diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
index 724e25c1f5..7909259137 100644
--- a/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{
+    accounts_index_storage::AccountsIndexStorage,
     ancestors::Ancestors,
     contains::Contains,
     in_mem_accounts_index::InMemAccountsIndex,
@@ -799,6 +800,8 @@ pub struct AccountsIndex<T: IsCached> {
     // on any of these slots fails. This is safe to purge once the associated Bank is dropped and
     // scanning the fork with that Bank at the tip is no longer possible.
     pub removed_bank_ids: Mutex<HashSet<BankId>>,
+
+    storage: AccountsIndexStorage,
 }
 
 impl<T: IsCached> AccountsIndex<T> {
@@ -807,7 +810,7 @@ impl<T: IsCached> AccountsIndex<T> {
     }
 
     pub fn new(config: Option<AccountsIndexConfig>) -> Self {
-        let (account_maps, bin_calculator) = Self::allocate_accounts_index(config);
+        let (account_maps, bin_calculator, storage) = Self::allocate_accounts_index(config);
         Self {
             account_maps,
             bin_calculator,
@@ -823,22 +826,24 @@ impl<T: IsCached> AccountsIndex<T> {
             roots_tracker: RwLock::<RootsTracker>::default(),
             ongoing_scan_roots: RwLock::<BTreeMap<Slot, u64>>::default(),
             removed_bank_ids: Mutex::<HashSet<BankId>>::default(),
+            storage,
         }
     }
 
     fn allocate_accounts_index(
         config: Option<AccountsIndexConfig>,
-    ) -> (LockMapType<T>, PubkeyBinCalculator16) {
+    ) -> (LockMapType<T>, PubkeyBinCalculator16, AccountsIndexStorage) {
         let bins = config
             .and_then(|config| config.bins)
             .unwrap_or(BINS_DEFAULT);
         // create bin_calculator early to verify # bins is reasonable
         let bin_calculator = PubkeyBinCalculator16::new(bins);
+        let storage = AccountsIndexStorage::new();
         let account_maps = (0..bins)
             .into_iter()
-            .map(|_bin| RwLock::new(AccountMap::new()))
+            .map(|_bin| RwLock::new(AccountMap::new(&storage)))
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-        (account_maps, bin_calculator)
+        (account_maps, bin_calculator, storage)
     }
 
     fn iter<R>(&self, range: Option<&R>, collect_all_unsorted: bool) -> AccountsIndexIterator<T>
diff --git a/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs b/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d2fda9b24e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/accounts_index_storage.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+use crate::bucket_map_holder::BucketMapHolder;
+use crate::waitable_condvar::WaitableCondvar;
+use std::{
+    sync::{
+        atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering},
+        Arc,
+    },
+    thread::{Builder, JoinHandle},
+};
+
+// eventually hold the bucket map
+// Also manages the lifetime of the background processing threads.
+//  When this instance is dropped, it will drop the bucket map and cleanup
+//  and it will stop all the background threads and join them.
+
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+pub struct AccountsIndexStorage {
+    // for managing the bg threads
+    exit: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    wait: Arc<WaitableCondvar>,
+    handle: Option<JoinHandle<()>>,
+
+    // eventually the backing storage
+    storage: Arc<BucketMapHolder>,
+}
+
+impl Drop for AccountsIndexStorage {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.exit.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        self.wait.notify_all();
+        if let Some(x) = self.handle.take() {
+            x.join().unwrap()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl AccountsIndexStorage {
+    pub fn new() -> AccountsIndexStorage {
+        let storage = Arc::new(BucketMapHolder::new());
+        let storage_ = storage.clone();
+        let exit = Arc::new(AtomicBool::default());
+        let exit_ = exit.clone();
+        let wait = Arc::new(WaitableCondvar::default());
+        let wait_ = wait.clone();
+        let handle = Some(
+            Builder::new()
+                .name("solana-index-flusher".to_string())
+                .spawn(move || {
+                    storage_.background(exit_, wait_);
+                })
+                .unwrap(),
+        );
+
+        Self {
+            exit,
+            wait,
+            handle,
+            storage,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn storage(&self) -> &Arc<BucketMapHolder> {
+        &self.storage
+    }
+}
diff --git a/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..29de87ea29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+use crate::bucket_map_holder_stats::BucketMapHolderStats;
+use crate::waitable_condvar::WaitableCondvar;
+use std::fmt::Debug;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+// will eventually hold the bucket map
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+pub struct BucketMapHolder {
+    pub stats: BucketMapHolderStats,
+}
+
+impl BucketMapHolder {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            stats: BucketMapHolderStats::default(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    // intended to execute in a bg thread
+    pub fn background(&self, exit: Arc<AtomicBool>, wait: Arc<WaitableCondvar>) {
+        loop {
+            wait.wait_timeout(Duration::from_millis(10000)); // account index stats every 10 s
+            if exit.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                break;
+            }
+            self.stats.report_stats();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder_stats.rs b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder_stats.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..72e840d691
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/bucket_map_holder_stats.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+use std::fmt::Debug;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+pub struct BucketMapHolderStats {
+    pub get_mem_us: AtomicU64,
+    pub gets_from_mem: AtomicU64,
+    pub get_missing_us: AtomicU64,
+    pub gets_missing: AtomicU64,
+    pub items: AtomicU64,
+    pub keys: AtomicU64,
+    pub deletes: AtomicU64,
+}
+
+impl BucketMapHolderStats {
+    pub fn report_stats(&self) {
+        datapoint_info!(
+            "accounts_index",
+            (
+                "gets_from_mem",
+                self.gets_from_mem.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed),
+                i64
+            ),
+            (
+                "get_mem_us",
+                self.get_mem_us.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed) / 1000,
+                i64
+            ),
+            (
+                "gets_missing",
+                self.gets_missing.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed),
+                i64
+            ),
+            (
+                "get_missing_us",
+                self.get_missing_us.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed) / 1000,
+                i64
+            ),
+            ("deletes", self.deletes.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed), i64),
+            ("items", self.items.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed), i64),
+            ("keys", self.keys.swap(0, Ordering::Relaxed), i64),
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs b/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
index 6b1f320d61..95ce7e6174 100644
--- a/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/in_mem_accounts_index.rs
@@ -1,44 +1,80 @@
 use crate::accounts_index::{AccountMapEntry, IsCached, WriteAccountMapEntry};
+use crate::accounts_index_storage::AccountsIndexStorage;
+use crate::bucket_map_holder::BucketMapHolder;
+use crate::bucket_map_holder_stats::BucketMapHolderStats;
+use solana_measure::measure::Measure;
 use solana_sdk::pubkey::Pubkey;
 use std::collections::{
     hash_map::{Entry, Keys},
     HashMap,
 };
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 type K = Pubkey;
 
