diff --git a/libs/temporal/tempo.cc b/libs/temporal/tempo.cc
index ae3726c96c..e85b18886c 100644
--- a/libs/temporal/tempo.cc
+++ b/libs/temporal/tempo.cc
@@ -1971,6 +1971,16 @@ TempoMap::get_grid (TempoMapPoints& ret, superclock_t start, superclock_t end, u
 	DEBUG_TRACE (DEBUG::Grid, "<<< GRID DONE\n");
 }
 
+uint32_t
+TempoMap::count_bars (Beats const & start, Beats const & end)
+{
+	TempoMapPoints bar_grid;
+	superclock_t s (superclock_at (start));
+	superclock_t e (superclock_at (end));
+	get_grid (bar_grid, s, e, 1);
+	return bar_grid.size();
+}
+
 std::ostream&
 std::operator<<(std::ostream& str, Meter const & m)
 {
diff --git a/libs/temporal/temporal/tempo.h b/libs/temporal/temporal/tempo.h
index 8f379c48fb..4f8cfe2572 100644
--- a/libs/temporal/temporal/tempo.h
+++ b/libs/temporal/temporal/tempo.h
@@ -787,6 +787,7 @@ class LIBTEMPORAL_API TempoMap : public PBD::StatefulDestructible
 	BBT_Time bbt_walk (BBT_Time const &, BBT_Offset const &) const;
 
 	void get_grid (TempoMapPoints& points, superclock_t start, superclock_t end, uint32_t bar_mod = 0);
+	uint32_t count_bars (Beats const & start, Beats const & end);
 
 	struct EmptyTempoMapException : public std::exception {
 		virtual const char* what() const throw() { return "TempoMap is empty"; }