diff --git a/src/arch/x86_64/paging/entry.rs b/src/arch/x86_64/paging/entry.rs
index 167381947ea001488ecad5b4077412d18172e711..f031f62c022d79270846f72f4a247de692a673ce 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86_64/paging/entry.rs
+++ b/src/arch/x86_64/paging/entry.rs
@@ -24,16 +24,22 @@ bitflags! {
 }
 
 pub const ADDRESS_MASK: usize = 0x000f_ffff_ffff_f000;
+pub const COUNTER_MASK: u64 = 0x3ff0_0000_0000_0000;
 
 impl Entry {
+    /// Clear entry
+    pub fn set_zero(&mut self) {
+        self.0 = 0;
+    }
+
     /// Is the entry unused?
     pub fn is_unused(&self) -> bool {
-        self.0 == 0
+        self.0 == (self.0 & COUNTER_MASK)
     }
 
     /// Make the entry unused
     pub fn set_unused(&mut self) {
-        self.0 = 0;
+        self.0 = self.0 & COUNTER_MASK;
     }
 
     /// Get the address this page references
@@ -57,6 +63,16 @@ impl Entry {
 
     pub fn set(&mut self, frame: Frame, flags: EntryFlags) {
         debug_assert!(frame.start_address().get() & !ADDRESS_MASK == 0);
-        self.0 = (frame.start_address().get() as u64) | flags.bits();
+        self.0 = (frame.start_address().get() as u64) | flags.bits() | (self.0 & COUNTER_MASK);
+    }
+
+    /// Get bits 52-61 in entry, used as counter for page table
+    pub fn counter_bits(&self) -> u64 {
+        (self.0 & COUNTER_MASK) >> 52
+    }
+
+    /// Set bits 52-61 in entry, used as counter for page table    
+    pub fn set_counter_bits(&mut self, count: u64) {
+        self.0 = (self.0 & !COUNTER_MASK) | (count << 52);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/arch/x86_64/paging/mapper.rs b/src/arch/x86_64/paging/mapper.rs
index 79b9f3609b22119e2e508c67f6373a8482264c6b..c2cc5923fd413dc5f8648105426ab8449d29c314 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86_64/paging/mapper.rs
+++ b/src/arch/x86_64/paging/mapper.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ impl Mapper {
             page.start_address().get(),
             p1[page.p1_index()].address().get(), p1[page.p1_index()].flags(),
             frame.start_address().get(), flags);
+        p1.increment_entry_count();
         p1[page.p1_index()].set(frame, flags | EntryFlags::PRESENT);
         MapperFlush::new(page)
     }
@@ -146,6 +147,7 @@ impl Mapper {
                         panic!("unmap_inner({:X}): frame not found", page.start_address().get())
                     };
 
+                    p1.decrement_entry_count();
                     p1[page.p1_index()].set_unused();
 
                     if keep_parents || ! p1.is_unused() {
@@ -157,13 +159,14 @@ impl Mapper {
 
                 if let Some(p1_frame) = p2[page.p2_index()].pointed_frame() {
                     //println!("Free p1 {:?}", p1_frame);
+                    p2.decrement_entry_count();
                     p2[page.p2_index()].set_unused();
                     deallocate_frames(p1_frame, 1);
                 } else {
                     panic!("unmap_inner({:X}): p1_frame not found", page.start_address().get());
                 }
 
-                if keep_parents || ! p2.is_unused() {
+                if ! p2.is_unused() {
                     return frame;
                 }
             } else {
@@ -172,13 +175,14 @@ impl Mapper {
 
             if let Some(p2_frame) = p3[page.p3_index()].pointed_frame() {
                 //println!("Free p2 {:?}", p2_frame);
+                p3.decrement_entry_count();
                 p3[page.p3_index()].set_unused();
                 deallocate_frames(p2_frame, 1);
             } else {
                 panic!("unmap_inner({:X}): p2_frame not found", page.start_address().get());
             }
 
-            if keep_parents || ! p3.is_unused() {
+            if ! p3.is_unused() {
                 return frame;
             }
         } else {
@@ -187,6 +191,7 @@ impl Mapper {
 
         if let Some(p3_frame) = p4[page.p4_index()].pointed_frame() {
             //println!("Free p3 {:?}", p3_frame);
+            p4.decrement_entry_count();
             p4[page.p4_index()].set_unused();
             deallocate_frames(p3_frame, 1);
         } else {
diff --git a/src/arch/x86_64/paging/table.rs b/src/arch/x86_64/paging/table.rs
index 4e9ae6ddcf1ef3600585ab1a35b8f18697d6658c..67845607386d0b0074456c273de55ece1537e0dc 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86_64/paging/table.rs
+++ b/src/arch/x86_64/paging/table.rs
@@ -46,10 +46,8 @@ pub struct Table<L: TableLevel> {
 
 impl<L> Table<L> where L: TableLevel {
     pub fn is_unused(&self) -> bool {
-        for entry in self.entries.iter() {
-            if ! entry.is_unused() {
-                return false;
-            }
+        if self.entry_count() > 0 {
+            return false;
         }
 
         true
@@ -57,9 +55,30 @@ impl<L> Table<L> where L: TableLevel {
 
     pub fn zero(&mut self) {
         for entry in self.entries.iter_mut() {
-            entry.set_unused();
+            entry.set_zero();
         }
     }
+
+    /// Set number of entries in first table entry
+    fn set_entry_count(&mut self, count: u64) {
+        debug_assert!(count <= ENTRY_COUNT as u64, "count can't be greater than ENTRY_COUNT");
+        self.entries[0].set_counter_bits(count);
+    }
+
+    /// Get number of entries in first table entry
+    fn entry_count(&self) -> u64 {
+        self.entries[0].counter_bits()
+    }
+
+    pub fn increment_entry_count(&mut self) {
+        let current_count = self.entry_count();
+        self.set_entry_count(current_count + 1);
+    }
+
+    pub fn decrement_entry_count(&mut self) {
+        let current_count = self.entry_count();
+        self.set_entry_count(current_count - 1);
+    }
 }
 
 impl<L> Table<L> where L: HierarchicalLevel {
@@ -76,6 +95,7 @@ impl<L> Table<L> where L: HierarchicalLevel {
             assert!(!self[index].flags().contains(EntryFlags::HUGE_PAGE),
                     "next_table_create does not support huge pages");
             let frame = allocate_frames(1).expect("no frames available");
+            self.increment_entry_count();
             self[index].set(frame, EntryFlags::PRESENT | EntryFlags::WRITABLE | EntryFlags::USER_ACCESSIBLE /* Allow users to go down the page table, implement permissions at the page level */);
             self.next_table_mut(index).unwrap().zero();
         }