 // one instance of this represents one bin of the accounts index.
-#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct InMemAccountsIndex<T: IsCached> {
     // backing store
     map: HashMap<Pubkey, AccountMapEntry<T>>,
+    storage: Arc<BucketMapHolder>,
 }
 
 impl<T: IsCached> InMemAccountsIndex<T> {
-    pub fn new() -> Self {
+    pub fn new(storage: &AccountsIndexStorage) -> Self {
         Self {
             map: HashMap::new(),
+            storage: storage.storage().clone(),
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn new_bucket_map_holder() -> Arc<BucketMapHolder> {
+        Arc::new(BucketMapHolder::new())
+    }
+
     pub fn entry(&mut self, pubkey: Pubkey) -> Entry<K, AccountMapEntry<T>> {
-        self.map.entry(pubkey)
+        let m = Measure::start("entry");
+        let result = self.map.entry(pubkey);
+        let stats = &self.storage.stats;
+        let (count, time) = if matches!(result, Entry::Occupied(_)) {
+            (&stats.gets_from_mem, &stats.get_mem_us)
+        } else {
+            (&stats.gets_missing, &stats.get_missing_us)
+        };
+        Self::update_time_stat(time, m);
+        Self::update_stat(count, 1);
+        result
     }
 
     pub fn items(&self) -> Vec<(K, AccountMapEntry<T>)> {
+        Self::update_stat(&self.stats().items, 1);
         self.map.iter().map(|(k, v)| (*k, v.clone())).collect()
     }
 
     pub fn keys(&self) -> Keys<K, AccountMapEntry<T>> {
+        Self::update_stat(&self.stats().keys, 1);
         self.map.keys()
     }
 
     pub fn get(&self, key: &K) -> Option<AccountMapEntry<T>> {
-        self.map.get(key).cloned()
+        let m = Measure::start("get");
+        let result = self.map.get(key).cloned();
+        let stats = self.stats();
+        let (count, time) = if result.is_some() {
+            (&stats.gets_from_mem, &stats.get_mem_us)
+        } else {
+            (&stats.gets_missing, &stats.get_missing_us)
+        };
+        Self::update_time_stat(time, m);
+        Self::update_stat(count, 1);
+        result
     }
 
     pub fn remove(&mut self, key: &K) {
+        Self::update_stat(&self.stats().deletes, 1);
         self.map.remove(key);
     }
 
@@ -83,4 +119,20 @@ impl<T: IsCached> InMemAccountsIndex<T> {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    fn stats(&self) -> &BucketMapHolderStats {
+        &self.storage.stats
+    }
+
+    fn update_stat(stat: &AtomicU64, value: u64) {
+        if value != 0 {
+            stat.fetch_add(value, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn update_time_stat(stat: &AtomicU64, mut m: Measure) {
+        m.stop();
+        let value = m.as_us();
+        Self::update_stat(stat, value);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/lib.rs b/runtime/src/lib.rs
index 47c4c7cb11..11c70a2293 100644
--- a/runtime/src/lib.rs
+++ b/runtime/src/lib.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ pub mod accounts_cache;
 pub mod accounts_db;
 pub mod accounts_hash;
 pub mod accounts_index;
+pub mod accounts_index_storage;
 pub mod ancestors;
 pub mod append_vec;
 pub mod bank;
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ pub mod bank_forks;
 pub mod bank_utils;
 pub mod blockhash_queue;
 pub mod bloom;
+pub mod bucket_map_holder;
+pub mod bucket_map_holder_stats;
 pub mod builtins;
 pub mod commitment;
 pub mod contains;