diff --git a/dataset/freeze/format/fjson.py b/dataset/freeze/format/fjson.py
index 0aca5ca..11a7714 100644
--- a/dataset/freeze/format/fjson.py
+++ b/dataset/freeze/format/fjson.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class JSONSerializer(Serializer):
             result = result[0]
         if self.wrap:
             result = {
-                'count': self.query.count,
+                'count': len(result),
                 'results': result
             }
             meta = self.export.get('meta', {})
diff --git a/dataset/freeze/format/ftabson.py b/dataset/freeze/format/ftabson.py
index 620bc44..279d051 100644
--- a/dataset/freeze/format/ftabson.py
+++ b/dataset/freeze/format/ftabson.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class TabsonSerializer(JSONSerializer):
                 d = [row.get(k) for k in keys]
                 data.append(d)
         result = {
-            'count': self.query.count,
+            'count': len(data),
             'fields': fields,
             'data': data
             }
diff --git a/dataset/persistence/table.py b/dataset/persistence/table.py
index df359ec..0e2b84c 100644
--- a/dataset/persistence/table.py
+++ b/dataset/persistence/table.py
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ class Table(object):
             return self.table.c[order_by].asc()
 
     def find(self, _limit=None, _offset=0, _step=5000,
-             order_by='id', **_filter):
+             order_by='id', return_count=False, **_filter):
         """
         Performs a simple search on the table. Simply pass keyword arguments as ``filter``.
         ::
@@ -330,9 +330,12 @@ class Table(object):
         args = self._args_to_clause(_filter)
 
         # query total number of rows first
-        count_query = alias(self.table.select(whereclause=args, limit=_limit, offset=_offset), name='count_query_alias').count()
+        count_query = alias(self.table.select(whereclause=args, limit=_limit, offset=_offset),
+                            name='count_query_alias').count()
         rp = self.database.executable.execute(count_query)
         total_row_count = rp.fetchone()[0]
+        if return_count:
+            return total_row_count
 
         if _limit is None:
             _limit = total_row_count
@@ -355,12 +358,14 @@ class Table(object):
                                              offset=qoffset, order_by=order_by))
         return ResultIter((self.database.executable.execute(q) for q in queries))
 
+    def count(self, **_filter):
+        """ Return the count of results for the given filter set (same filter 
+        options as with ``find()``). """
+        return self.find(return_count=True, **_filter)
+
     def __len__(self):
-        """
-        Returns the number of rows in the table.
-        """
-        d = next(self.database.query(self.table.count()))
-        return list(d.values()).pop()
+        """ Returns the number of rows in the table. """
+        return self.count()
 
     def distinct(self, *columns, **_filter):
         """
diff --git a/dataset/persistence/util.py b/dataset/persistence/util.py
index 5121618..da126c7 100644
--- a/dataset/persistence/util.py
+++ b/dataset/persistence/util.py
@@ -35,13 +35,11 @@ class ResultIter(object):
         if not isgenerator(result_proxies):
             result_proxies = iter((result_proxies, ))
         self.result_proxies = result_proxies
-        self.count = 0
         self._iter = None
 
     def _next_rp(self):
         try:
             rp = next(self.result_proxies)
-            self.count += rp.rowcount
             self.keys = list(rp.keys())
             self._iter = iter(rp.fetchall())
             return True
diff --git a/docs/api.rst b/docs/api.rst
index 66ed530..89d4416 100644
--- a/docs/api.rst
+++ b/docs/api.rst
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Table
 -----
 
 .. autoclass:: dataset.Table
-   :members: columns, find, find_one, all, distinct, insert, insert_many, update, upsert, delete, create_column, drop_column, create_index, drop
+   :members: columns, find, find_one, all, count, distinct, insert, insert_many, update, upsert, delete, create_column, drop_column, create_index, drop
    :special-members: __len__, __iter__
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_persistence.py b/test/test_persistence.py
index 3e0ea3c..efc3b87 100644
--- a/test/test_persistence.py
+++ b/test/test_persistence.py
@@ -221,6 +221,11 @@ class TableTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         d = self.tbl.find_one(place='Atlantis')
         assert d is None, d
 
+    def test_count(self):
+        assert len(self.tbl) == 6, len(self.tbl)
+        l = self.tbl.count(place=TEST_CITY_1)
+        assert l == 3, l
+
     def test_find(self):
         ds = list(self.tbl.find(place=TEST_CITY_1))
         assert len(ds) == 3, ds