diff --git a/src/ca/CAref.html b/src/ca/CAref.html
index 77d7b4bd7..c4cee37f8 100644
--- a/src/ca/CAref.html
+++ b/src/ca/CAref.html
@@ -2808,11 +2808,14 @@ additional network bandwidth and server CPU load when searching for
 unresolved channels.</p>
 
 <h3><a name="caEventRat">caEventRate</a></h3>
-<pre>caEventRate &lt;PV name&gt;</pre>
+<pre>caEventRate &lt;PV name&gt; [subscription count]</pre>
 
 <h4>Description</h4>
 
-<p>Subscribe to the specified PV and periodically log its event rate.</p>
+<p>Connect to the specified PV, subscribe for monitor updates the specified
+number of times (default once),  and periodically log the current sampled
+event rate, average event rate, and the standard deviation of the event rate
+in Hertz to standard out.</p>
 
 <h3><a name="ca_test">ca_test</a></h3>
 <pre>ca_test &lt;PV name&gt; [value to be written]</pre>
diff --git a/src/ca/caEventRate.cpp b/src/ca/caEventRate.cpp
index 9af789201..4498eea36 100644
--- a/src/ca/caEventRate.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/caEventRate.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <limits.h>
+#include <math.h>
 
 #include "cadef.h"
 #include "dbDefs.h"
@@ -25,44 +26,69 @@ extern "C" void eventCallBack ( struct event_handler_args args )
     (*pCount)++;
 }
 
-
 /*
  * caEventRate ()
  */
-void caEventRate ( const char *pName )
+void caEventRate ( const char *pName, unsigned count )
 {
     static const double initialSamplePeriod = 1.0;
     static const double maxSamplePeriod = 60.0 * 60.0;
 
+    printf ( "Connecting to CA Channel \"%s\".", pName );
+    fflush ( stdout );
+
     chid chan;
     int status = ca_search ( pName,  &chan );
     SEVCHK(status, NULL);
 
-    unsigned eventCount = 0u;
-    status = ca_add_event ( DBR_FLOAT, chan, eventCallBack, &eventCount, NULL);
-    SEVCHK ( status, __FILE__ );
-
     status = ca_pend_io ( 10.0 );
     if ( status != ECA_NORMAL ) {
         fprintf ( stderr, "caEventRate: %s not found\n", pName );
         return;
     }
 
+    printf ( " done.\n" );
+
+    printf ( "Subscribing %u times.", count );
+    fflush ( stdout );
+
+    unsigned eventCount = 0u;
+    for ( unsigned i = 0u; i < count; i++ ) {
+        status = ca_add_event ( DBR_FLOAT, chan, eventCallBack, &eventCount, NULL);
+        SEVCHK ( status, __FILE__ );
+    }
+
+    status = ca_flush_io ();
+    SEVCHK ( status, __FILE__ );
+
+    printf ( " done.\n" );
+        
+    printf ( "Waiting for initial value events." );
+    fflush ( stdout );
+
     // let the first one go by 
-    while ( eventCount < 1u ) {
+    while ( eventCount < count ) {
         status = ca_pend_event ( 0.01 );
         if ( status != ECA_TIMEOUT ) {
             SEVCHK ( status, NULL );
         }
     }
 
+    printf ( " done.\n" );
+
     double samplePeriod = initialSamplePeriod;
+    double X = 0.0;
+    double XX = 0.0;
+    double test = 0.0;
+    unsigned N = 0u;
     while ( true ) {
         unsigned nEvents, lastEventCount, curEventCount;
 
+        epicsTime begin = epicsTime::getCurrent ();
         lastEventCount = eventCount;
         status = ca_pend_event ( samplePeriod );
         curEventCount = eventCount;
+        epicsTime end = epicsTime::getCurrent ();
         if ( status != ECA_TIMEOUT ) {
             SEVCHK ( status, NULL );
         }
@@ -71,11 +97,22 @@ void caEventRate ( const char *pName )
             nEvents = curEventCount - lastEventCount;
         }
         else {
-            nEvents = ( UINT_MAX - lastEventCount ) + curEventCount +1u;
+            nEvents = ( UINT_MAX - lastEventCount ) + curEventCount + 1u;
         }
 
-        errlogPrintf ( "CA Channel \"%s\" is producing %g subscription update events per second.\n", 
-            pName, nEvents / samplePeriod );
+        N++;
+
+        double period = end - begin;
+        double Hz = nEvents / period;
+
+        X += Hz;
+        XX += Hz * Hz;
+
+        double mean = X / N;
+        double stdDev = sqrt ( XX / N - mean * mean );
+
+        printf ( "CA Event Rate (Hz): current %g mean %g std dev %g\n", 
+            Hz, mean, stdDev );
 
         if ( samplePeriod < maxSamplePeriod ) {
             samplePeriod += samplePeriod;
diff --git a/src/ca/caEventRateMain.cpp b/src/ca/caEventRateMain.cpp
index c783ad8b5..725e66102 100644
--- a/src/ca/caEventRateMain.cpp
+++ b/src/ca/caEventRateMain.cpp
@@ -11,15 +11,28 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-void caEventRate ( const char *pName );
+void caEventRate ( const char *pName, unsigned count );
 
 int main ( int argc, char **argv )
 {
-    if ( argc < 2 || argc > 2 ) {
-        printf ( "usage: %s < PV name >\n", argv[0] );
+    if ( argc < 2 || argc > 3 ) {
+        fprintf ( stderr, "usage: %s < PV name > [subscription count]\n", argv[0] );
+        return 0;
     }
 
-    caEventRate ( argv[1] );
+    unsigned count;
+    if ( argc == 3 ) {
+        int status = sscanf ( argv[2], " %u ", & count );
+        if ( status != 1 ) {
+            fprintf ( stderr, "expected unsigned integer 2nd argument\n" );
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        count = 1;
+    }
+
+    caEventRate ( argv[1], count );
 
     return 0;
 }