diff --git a/config/config.js b/config/config.js
index a639f2d..dc95a24 100644
--- a/config/config.js
+++ b/config/config.js
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ var bitcoindConf = {
   disableAgent: true
 };
 
+var enableMonitor = process.env.ENABLE_MONITOR === 'true';
 var enableCleaner = process.env.ENABLE_CLEANER === 'true';
 var enableMailbox = process.env.ENABLE_MAILBOX === 'true';
 var enableRatelimiter = process.env.ENABLE_RATELIMITER === 'true';
@@ -93,6 +94,8 @@ if (!fs.existsSync(db)) {
 }
 
 module.exports = {
+  enableMonitor: enableMonitor,
+  monitor: require('../plugins/config-monitor.js'),
   enableCleaner: enableCleaner,
   cleaner: require('../plugins/config-cleaner.js'),
   enableMailbox: enableMailbox,
diff --git a/insight.js b/insight.js
index 2b810a1..4d4d9a0 100755
--- a/insight.js
+++ b/insight.js
@@ -139,6 +139,9 @@ if (config.enableCleaner) {
   require('./plugins/cleaner').init(config.cleaner);
 }
 
+if (config.enableMonitor) {
+  require('./plugins/monitor').init(config.monitor);
+}
 
 
 // express settings
diff --git a/plugins/config-cleaner.js b/plugins/config-cleaner.js
index 0948f68..929198b 100644
--- a/plugins/config-cleaner.js
+++ b/plugins/config-cleaner.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module.exports = {
 
-  cronTime: '* * * * *',
+  cronTime: '0 * * * *', // run each hour
   threshold: 2*24*60*60, // 2 days, in seconds
 
 };
diff --git a/plugins/config-monitor.js b/plugins/config-monitor.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1958a96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/config-monitor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+  cronTime: '* * * * *', // run each minute
+};
diff --git a/plugins/monitor.js b/plugins/monitor.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5d0ac3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/monitor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+var mdb = require('../lib/MessageDb').default();
+var logger = require('../lib/logger').logger;
+var preconditions = require('preconditions').singleton();
+var microtime = require('microtime');
+var cron = require('cron');
+var CronJob = cron.CronJob;
+
+
+module.exports.init = function(config) {
+  var cronTime = config.cronTime || '0 * * * *';
+  logger.info('Using monitor plugin with cronTime ' + cronTime);
+  var onTick = function() {
+    mdb.getAll(function(err, messages) {
+      if (err) logger.error(err);
+      else {
+        logger.info('Message db size = ' + messages.length);
+      }
+    });
+  };
+  var job = new CronJob({
+    cronTime: cronTime,
+    onTick: onTick
+  });
+  onTick();
+  job.start();
+};