconv.FormatBool(x.Private), strconv.FormatBool(x.Fork), strconv.FormatBool(x.Archived), x.License.Key, x.Language)
 
+		// Only report a release count when releases were fetched, so a
+		// disabled fetch isn't reported as zero releases
+		if e.FetchRepoReleasesEnabled {
+			ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.APIMetrics["Releases"], prometheus.GaugeValue, float64(len(x.Releases)), x.Name, x.Owner.Login)
+		}
+
 		for _, release := range x.Releases {
 			for _, asset := range release.Assets {
 				ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(e.APIMetrics["ReleaseDownloads"], prometheus.GaugeValue, float64(asset.Downloads), x.Name, x.Owner.Login, release.Name, asset.Name, release.Tag, asset.CreatedAt)
diff --git a/test/github_exporter_test.go b/test/github_exporter_test.go
index d540da1..7352a52 100644
--- a/test/github_exporter_test.go
+++ b/test/github_exporter_test.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ func TestGithubExporter(t *testing.T) {
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_rate_reset{resource="search"} 3e+09`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_forks{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 10`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_pull_request_count{repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 3`)).
+		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_releases{repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 2`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_open_issues{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 2`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_size_kb{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 946`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_stars{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 120`)).
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ func TestGithubExporter(t *testing.T) {
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_release_downloads{created_at="2019-05-02T15:22:16Z",name="myRepo_2.0.0_windows_amd64.tar.gz",release="2.0.0",repo="myRepo",tag="2.0.0",user="myOrg"} 55`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_forks{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myUser"} 10`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_pull_request_count{repo="myRepo",user="myUser"} 3`)).
+		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_releases{repo="myRepo",user="myUser"} 2`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_open_issues{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myUser"} 2`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_size_kb{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myUser"} 946`)).
 		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_stars{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myUser"} 120`)).
@@ -85,6 +87,29 @@ func TestGithubExporter(t *testing.T) {
 		End()
 }
 
+func TestGithubExporterReleasesDisabled(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("FETCH_REPO_RELEASES_ENABLED", "false")
+	test, collector := apiTest(withConfig())
+	defer prometheus.Unregister(&collector)
+
+	test.Mocks(
+		githubRepos(),
+		githubPulls(),
+		githubUserRepos(),
+		githubUserPulls(),
+		githubOrgRepos(),
+		githubPulls(),
+		githubRateLimit(),
+	).
+		Get("/metrics").
+		Expect(t).
+		Assert(bodyContains(`github_repo_stars{archived="false",fork="false",language="Go",license="mit",private="false",repo="myRepo",user="myOrg"} 120`)).
+		Assert(bodyNotContains(`github_repo_releases`)).
+		Assert(bodyNotContains(`github_repo_release_downloads`)).
+		Status(http.StatusOK).
+		End()
+}
+
 func TestGithubExporterHttpErrorHandling(t *testing.T) {
 	test, collector := apiTest(withConfig())
 	defer prometheus.Unregister(&collector)
@@ -239,3 +264,17 @@ func bodyContains(substr string) func(*http.Response, *http.Request) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+func bodyNotContains(substr string) func(*http.Response, *http.Request) error {
+	return func(res *http.Response, req *http.Request) error {
+		bytes, err := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		response := string(bytes)
+		if strings.Contains(response, substr) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("response unexpectedly contained substring '%s'", substr)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}