diff --git a/pkg/proxy/iptables/number_generated_rules_test.go b/pkg/proxy/iptables/number_generated_rules_test.go
index 959b3f165cb..dd318d20814 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/iptables/number_generated_rules_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/iptables/number_generated_rules_test.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func TestNumberIptablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 			services:            1,
 			epPerService:        1,
 			expectedFilterRules: 5,
-			expectedNatRules:    17,
+			expectedNatRules:    18,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "1 Services 2 EndpointPerService - LoadBalancer",
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func TestNumberIptablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 			services:            1,
 			epPerService:        2,
 			expectedFilterRules: 5,
-			expectedNatRules:    20,
+			expectedNatRules:    21,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "1 Services 10 EndpointPerService - LoadBalancer",
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func TestNumberIptablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 			services:            1,
 			epPerService:        10,
 			expectedFilterRules: 5,
-			expectedNatRules:    44,
+			expectedNatRules:    45,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "10 Services 0 EndpointsPerService - LoadBalancer",
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func TestNumberIptablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 			services:            10,
 			epPerService:        1,
 			expectedFilterRules: 14,
-			expectedNatRules:    125,
+			expectedNatRules:    135,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "10 Services 2 EndpointPerService - LoadBalancer",
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func TestNumberIptablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 			services:            10,
 			epPerService:        2,
 			expectedFilterRules: 14,
-			expectedNatRules:    155,
+			expectedNatRules:    165,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "10 Services 10 EndpointPerService - LoadBalancer",
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ func TestNumberIptablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 			services:            10,
 			epPerService:        10,
 			expectedFilterRules: 14,
-			expectedNatRules:    395,
+			expectedNatRules:    405,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go
index 2f3862f5799..d286c84323b 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier.go
@@ -314,7 +314,10 @@ func NewProxier(ctx context.Context,
 		networkInterfacer:        proxyutil.RealNetwork{},
 		conntrackTCPLiberal:      conntrackTCPLiberal,
 		logger:                   logger,
-		nfAcctCounters:           map[string]bool{metrics.IPTablesCTStateInvalidDroppedNFAcctCounter: false},
+		nfAcctCounters: map[string]bool{
+			metrics.IPTablesCTStateInvalidDroppedNFAcctCounter: false,
+			metrics.LocalhostNodePortAcceptedNFAcctCounter:     false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	burstSyncs := 2
@@ -1183,6 +1186,16 @@ func (proxier *Proxier) syncProxyRules() {
 				// Jump to the external destination chain.  For better or for
 				// worse, nodeports are not subect to loadBalancerSourceRanges,
 				// and we can't change that.
+				if proxier.localhostNodePorts && proxier.ipFamily == v1.IPv4Protocol && proxier.nfAcctCounters[metrics.LocalhostNodePortAcceptedNFAcctCounter] {
+					natRules.Write(
+						"-A", string(kubeNodePortsChain),
+						"-m", "comment", "--comment", svcPortNameString,
+						"-m", protocol, "-p", protocol,
+						"-d", "127.0.0.0/8",
+						"--dport", strconv.Itoa(svcInfo.NodePort()),
+						"-m", "nfacct", "--nfacct-name", metrics.LocalhostNodePortAcceptedNFAcctCounter,
