diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 43bcdd24..847e86b2 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3250,6 +3250,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "mas-templates",
  "mime",
  "oauth2-types",
+ "opentelemetry",
  "pbkdf2",
  "rand 0.8.5",
  "rand_chacha 0.3.1",
diff --git a/crates/cli/src/commands/server.rs b/crates/cli/src/commands/server.rs
index 2b5dd8a7..d0d23cc5 100644
--- a/crates/cli/src/commands/server.rs
+++ b/crates/cli/src/commands/server.rs
@@ -141,17 +141,22 @@ impl Options {
 
         let graphql_schema = mas_handlers::graphql_schema(&pool, conn);
 
-        let state = AppState {
-            pool,
-            templates,
-            key_store,
-            encrypter,
-            url_builder,
-            homeserver,
-            policy_factory,
-            graphql_schema,
-            http_client_factory,
-            password_manager,
+        let state = {
+            let mut s = AppState {
+                pool,
+                templates,
+                key_store,
+                encrypter,
+                url_builder,
+                homeserver,
+                policy_factory,
+                graphql_schema,
+                http_client_factory,
+                password_manager,
+                conn_acquisition_histogram: None,
+            };
+            s.init_metrics()?;
+            s
         };
 
         let mut fd_manager = listenfd::ListenFd::from_env();
diff --git a/crates/handlers/Cargo.toml b/crates/handlers/Cargo.toml
index 00804327..bf5e6aba 100644
--- a/crates/handlers/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/handlers/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ futures-util = "0.3.28"
 
 # Logging and tracing
 tracing = "0.1.37"
+opentelemetry = "0.19.0"
 
 # Error management
 thiserror = "1.0.41"
diff --git a/crates/handlers/src/app_state.rs b/crates/handlers/src/app_state.rs
index 3a3b7032..7bf61df5 100644
--- a/crates/handlers/src/app_state.rs
+++ b/crates/handlers/src/app_state.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
-use std::{convert::Infallible, sync::Arc};
+use std::{convert::Infallible, sync::Arc, time::Instant};
 
 use axum::{
     async_trait,
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ use mas_router::UrlBuilder;
 use mas_storage::{BoxClock, BoxRepository, BoxRng, Repository, SystemClock};
 use mas_storage_pg::PgRepository;
 use mas_templates::Templates;
+use opentelemetry::{
+    metrics::{Histogram, MetricsError, Unit},
+    Context, KeyValue,
+};
 use rand::SeedableRng;
 use sqlx::PgPool;
 use thiserror::Error;
@@ -45,6 +49,43 @@ pub struct AppState {
     pub graphql_schema: mas_graphql::Schema,
     pub http_client_factory: HttpClientFactory,
     pub password_manager: PasswordManager,
+    pub conn_acquisition_histogram: Option<Histogram<u64>>,
+}
+
+impl AppState {
+    /// Init the metrics for the app state.
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    ///
+    /// Returns an error if the metrics could not be initialized.
+    pub fn init_metrics(&mut self) -> Result<(), MetricsError> {
+        // XXX: do we want to put that somewhere else?
+        let meter = opentelemetry::global::meter("mas-handlers");
+        let pool = self.pool.clone();
+        let usage = meter
+            .i64_observable_up_down_counter("db.connections.usage")
+            .with_description("The number of connections that are currently in `state` described by the state attribute.")
+            .with_unit(Unit::new("connection"))
+            .init();
+
+        // Observe the number of active and idle connections in the pool
+        meter.register_callback(move |cx| {
+            let idle = u32::try_from(pool.num_idle()).unwrap_or(u32::MAX);
+            let used = pool.size() - idle;
+            usage.observe(cx, i64::from(idle), &[KeyValue::new("state", "idle")]);
+            usage.observe(cx, i64::from(used), &[KeyValue::new("state", "used")]);
+        })?;
+
+        // Track the connection acquisition time
+        let histogram = meter
+            .u64_histogram("db.client.connections.create_time")
+            .with_description("The time it took to create a new connection.")
+            .with_unit(Unit::new("ms"))
+            .init();
+        self.conn_acquisition_histogram = Some(histogram);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
 
 impl FromRef<AppState> for PgPool {
@@ -155,7 +196,17 @@ impl FromRequestParts<AppState> for BoxRepository {
         _parts: &mut axum::http::request::Parts,
         state: &AppState,
     ) -> Result<Self, Self::Rejection> {
+        let start = Instant::now();
         let repo = PgRepository::from_pool(&state.pool).await?;
+
+        // Measure the time it took to create the connection
+        let duration = start.elapsed();
+        let duration_ms = duration.as_millis().try_into().unwrap_or(u64::MAX);
+
+        if let Some(histogram) = &state.conn_acquisition_histogram {
+            histogram.record(&Context::new(), duration_ms, &[]);
+        }
+
         Ok(repo
             .map_err(mas_storage::RepositoryError::from_error)
             .boxed())