diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index 14776d1363..463d36d748 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ gprefs.defaults['ui_style'] = 'calibre' if iswindows or isosx else 'system'
 gprefs.defaults['tag_browser_old_look'] = False
 gprefs.defaults['book_list_tooltips'] = True
 gprefs.defaults['bd_show_cover'] = True
+gprefs.defaults['bd_overlay_cover_size'] = False
 # }}}
 
 NONE = QVariant() #: Null value to return from the data function of item models
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py b/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py
index 90284df809..4d00d282d5 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import (QPixmap, QSize, QWidget, Qt, pyqtSignal, QUrl, QIcon,
     QPropertyAnimation, QEasingCurve, QApplication, QFontInfo, QAction,
-    QSizePolicy, QPainter, QRect, pyqtProperty, QLayout, QPalette, QMenu)
+    QSizePolicy, QPainter, QRect, pyqtProperty, QLayout, QPalette, QMenu,
+    QPen, QColor)
 from PyQt4.QtWebKit import QWebView
 
 from calibre import fit_image, force_unicode, prepare_string_for_xml
@@ -324,6 +325,17 @@ class CoverView(QWidget): # {{{
         p.setRenderHints(QPainter.Antialiasing | QPainter.SmoothPixmapTransform)
         p.drawPixmap(target, self.pixmap.scaled(target.size(),
             Qt.KeepAspectRatio, Qt.SmoothTransformation))
+        if gprefs['bd_overlay_cover_size']:
+            sztgt = target.adjusted(0, 0, 0, -4)
+            f = p.font()
+            f.setBold(True)
+            p.setFont(f)
+            sz = u'\u00a0%d x %d\u00a0'%(self.pixmap.width(), self.pixmap.height())
+            flags = Qt.AlignBottom|Qt.AlignRight|Qt.TextSingleLine
+            szrect = p.boundingRect(sztgt, flags, sz)
+            p.fillRect(szrect.adjusted(0, 0, 0, 4), QColor(0, 0, 0, 200))
+            p.setPen(QPen(QColor(255,255,255)))
+            p.drawText(sztgt, flags, sz)
         p.end()
 
     current_pixmap_size = pyqtProperty('QSize',
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py
index 65e6ab6d9f..754ac6c6ce 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.py
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
         r('book_list_tooltips', gprefs)
         r('tag_browser_old_look', gprefs, restart_required=True)
         r('bd_show_cover', gprefs)
+        r('bd_overlay_cover_size', gprefs)
 
         r('cover_flow_queue_length', config, restart_required=True)
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui
index 2a4397b22d..fe6d9ecb62 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/look_feel.ui
@@ -309,11 +309,38 @@ Manage Authors. You can use the values {author} and
         </layout>
        </item>
        <item row="1" column="0" colspan="2">
-        <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_show_cover">
-         <property name="text">
-          <string>Show &amp;cover in the book details panel</string>
-         </property>
-        </widget>
+        <layout class="QHBoxLayout">
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_show_cover">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Show &amp;cover in the book details panel</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_bd_overlay_cover_size">
+           <property name="toolTip">
+            <string>Show the size of the book's cover in pixels</string>
+           </property>
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>Show cover &amp;size</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item>
+          <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_bd1">
+           <property name="orientation">
+            <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
+           </property>
+           <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
+            <size>
+             <width>20</width>
+             <height>0</height>
+            </size>
+           </property>
+          </spacer>
+         </item>
+        </layout>
        </item>
       </layout>
      </widget>