+						"-j", string(externalTrafficChain))
+				}
 				natRules.Write(
 					"-A", string(kubeNodePortsChain),
 					"-m", "comment", "--comment", svcPortNameString,
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go
index 2f3ac06b857..8323922fb1d 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/iptables/proxier_test.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func NewFakeProxier(ipt utiliptables.Interface) *Proxier {
 	networkInterfacer.AddInterfaceAddr(&itf1, addrs1)
 
 	p := &Proxier{
+		ipFamily:                 ipfamily,
 		svcPortMap:               make(proxy.ServicePortMap),
 		serviceChanges:           proxy.NewServiceChangeTracker(newServiceInfo, ipfamily, nil, nil),
 		endpointsMap:             make(proxy.EndpointsMap),
@@ -137,6 +138,7 @@ func NewFakeProxier(ipt utiliptables.Interface) *Proxier {
 		networkInterfacer:        networkInterfacer,
 		nfAcctCounters: map[string]bool{
 			metrics.IPTablesCTStateInvalidDroppedNFAcctCounter: true,
+			metrics.LocalhostNodePortAcceptedNFAcctCounter:     true,
 		},
 	}
 	p.setInitialized(true)
@@ -1746,8 +1748,11 @@ func TestOverallIPTablesRules(t *testing.T) {
 		:KUBE-SVC-NUKIZ6OKUXPJNT4C - [0:0]
 		:KUBE-SVC-X27LE4BHSL4DOUIK - [0:0]
 		:KUBE-SVC-XPGD46QRK7WJZT7O - [0:0]
+		-A KUBE-NODEPORTS -m comment --comment ns2/svc2:p80 -m tcp -p tcp -d 127.0.0.0/8 --dport 3001 -m nfacct --nfacct-name localhost_nps_accepted_pkts -j KUBE-EXT-GNZBNJ2PO5MGZ6GT
 		-A KUBE-NODEPORTS -m comment --comment ns2/svc2:p80 -m tcp -p tcp --dport 3001 -j KUBE-EXT-GNZBNJ2PO5MGZ6GT
+		-A KUBE-NODEPORTS -m comment --comment ns3/svc3:p80 -m tcp -p tcp -d 127.0.0.0/8 --dport 3003 -m nfacct --nfacct-name localhost_nps_accepted_pkts -j KUBE-EXT-X27LE4BHSL4DOUIK
 		-A KUBE-NODEPORTS -m comment --comment ns3/svc3:p80 -m tcp -p tcp --dport 3003 -j KUBE-EXT-X27LE4BHSL4DOUIK
+		-A KUBE-NODEPORTS -m comment --comment ns5/svc5:p80 -m tcp -p tcp -d 127.0.0.0/8 --dport 3002 -m nfacct --nfacct-name localhost_nps_accepted_pkts -j KUBE-EXT-NUKIZ6OKUXPJNT4C
 		-A KUBE-NODEPORTS -m comment --comment ns5/svc5:p80 -m tcp -p tcp --dport 3002 -j KUBE-EXT-NUKIZ6OKUXPJNT4C
 		-A KUBE-SERVICES -m comment --comment "ns1/svc1:p80 cluster IP" -m tcp -p tcp -d 172.30.0.41 --dport 80 -j KUBE-SVC-XPGD46QRK7WJZT7O
 		-A KUBE-SERVICES -m comment --comment "ns2/svc2:p80 cluster IP" -m tcp -p tcp -d 172.30.0.42 --dport 80 -j KUBE-SVC-GNZBNJ2PO5MGZ6GT
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/metrics/metrics.go b/pkg/proxy/metrics/metrics.go
index 41377b666a4..15682f25eaa 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -266,6 +266,15 @@ var (
 		},
 		[]string{"traffic_policy"},
 	)
+
+	// localhostNodePortsAcceptedPacketsDescription describe the metrics for the number of packets accepted
+	// by iptables which were destined for nodeports on loopback interface.
+	localhostNodePortsAcceptedPacketsDescription = metrics.NewDesc(
+		"kubeproxy_iptables_localhost_nodeports_accepted_packets_total",
+		"Number of packets accepted on nodeports of loopback interface",
+		nil, nil, metrics.ALPHA, "")
+	LocalhostNodePortAcceptedNFAcctCounter     = "localhost_nps_accepted_pkts"
+	localhostNodePortsAcceptedMetricsCollector = newNFAcctMetricCollector(LocalhostNodePortAcceptedNFAcctCounter, localhostNodePortsAcceptedPacketsDescription)
 )
 
 var registerMetricsOnce sync.Once
@@ -291,6 +300,7 @@ func RegisterMetrics(mode kubeproxyconfig.ProxyMode) {
 		switch mode {
 		case kubeproxyconfig.ProxyModeIPTables:
 			legacyregistry.CustomMustRegister(iptablesCTStateInvalidDroppedMetricCollector)
+			legacyregistry.CustomMustRegister(localhostNodePortsAcceptedMetricsCollector)
 			legacyregistry.MustRegister(SyncFullProxyRulesLatency)
 			legacyregistry.MustRegister(SyncPartialProxyRulesLatency)
 			legacyregistry.MustRegister(IPTablesRestoreFailuresTotal)