diff --git a/doc/userguide/output/eve/eve-json-output.rst b/doc/userguide/output/eve/eve-json-output.rst
index 4cd3f749862a..e7c9005bac2a 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/output/eve/eve-json-output.rst
+++ b/doc/userguide/output/eve/eve-json-output.rst
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ Metadata::
             #payload: yes             # enable dumping payload in Base64
             #payload-buffer-size: 4kb # max size of payload buffer to output in eve-log
             #payload-printable: yes   # enable dumping payload in printable (lossy) format
+            #payload-length: yes      # enable dumping payload length
             #packet: yes              # enable dumping of packet (without stream segments)
             #http-body: yes           # Requires metadata; enable dumping of http body in Base64
             #http-body-printable: yes # Requires metadata; enable dumping of http body in printable format
diff --git a/doc/userguide/partials/eve-log.yaml b/doc/userguide/partials/eve-log.yaml
index 5cc492c5546a..df31c09141e4 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/partials/eve-log.yaml
+++ b/doc/userguide/partials/eve-log.yaml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ outputs:
             # payload: yes             # enable dumping payload in Base64
             # payload-buffer-size: 4kb # max size of payload buffer to output in eve-log
             # payload-printable: yes   # enable dumping payload in printable (lossy) format
+            # payload-length: yes      # enable dumping payload length
             # packet: yes              # enable dumping of packet (without stream segments)
             # http-body: yes           # Requires metadata; enable dumping of http body in Base64
             # http-body-printable: yes # Requires metadata; enable dumping of http body in printable format
diff --git a/etc/schema.json b/etc/schema.json
index 3f3e44562a6b..2aff6cd6f959 100644
--- a/etc/schema.json
+++ b/etc/schema.json
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@
         "payload": {
             "type": "string"
         },
+        "payload_length": {
+            "type": "integer"
+        },
         "payload_printable": {
             "type": "string"
         },
diff --git a/src/output-json-alert.c b/src/output-json-alert.c
index 66d61f9155f7..070b021ed7e8 100644
--- a/src/output-json-alert.c
+++ b/src/output-json-alert.c
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
 #define LOG_JSON_VERDICT           BIT_U16(10)
 #define LOG_JSON_WEBSOCKET_PAYLOAD        BIT_U16(11)
 #define LOG_JSON_WEBSOCKET_PAYLOAD_BASE64 BIT_U16(12)
+#define LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_LENGTH           BIT_U16(13)
 
 #define METADATA_DEFAULTS ( LOG_JSON_FLOW |                        \
             LOG_JSON_APP_LAYER  |                                  \
@@ -273,6 +274,9 @@ static void AlertAddPayload(AlertJsonOutputCtx *json_output_ctx, JsonBuilder *js
     if (json_output_ctx->flags & LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_BASE64) {
         jb_set_base64(js, "payload", p->payload, p->payload_len);
     }
+    if (json_output_ctx->flags & LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_LENGTH) {
+        jb_set_uint(js, "payload_length", p->payload_len);
+    }
 
     if (json_output_ctx->flags & LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD) {
         uint8_t printable_buf[p->payload_len + 1];
@@ -569,6 +573,9 @@ static bool AlertJsonStreamData(const AlertJsonOutputCtx *json_output_ctx, JsonA
         if (json_output_ctx->flags & LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_BASE64) {
             jb_set_base64(jb, "payload", cbd.payload->buffer, cbd.payload->offset);
         }
+        if (json_output_ctx->flags & LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_LENGTH) {
+            jb_set_uint(jb, "payload_length", cbd.payload->offset);
+        }
 
         if (json_output_ctx->flags & LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD) {
             uint8_t printable_buf[cbd.payload->offset + 1];
@@ -687,7 +694,8 @@ static int AlertJson(ThreadVars *tv, JsonAlertLogThread *aft, const Packet *p)
         }
 
         /* payload */
-        if (json_output_ctx->flags & (LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD | LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_BASE64)) {
+        if (json_output_ctx->flags &
+                (LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD | LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_BASE64 | LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_LENGTH)) {
             int stream = (p->proto == IPPROTO_TCP) ?
                          (pa->flags & (PACKET_ALERT_FLAG_STATE_MATCH | PACKET_ALERT_FLAG_STREAM_MATCH) ?
                          1 : 0) : 0;
@@ -914,6 +922,7 @@ static void JsonAlertLogSetupMetadata(AlertJsonOutputCtx *json_output_ctx,
         SetFlag(conf, "websocket-payload-printable", LOG_JSON_WEBSOCKET_PAYLOAD, &flags);
         SetFlag(conf, "websocket-payload", LOG_JSON_WEBSOCKET_PAYLOAD_BASE64, &flags);
         SetFlag(conf, "verdict", LOG_JSON_VERDICT, &flags);
+        SetFlag(conf, "payload-length", LOG_JSON_PAYLOAD_LENGTH, &flags);
 
         /* Check for obsolete flags and warn that they have no effect. */
         static const char *deprecated_flags[] = { "http", "tls", "ssh", "smtp", "dnp3", "app-layer",
diff --git a/suricata.yaml.in b/suricata.yaml.in
index 897c71027a62..0ba63086d0d1 100644
--- a/suricata.yaml.in
+++ b/suricata.yaml.in
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ outputs:
             # payload: yes             # enable dumping payload in Base64
             # payload-buffer-size: 4kb # max size of payload buffer to output in eve-log
             # payload-printable: yes   # enable dumping payload in printable (lossy) format
+            # payload-length: yes      # enable dumping payload length
             # packet: yes              # enable dumping of packet (without stream segments)
             # metadata: no             # enable inclusion of app layer metadata with alert. Default yes
             # http-body: yes           # Requires metadata; enable dumping of HTTP body in Base64