diff --git a/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/Metrics.java b/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/Metrics.java
index 6eacfdf0e28..7c9437319c4 100644
--- a/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/Metrics.java
+++ b/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/Metrics.java
@@ -130,7 +130,35 @@ public Integer getValue() {
               return value;
             }
           });
+  private final Gauge<Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>> perShardInflightRequestInfo =
+      registry.register(
+          "per-shard-inflight-request-info",
+          new Gauge<Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>>() {
+            @Override
+            public Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>> getValue() {
+              Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>> result = new HashMap<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>();
+              for (SessionManager session : manager.sessions) {
+                for (Map.Entry<Host, HostConnectionPool> poolEntry : session.pools.entrySet()) {
+                  HostConnectionPool hostConnectionPool = poolEntry.getValue();
+                  Map<Integer, Integer> perShardInflightRequests = new HashMap<Integer, Integer>();
+
+                  for (int shardId = 0;
+                      shardId < hostConnectionPool.connections.length;
+                      shardId++) {
+                    int shardInflightRequests = 0;
+                    for (Connection connection : hostConnectionPool.connections[shardId]) {
+                      shardInflightRequests += connection.inFlight.get();
+                    }
+                    perShardInflightRequests.put(shardId, shardInflightRequests);
+                  }
+
+                  result.put(poolEntry.getKey(), perShardInflightRequests);
+                }
+              }
 
+              return result;
+            }
+          });
   private final Gauge<Integer> executorQueueDepth;
   private final Gauge<Integer> blockingExecutorQueueDepth;
   private final Gauge<Integer> reconnectionSchedulerQueueSize;
@@ -374,6 +402,10 @@ public Gauge<Map<Host, Integer>> getShardAwarenessInfo() {
     return shardAwarenessInfo;
   }
 
+  public Gauge<Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>> getPerShardInflightRequestInfo() {
+    return perShardInflightRequestInfo;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the number of bytes sent so far.
    *
diff --git a/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/policies/RandomTwoChoicePolicy.java b/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/policies/RandomTwoChoicePolicy.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a9830244be3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/driver-core/src/main/java/com/datastax/driver/core/policies/RandomTwoChoicePolicy.java
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+package com.datastax.driver.core.policies;
+
+import com.datastax.driver.core.*;
+import com.google.common.collect.AbstractIterator;
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.*;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+
+/**
+ * A wrapper load balancing policy that adds "Power of 2 Choice" algorithm to a child policy.
+ *
+ * <p>This policy encapsulates another policy. The resulting policy works in the following way:
+ *
+ * <ul>
+ *   <li>the {@code distance} method is inherited from the child policy.
+ *   <li>the {@code newQueryPlan} method will compare first two hosts (by number of inflight
+ *       requests) returned from the {@code newQueryPlan} method of the child policy, and the host
+ *       with fewer number of inflight requests will be returned the first. It will allow to always
+ *       avoid the worst option (comparing by number of inflight requests).
+ *   <li>besides the first two hosts returned by the child policy's {@code newQueryPlan} method, the
+ *       ordering of the rest of the hosts will remain the same.
+ * </ul>
+ *
+ * <p>If you wrap the {@code RandomTwoChoicePolicy} policy with {@code TokenAwarePolicy}, it will
+ * compare the first two replicas by the number of inflight requests, and the worse option will
+ * always be avoided. In that case, it is recommended to use the TokenAwarePolicy with {@code
+ * ReplicaOrdering.RANDOM strategy}, which will return the replicas in a shuffled order and thus
+ * will make the "Power of 2 Choice" algorithm more efficient.
+ */
+public class RandomTwoChoicePolicy implements ChainableLoadBalancingPolicy {
+  private final LoadBalancingPolicy childPolicy;
+  private volatile Metrics metrics;
+  private volatile Metadata clusterMetadata;
+  private volatile ProtocolVersion protocolVersion;
+  private volatile CodecRegistry codecRegistry;
+
+  /**
+   * Creates a new {@code RandomTwoChoicePolicy}.
+   *
+   * @param childPolicy the load balancing policy to wrap with "Power of 2 Choice" algorithm.
