diff --git a/console.cpp b/console.cpp
index 532fbda..3cea48b 100644
--- a/console.cpp
+++ b/console.cpp
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ void console::operator()()
 		if (c == 3)  // ^c
 			*terminate = true;
 		else if (c == 12) {  // ^l
+			// FIXME for other consoles (e.g. ncurses) this doesn't work too well
 			put_string_ll(format("\033[2J\033[?7l"));
 
 			fprintf(stderr, "%d %d\n", tx, ty);
diff --git a/console_ncurses.cpp b/console_ncurses.cpp
index 3a6587e..821bb90 100644
--- a/console_ncurses.cpp
+++ b/console_ncurses.cpp
@@ -116,8 +116,12 @@ void console_ncurses::panel_update_thread()
 {
 	cpu *const c = b->getCpu();
 
+	uint64_t prev_instr_cnt = c->get_instructions_executed_count();
+
+	constexpr int refresh_rate = 50;
+
 	while(!*terminate) {
-		myusleep(1000000 / 50);  // 50 updates/sec
+		myusleep(1000000 / refresh_rate);
 
 		// note that these are approximately as there's no mutex on the emulation
 		uint16_t current_PC    = c->getPC();
@@ -151,6 +155,12 @@ void console_ncurses::panel_update_thread()
 
 		wattron(w_panel->win, COLOR_PAIR(0));
 
+		uint64_t cur_instr_cnt = c->get_instructions_executed_count();
+
+		mvwprintw(w_panel->win, 1, 1 + 39, "%8ld", (cur_instr_cnt - prev_instr_cnt) * refresh_rate);
+
+		prev_instr_cnt = cur_instr_cnt;
+
 		wmove(w_main->win, ty, tx);
 
 		mydoupdate();
diff --git a/cpu.cpp b/cpu.cpp
index ffad491..a6b9031 100644
--- a/cpu.cpp
+++ b/cpu.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,19 @@ cpu::~cpu()
 {
 }
 
+void cpu::emulation_start()
+{
+	running_since = get_ms();
+}
+
+uint64_t cpu::get_instructions_executed_count()
+{
+	// this may wreck havoc as it is not protected by a mutex
+	// but a mutex would slow things down too much (as would
+	// do an atomic)
+	return instruction_count;
+}
+
 void cpu::reset()
 {
 	memset(regs0_5, 0x00, sizeof regs0_5);
@@ -1800,6 +1813,8 @@ void cpu::disassemble()
 
 void cpu::step()
 {
+	instruction_count++;
+
 	check_queued_interrupts();
 
 	if (scheduled_trap) {
diff --git a/cpu.h b/cpu.h
index 5663cb6..ec89a7a 100644
--- a/cpu.h
+++ b/cpu.h
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@ private:
 	uint16_t fpsr  { 0 };
 	uint16_t stackLimitRegister { 0 };
 	uint8_t  scheduled_trap     { 0 };
-	bool runMode     { false };
-	bool emulateMFPT { false };
+	bool     runMode     { false };
+	bool     emulateMFPT { false };
+	uint64_t instruction_count { 0 };
+	uint64_t running_since     { 0 };
 
 	// level, vector
 	std::map<uint8_t, std::set<uint8_t> > queued_interrupts;
@@ -58,6 +60,9 @@ public:
 
 	bus *getBus() { return b; }
 
+	void emulation_start();
+	uint64_t get_instructions_executed_count();
+
 	void reset();
 
 	void step();
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 125f92d..1875add 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -259,6 +259,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	*running = true;
 
+	c->emulation_start();  // for statistics
+
 	for(;;) {
 		c->step();