diff --git a/synapse/federation/transaction_queue.py b/synapse/federation/transaction_queue.py
index d68f0d8950..1c466cbded 100644
--- a/synapse/federation/transaction_queue.py
+++ b/synapse/federation/transaction_queue.py
@@ -243,6 +243,17 @@ class TransactionQueue(object):
                     next_token, "federation_sender",
                 )
 
+                if events:
+                    now = self.clock.time_msec()
+                    ts = yield self.store.get_received_ts(events[-1].event_id)
+
+                    synapse.metrics.event_processing_lag.set(
+                        now - ts, "federation_sender",
+                    )
+                    synapse.metrics.event_processing_last_ts.set(
+                        ts, "federation_sender",
+                    )
+
         finally:
             self._is_processing = False
 
diff --git a/synapse/handlers/appservice.py b/synapse/handlers/appservice.py
index 2a7e31e711..fcc1246bee 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/appservice.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/appservice.py
@@ -115,6 +115,16 @@ class ApplicationServicesHandler(object):
                     synapse.metrics.event_processing_positions.set(
                         upper_bound, "appservice_sender",
                     )
+
+                    now = self.clock.time_msec()
+                    ts = yield self.store.get_received_ts(events[-1].event_id)
+
+                    synapse.metrics.event_processing_lag.set(
+                        now - ts, "appservice_sender",
+                    )
+                    synapse.metrics.event_processing_last_ts.set(
+                        ts, "appservice_sender",
+                    )
             finally:
                 self.is_processing = False
 
diff --git a/synapse/metrics/__init__.py b/synapse/metrics/__init__.py
index a6c0d7e1bf..e3b831db67 100644
--- a/synapse/metrics/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/metrics/__init__.py
@@ -164,6 +164,19 @@ event_persisted_position = synapse_metrics.register_gauge(
     "event_persisted_position",
 )
 
+# Used to track the received_ts of the last event processed by various
+# components
+event_processing_last_ts = synapse_metrics.register_gauge(
+    "event_processing_last_ts", labels=["name"],
+)
+
+# Used to track the lag processing events. This is the time difference
+# between the last processed event's received_ts and the time it was
+# finished being processed.
+event_processing_lag = synapse_metrics.register_gauge(
+    "event_processing_lag", labels=["name"],
+)
+
 
 def runUntilCurrentTimer(func):
 
diff --git a/synapse/storage/events_worker.py b/synapse/storage/events_worker.py
index 2e23dd78ba..769eb51489 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/events_worker.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/events_worker.py
@@ -51,6 +51,24 @@ _EventCacheEntry = namedtuple("_EventCacheEntry", ("event", "redacted_event"))
 
 
 class EventsWorkerStore(SQLBaseStore):
+    def get_received_ts(self, event_id):
+        """Get received_ts (when it was persisted) for the event
+
+        Args:
+            event_id (str)
+
+        Returns:
+            Deferred[int|None]: Timstamp in milliseconds, or None for events
+            that were persisted before received_ts was implemented.
+        """
+        return self._simple_select_one_onecol(
+            table="events",
+            keyvalues={
+                "event_id": event_id,
+            },
+            retcol="received_ts",
+            desc="get_received_ts",
+        )
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def get_event(self, event_id, check_redacted=True,