+   */
+  public RandomTwoChoicePolicy(LoadBalancingPolicy childPolicy) {
+    this.childPolicy = childPolicy;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public LoadBalancingPolicy getChildPolicy() {
+    return childPolicy;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void init(Cluster cluster, Collection<Host> hosts) {
+    this.metrics = cluster.getMetrics();
+    this.clusterMetadata = cluster.getMetadata();
+    this.protocolVersion = cluster.getConfiguration().getProtocolOptions().getProtocolVersion();
+    this.codecRegistry = cluster.getConfiguration().getCodecRegistry();
+    childPolicy.init(cluster, hosts);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritDoc}
+   *
+   * <p>This implementation always returns distances as reported by the wrapped policy.
+   */
+  @Override
+  public HostDistance distance(Host host) {
+    return childPolicy.distance(host);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritDoc}
+   *
+   * <p>The returned plan will compare (by the number of inflight requests) the first 2 hosts
+   * returned by the child policy's {@code newQueryPlan} method, and the host with fewer inflight
+   * requests will be returned the first. The rest of the child policy's query plan will be left
+   * intact.
+   */
+  @Override
+  public Iterator<Host> newQueryPlan(String loggedKeyspace, Statement statement) {
+    String keyspace = statement.getKeyspace();
+    if (keyspace == null) keyspace = loggedKeyspace;
+
+    ByteBuffer routingKey = statement.getRoutingKey(protocolVersion, codecRegistry);
+    if (routingKey == null || keyspace == null) {
+      return childPolicy.newQueryPlan(loggedKeyspace, statement);
+    }
+
+    final Token t = clusterMetadata.newToken(statement.getPartitioner(), routingKey);
+    final Iterator<Host> childIterator = childPolicy.newQueryPlan(keyspace, statement);
+
+    final Host host1 = childIterator.hasNext() ? childIterator.next() : null;
+    final Host host2 = childIterator.hasNext() ? childIterator.next() : null;
+
+    final AtomicInteger host1ShardInflightRequests = new AtomicInteger(0);
+    final AtomicInteger host2ShardInflightRequests = new AtomicInteger(0);
+
+    if (host1 != null) {
+      final int host1ShardId = host1.getShardingInfo().shardId(t);
+      host1ShardInflightRequests.set(
+          metrics.getPerShardInflightRequestInfo().getValue().get(host1).get(host1ShardId));
+    }
+
+    if (host2 != null) {
+      final int host2ShardId = host2.getShardingInfo().shardId(t);
+      host2ShardInflightRequests.set(
+          metrics.getPerShardInflightRequestInfo().getValue().get(host2).get(host2ShardId));
+    }
+
+    return new AbstractIterator<Host>() {
+      private final Host firstChosenHost =
+          host1ShardInflightRequests.get() < host2ShardInflightRequests.get() ? host1 : host2;
+      private final Host secondChosenHost =
+          host1ShardInflightRequests.get() < host2ShardInflightRequests.get() ? host2 : host1;
+      private int index = 0;
+
+      @Override
+      protected Host computeNext() {
+        if (index == 0) {
+          index++;
+          return firstChosenHost;
+        } else if (index == 1) {
+          index++;
+          return secondChosenHost;
+        } else if (childIterator.hasNext()) {
+          return childIterator.next();
+        }
+
+        return endOfData();
+      }
+    };
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void onAdd(Host host) {
+    childPolicy.onAdd(host);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void onUp(Host host) {
+    childPolicy.onUp(host);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void onDown(Host host) {
+    childPolicy.onDown(host);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void onRemove(Host host) {
+    childPolicy.onRemove(host);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void close() {
+    childPolicy.close();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/driver-core/src/test/java/com/datastax/driver/core/policies/RandomTwoChoicePolicyTest.java b/driver-core/src/test/java/com/datastax/driver/core/policies/RandomTwoChoicePolicyTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c895c36ef28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/driver-core/src/test/java/com/datastax/driver/core/policies/RandomTwoChoicePolicyTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package com.datastax.driver.core.policies;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+import com.codahale.metrics.Gauge;
