diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueue.java b/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueue.java
index aa5c35e839c6..a1091745b229 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueue.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueue.java
@@ -66,9 +66,10 @@ public interface ReplicationQueue extends Lifecycle {
    void add(ReplicableCommand job);
 
    /**
-    * Flushes existing jobs in the replication queue.
+    * Flushes existing jobs in the replication queue, and returns the number of jobs flushed.
+    * @return the number of jobs flushed
     */
-   void flush();
+   int flush();
 
    /**
     * @return the number of elements in the replication queue.
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueueImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueueImpl.java
index f2904d850397..0b8fbf50225b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueueImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/infinispan/remoting/ReplicationQueueImpl.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public void add(ReplicableCommand job) {
    }
 
    @Override
-   public void flush() {
+   public int flush() {
       List<ReplicableCommand> toReplicate = new LinkedList<ReplicableCommand>();
       elements.drainTo(toReplicate);
       if (log.isTraceEnabled()) log.trace("flush(): flushing repl queue (num elements={0})", toReplicate.size());
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ public void flush() {
             log.error("failed replicating " + toReplicate.size() + " elements in replication queue", t);
          }
       }
+
+      return toReplicateSize;
    }
 
    @Override