diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java
index 12162ce51d..cde55e78ec 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java
@@ -135,6 +135,16 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistry implements SimpUserRegistry, SmartApplicati
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public int getUserCount() {
+		int userCount = 0;
+		for (UserRegistrySnapshot registry : this.remoteRegistries.values()) {
+			userCount += registry.getUserMap().size();
+		}
+		userCount += this.localRegistry.getUserCount();
+		return userCount;
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public Set<SimpSubscription> findSubscriptions(SimpSubscriptionMatcher matcher) {
 		Set<SimpSubscription> result = new HashSet<>();
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUserRegistry.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUserRegistry.java
index a989f628fa..b76be434cc 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUserRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUserRegistry.java
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ public interface SimpUserRegistry {
 	 */
 	Set<SimpUser> getUsers();
 
+	/**
+	 * Return the count of all connected users.
+	 * @return the connected user count.
+	 * @since 4.3.5
+	 */
+	int getUserCount();
+
 	/**
 	 * Find subscriptions with the given matcher.
 	 * @param matcher the matcher to use
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistryTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistryTests.java
index 5ce5dd708a..2e93ce2083 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistryTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistryTests.java
@@ -61,9 +61,10 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistryTests {
 		SimpUser user = Mockito.mock(SimpUser.class);
 		Set<SimpUser> users = Collections.singleton(user);
 		when(this.localRegistry.getUsers()).thenReturn(users);
+		when(this.localRegistry.getUserCount()).thenReturn(1);
 		when(this.localRegistry.getUser("joe")).thenReturn(user);
 
-		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUserCount());
 		assertSame(user, this.registry.getUser("joe"));
 	}
 
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistryTests {
 		this.registry.addRemoteRegistryDto(message, this.converter, 20000);
 
 
-		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUserCount());
 		SimpUser user = this.registry.getUser("joe");
 		assertNotNull(user);
 		assertTrue(user.hasSessions());
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistryTests {
 		this.registry.addRemoteRegistryDto(message, this.converter, 20000);
 
 
-		assertEquals(3, this.registry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(3, this.registry.getUserCount());
 		Set<SimpSubscription> matches = this.registry.findSubscriptions(s -> s.getDestination().equals("/match"));
 		assertEquals(2, matches.size());
 		Iterator<SimpSubscription> iterator = matches.iterator();
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistryTests {
 		this.registry.addRemoteRegistryDto(message, this.converter, 20000);
 
 
-		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUserCount());
 		SimpUser user = this.registry.getUsers().iterator().next();
 		assertTrue(user.hasSessions());
 		assertEquals(2, user.getSessions().size());
@@ -187,9 +188,9 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistryTests {
 		this.registry.addRemoteRegistryDto(message, this.converter, -1);
 
 
-		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(1, this.registry.getUserCount());
 		this.registry.purgeExpiredRegistries();
-		assertEquals(0, this.registry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(0, this.registry.getUserCount());
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests.java
index 4f441c9e50..790181be25 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public class UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests {
 
 		MultiServerUserRegistry remoteRegistry = new MultiServerUserRegistry(mock(SimpUserRegistry.class));
 		remoteRegistry.addRemoteRegistryDto(message, this.converter, 20000);
-		assertEquals(2, remoteRegistry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(2, remoteRegistry.getUserCount());
 		assertNotNull(remoteRegistry.getUser("joe"));
 		assertNotNull(remoteRegistry.getUser("jane"));
 	}
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ public class UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests {
 
 		HashSet<SimpUser> simpUsers = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(simpUser1, simpUser2));
 		SimpUserRegistry remoteUserRegistry = mock(SimpUserRegistry.class);
+		when(remoteUserRegistry.getUserCount()).thenReturn(2);
 		when(remoteUserRegistry.getUsers()).thenReturn(simpUsers);
 
 		MultiServerUserRegistry remoteRegistry = new MultiServerUserRegistry(remoteUserRegistry);
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ public class UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests {
 
 		this.handler.handleMessage(message);
 
-		assertEquals(2, remoteRegistry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(2, remoteRegistry.getUserCount());
 		assertNotNull(this.multiServerRegistry.getUser("joe"));
 		assertNotNull(this.multiServerRegistry.getUser("jane"));
 	}
@@ -159,13 +160,14 @@ public class UserRegistryMessageHandlerTests {
 
 		TestSimpUser simpUser = new TestSimpUser("joe");
 		simpUser.addSessions(new TestSimpSession("123"));
+		when(this.localRegistry.getUserCount()).thenReturn(1);
 		when(this.localRegistry.getUsers()).thenReturn(Collections.singleton(simpUser));
 
-		assertEquals(1, this.multiServerRegistry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(1, this.multiServerRegistry.getUserCount());
 
 		Message<?> message = this.converter.toMessage(this.multiServerRegistry.getLocalRegistryDto(), null);
 		this.multiServerRegistry.addRemoteRegistryDto(message, this.converter, 20000);
-		assertEquals(1, this.multiServerRegistry.getUsers().size());
+		assertEquals(1, this.multiServerRegistry.getUserCount());
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java b/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java
index 753e053a0d..6889a6fbe3 100644
--- a/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java
@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ public class DefaultSimpUserRegistry implements SimpUserRegistry, SmartApplicati
 		return new HashSet<>(this.users.values());
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public int getUserCount() {
+		return this.users.size();
+	}
+
 	public Set<SimpSubscription> findSubscriptions(SimpSubscriptionMatcher matcher) {
 		Set<SimpSubscription> result = new HashSet<>();
 		for (LocalSimpSession session : this.sessions.values()) {
diff --git a/spring-websocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistryTests.java b/spring-websocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistryTests.java
index cbccc5a567..bd43f95e13 100644
--- a/spring-websocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistryTests.java
+++ b/spring-websocket/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistryTests.java
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ public class DefaultSimpUserRegistryTests {
 		SimpUser simpUser = registry.getUser("joe");
 		assertNotNull(simpUser);
 
+		assertEquals(1, registry.getUserCount());
 		assertEquals(1, simpUser.getSessions().size());
 		assertNotNull(simpUser.getSession("123"));
 	}
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ public class DefaultSimpUserRegistryTests {
 		SimpUser simpUser = registry.getUser("joe");
 		assertNotNull(simpUser);
 
+		assertEquals(1, registry.getUserCount());
 		assertEquals(3, simpUser.getSessions().size());
 		assertNotNull(simpUser.getSession("123"));
 		assertNotNull(simpUser.getSession("456"));