+import com.datastax.driver.core.*;
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.*;
+import org.assertj.core.util.Sets;
+import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+public class RandomTwoChoicePolicyTest {
+  private final ByteBuffer routingKey = ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[] {1, 2, 3, 4});
+  private final RegularStatement statement =
+      new SimpleStatement("irrelevant").setRoutingKey(routingKey).setKeyspace("keyspace");
+  private final Host host1 = mock(Host.class);
+  private final Host host2 = mock(Host.class);
+  private final Host host3 = mock(Host.class);
+  private Cluster cluster;
+
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+  private final Gauge<Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>> gauge =
+      mock((Class<Gauge<Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>>>) (Object) Gauge.class);
+
+  @BeforeMethod(groups = "unit")
+  public void initMocks() {
+    CodecRegistry codecRegistry = new CodecRegistry();
+    cluster = mock(Cluster.class);
+    Configuration configuration = mock(Configuration.class);
+    ProtocolOptions protocolOptions = mock(ProtocolOptions.class);
+    Metadata metadata = mock(Metadata.class);
+    Metrics metrics = mock(Metrics.class);
+    Token t = mock(Token.class);
+    ShardingInfo shardingInfo = mock(ShardingInfo.class);
+
+    when(metrics.getPerShardInflightRequestInfo()).thenReturn(gauge);
+    when(cluster.getConfiguration()).thenReturn(configuration);
+    when(configuration.getCodecRegistry()).thenReturn(codecRegistry);
+    when(configuration.getProtocolOptions()).thenReturn(protocolOptions);
+    when(protocolOptions.getProtocolVersion()).thenReturn(ProtocolVersion.DEFAULT);
+    when(cluster.getMetadata()).thenReturn(metadata);
+    when(cluster.getMetrics()).thenReturn(metrics);
+    when(metadata.getReplicas(Metadata.quote("keyspace"), null, routingKey))
+        .thenReturn(Sets.newLinkedHashSet(host1, host2, host3));
+    when(metadata.newToken(null, routingKey)).thenReturn(t);
+    when(host1.getShardingInfo()).thenReturn(shardingInfo);
+    when(host2.getShardingInfo()).thenReturn(shardingInfo);
+    when(host3.getShardingInfo()).thenReturn(shardingInfo);
+    when(shardingInfo.shardId(t)).thenReturn(0);
+    when(host1.isUp()).thenReturn(true);
+    when(host2.isUp()).thenReturn(true);
+    when(host3.isUp()).thenReturn(true);
+  }
+
+  @Test(groups = "unit")
+  public void should_prefer_host_with_less_inflight_requests() {
+    // given
+    Map<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>> perHostInflightRequests =
+        new HashMap<Host, Map<Integer, Integer>>() {
+          {
+            put(
+                host1,
+                new HashMap<Integer, Integer>() {
+                  {
+                    put(0, 6);
+                  }
+                });
+            put(
+                host2,
+                new HashMap<Integer, Integer>() {
+                  {
+                    put(0, 2);
+                  }
+                });
+            put(
+                host3,
+                new HashMap<Integer, Integer>() {
+                  {
+                    put(0, 4);
+                  }
+                });
+          }
+        };
+    RandomTwoChoicePolicy policy =
+        new RandomTwoChoicePolicy(
+            new TokenAwarePolicy(
+                new RoundRobinPolicy(), TokenAwarePolicy.ReplicaOrdering.TOPOLOGICAL));
+    policy.init(
+        cluster,
+        new ArrayList<Host>() {
+
+          {
+            add(host1);
+            add(host2);
+            add(host3);
+          }
+        });
+    when(gauge.getValue()).thenReturn(perHostInflightRequests);
+
+    Iterator<Host> queryPlan = policy.newQueryPlan("keyspace", statement);
+    // host2 should appear first in the query plan with fewer inflight requests than host1
+
+    assertThat(queryPlan.next()).isEqualTo(host2);
+    assertThat(queryPlan.next()).isEqualTo(host1);
+    assertThat(queryPlan.next()).isEqualTo(host3);
+  }
+}