diff --git a/doc/source/ratelimit.rst b/doc/source/ratelimit.rst
index 3f6852dffd..37785a9565 100644
--- a/doc/source/ratelimit.rst
+++ b/doc/source/ratelimit.rst
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ clock_accuracy           1000       Represents how accurate the proxy servers'
 max_sleep_time_seconds   60         App will immediately return a 498 response
                                     if the necessary sleep time ever exceeds
                                     the given max_sleep_time_seconds.
+log_sleep_time_seconds   0          To allow visibility into rate limiting set
+                                    this value > 0 and all sleeps greater than
+                                    the number will be logged.
 account_ratelimit        0          If set, will limit all requests to
                                     /account_name and PUTs to
                                     /account_name/container_name. Number is in
diff --git a/etc/proxy-server.conf-sample b/etc/proxy-server.conf-sample
index 01da69a555..aef2aec700 100644
--- a/etc/proxy-server.conf-sample
+++ b/etc/proxy-server.conf-sample
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ use = egg:swift#ratelimit
 # clock accuracy.
 # clock_accuracy = 1000
 # max_sleep_time_seconds = 60
-
+# log_sleep_time_seconds of 0 means disabled
+# log_sleep_time_seconds = 0
 # account_ratelimit of 0 means disabled
 # account_ratelimit = 0
 
diff --git a/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py b/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py
index fea11ae811..b13a4a6ab4 100644
--- a/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py
+++ b/swift/common/middleware/ratelimit.py
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ class RateLimitMiddleware(object):
         self.account_ratelimit = float(conf.get('account_ratelimit', 0))
         self.max_sleep_time_seconds = float(conf.get('max_sleep_time_seconds',
                                                    60))
+        self.log_sleep_time_seconds = float(conf.get('log_sleep_time_seconds',
+                                                   0))
         self.clock_accuracy = int(conf.get('clock_accuracy', 1000))
         self.ratelimit_whitelist = [acc.strip() for acc in
             conf.get('account_whitelist', '').split(',')
@@ -176,6 +178,11 @@ class RateLimitMiddleware(object):
             obj_name=obj_name):
             try:
                 need_to_sleep = self._get_sleep_time(key, max_rate)
+                if self.log_sleep_time_seconds and \
+                        need_to_sleep > self.log_sleep_time_seconds:
+                    self.logger.info("Ratelimit sleep log: %s for %s/%s/%s" % (
+                            need_to_sleep, account_name,
+                            container_name, obj_name))
                 if need_to_sleep > 0:
                     eventlet.sleep(need_to_sleep)
             except MaxSleepTimeHit, e: