diff --git a/tools/cache/fifo_metrics.go b/tools/cache/fifo_metrics.go
index 613dcb7be..9e8ee069b 100644
--- a/tools/cache/fifo_metrics.go
+++ b/tools/cache/fifo_metrics.go
@@ -44,11 +44,19 @@ type FIFOMetricsProvider interface {
 	// For DeltaFIFO: Represents len(f.items) - the number of unique keys with pending deltas
 	// For RealFIFO: Represents len(f.items) - the total number of individual delta events queued
 	NewQueuedItemMetric(id InformerNameAndResource) GaugeMetric
+
+	// NewProcessingLatencyMetric returns a histogram metric for tracking the time taken
+	// to process events (execute handlers) after they are popped from the queue.
+	// The latency is measured in seconds.
+	// The returned metric should check id.Reserved() before updating to support
+	// dynamic informers that may shut down while the process is still running.
+	NewProcessingLatencyMetric(id InformerNameAndResource) HistogramMetric
 }
 
 // fifoMetrics holds all metrics for a FIFO.
 type fifoMetrics struct {
 	numberOfQueuedItem GaugeMetric
+	processingLatency  HistogramMetric
 }
 
 // SetFIFOMetricsProvider sets the metrics provider for all subsequently created
@@ -65,10 +73,12 @@ func newFIFOMetrics(id InformerNameAndResource, metricsProvider FIFOMetricsProvi
 	}
 	metrics := &fifoMetrics{
 		numberOfQueuedItem: noopMetric{},
+		processingLatency:  noopMetric{},
 	}
 
 	if id.Reserved() {
 		metrics.numberOfQueuedItem = metricsProvider.NewQueuedItemMetric(id)
+		metrics.processingLatency = metricsProvider.NewProcessingLatencyMetric(id)
 	}
 
 	return metrics
@@ -77,3 +87,7 @@ func newFIFOMetrics(id InformerNameAndResource, metricsProvider FIFOMetricsProvi
 func (noopFIFOMetricsProvider) NewQueuedItemMetric(InformerNameAndResource) GaugeMetric {
 	return noopMetric{}
 }
+
+func (noopFIFOMetricsProvider) NewProcessingLatencyMetric(InformerNameAndResource) HistogramMetric {
+	return noopMetric{}
+}
diff --git a/tools/cache/reflector_metrics.go b/tools/cache/reflector_metrics.go
index 5c00115f5..65e8a38af 100644
--- a/tools/cache/reflector_metrics.go
+++ b/tools/cache/reflector_metrics.go
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ type SummaryMetric interface {
 	Observe(float64)
 }
 
+// HistogramMetric captures individual observations into configurable buckets.
+// It also provides a sum and count of observations.
+type HistogramMetric interface {
+	Observe(float64)
+}
+
 type noopMetric struct{}
 
 func (noopMetric) Inc()            {}
diff --git a/tools/cache/the_real_fifo.go b/tools/cache/the_real_fifo.go
index c07c4eef8..bd6a3791f 100644
--- a/tools/cache/the_real_fifo.go
+++ b/tools/cache/the_real_fifo.go
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ func (f *RealFIFO) Pop(process PopProcessFunc) (interface{}, error) {
 	return Deltas{item}, err
 }
 
-// whileProcessing_locked calls the `process` function.
+// whileProcessing_locked calls the `process` function and records processing latency.
 // The lock must be held before calling `whileProcessing_locked`, and is held when `whileProcessing_locked` returns.
 // whileProcessing_locked releases the lock during the call to `process` if f.unlockWhileProcessing is true and the f.items queue is not too long.
 func (f *RealFIFO) whileProcessing_locked(process func() error) error {
@@ -459,7 +459,10 @@ func (f *RealFIFO) whileProcessing_locked(process func() error) error {
 		f.lock.Unlock()
 		defer f.lock.Lock()
 	}
-	return process()
+	startTime := time.Now()
+	err := process()
+	f.metrics.processingLatency.Observe(time.Since(startTime).Seconds())
+	return err
 }
 
 // batchable stores the delta types that can be batched