diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 84467d7c45..8f084da5f2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## master / unreleased
 
+* [ENHANCEMENT] metric `cortex_ingester_flush_reasons` gets a new `reason` value: `Spread`, when `-ingester.spread-flushes` option is enabled.
+
 * [CHANGE] Flags changed with transition to upstream Prometheus rules manager:
   * `ruler.client-timeout` is now `ruler.configs.client-timeout` in order to match `ruler.configs.url`
   * `ruler.group-timeout`has been removed
diff --git a/pkg/ingester/flush.go b/pkg/ingester/flush.go
index d97dc0eb7b..49b229229e 100644
--- a/pkg/ingester/flush.go
+++ b/pkg/ingester/flush.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func (i *Ingester) sweepUsers(immediate bool) {
 	oldestUnflushedChunkTimestamp.Set(float64(oldest.Unix()))
 }
 
-type flushReason int
+type flushReason int8
 
 const (
 	noFlush = iota
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ const (
 	reasonAged
 	reasonIdle
 	reasonStale
+	reasonSpreadFlush
 )
 
 func (f flushReason) String() string {
@@ -162,6 +163,8 @@ func (f flushReason) String() string {
 		return "Idle"
 	case reasonStale:
 		return "Stale"
+	case reasonSpreadFlush:
+		return "Spread"
 	default:
 		panic("unrecognised flushReason")
 	}
@@ -196,6 +199,9 @@ func (i *Ingester) shouldFlushSeries(series *memorySeries, fp model.Fingerprint,
 
 	// Flush if we have more than one chunk, and haven't already flushed the first chunk
 	if len(series.chunkDescs) > 1 && !series.chunkDescs[0].flushed {
+		if series.chunkDescs[0].flushReason != noFlush {
+			return series.chunkDescs[0].flushReason
+		}
 		return reasonMultipleChunksInSeries
 	} else if len(series.chunkDescs) > 0 {
 		// Otherwise look in more detail at the first chunk
@@ -287,7 +293,7 @@ func (i *Ingester) flushUserSeries(flushQueueIndex int, userID string, fp model.
 	// Assume we're going to flush everything, and maybe don't flush the head chunk if it doesn't need it.
 	chunks := series.chunkDescs
 	if immediate || (len(chunks) > 0 && i.shouldFlushChunk(series.head(), fp, series.isStale()) != noFlush) {
-		series.closeHead()
+		series.closeHead(reasonImmediate)
 	} else {
 		chunks = chunks[:len(chunks)-1]
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/ingester/ingester.go b/pkg/ingester/ingester.go
index ffa80ced26..1ada90d16b 100644
--- a/pkg/ingester/ingester.go
+++ b/pkg/ingester/ingester.go
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ func (i *Ingester) append(ctx context.Context, userID string, labels labelPairs,
 		slot := startOfCycle.Add(time.Duration(uint64(fp) % uint64(i.cfg.MaxChunkAge)))
 		// If adding this sample means the head chunk will span that point in time, close so it will get flushed
 		if series.head().FirstTime < slot && timestamp >= slot {
-			series.closeHead()
+			series.closeHead(reasonSpreadFlush)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/ingester/series.go b/pkg/ingester/series.go
index 7ce8f42f8b..5bf2f57f0e 100644
--- a/pkg/ingester/series.go
+++ b/pkg/ingester/series.go
@@ -123,7 +123,11 @@ func firstAndLastTimes(c encoding.Chunk) (model.Time, model.Time, error) {
 	return first, last, iter.Err()
 }
 
-func (s *memorySeries) closeHead() {
+// closeHead marks the head chunk closed. The caller must have locked
+// the fingerprint of the memorySeries. This method will panic if this
+// series has no chunk descriptors.
+func (s *memorySeries) closeHead(reason flushReason) {
+	s.chunkDescs[0].flushReason = reason
 	s.headChunkClosed = true
 }
 
@@ -212,11 +216,12 @@ func (s *memorySeries) isStale() bool {
 }
 
 type desc struct {
-	C          encoding.Chunk // nil if chunk is evicted.
-	FirstTime  model.Time     // Timestamp of first sample. Populated at creation. Immutable.
-	LastTime   model.Time     // Timestamp of last sample. Populated at creation & on append.
-	LastUpdate model.Time     // This server's local time on last change
-	flushed    bool           // set to true when flush succeeds
+	C           encoding.Chunk // nil if chunk is evicted.
+	FirstTime   model.Time     // Timestamp of first sample. Populated at creation. Immutable.
+	LastTime    model.Time     // Timestamp of last sample. Populated at creation & on append.
+	LastUpdate  model.Time     // This server's local time on last change
+	flushReason flushReason    // If chunk is closed, holds the reason why.
+	flushed     bool           // set to true when flush succeeds
 }
 
 func newDesc(c encoding.Chunk, firstTime model.Time, lastTime model.Time) *desc {