diff --git a/openmc/cell.py b/openmc/cell.py
index 2b303b44f5..d39816a6a8 100644
--- a/openmc/cell.py
+++ b/openmc/cell.py
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ class Cell(object):
         Volume of the cell in cm^3. This can either be set manually or
         calculated in a stochastic volume calculation and added via the
         :meth:`Cell.add_volume_information` method.
+    num_instances : int
+        The number of instances of this cell throughout the geometry. This
+        property is initialized by calling the
+        :meth:`Geometry.count_cell_instances()` method.
 
     """
 
@@ -108,6 +112,7 @@ class Cell(object):
         self._distribcell_paths = None
         self._volume = None
         self._atoms = None
+        self._num_instances = None
 
     def __contains__(self, point):
         if self.region is None:
@@ -228,6 +233,10 @@ class Cell(object):
     def volume(self):
         return self._volume
 
+    @property
+    def num_instances(self):
+        return self._num_instances
+
     @id.setter
     def id(self, cell_id):
         if cell_id is None:
@@ -344,6 +353,11 @@ class Cell(object):
                                string_types)
         self._distribcell_paths = distribcell_paths
 
+    @num_instances.setter
+    def num_instances(self, num_instances):
+        cv.check_type('num_instances', num_instances, Integral)
+        self._num_instances = num_instances
+
     def add_surface(self, surface, halfspace):
         """Add a half-space to the list of half-spaces whose intersection defines the
         cell.
diff --git a/openmc/geometry.py b/openmc/geometry.py
index 52f3ade3b4..a02f76cc8a 100644
--- a/openmc/geometry.py
+++ b/openmc/geometry.py
@@ -449,3 +449,77 @@ class Geometry(object):
         lattices = list(lattices)
         lattices.sort(key=lambda x: x.id)
         return lattices
+
+
+    # FIXME:
+    def count_cell_instances(self, universe=None):
+
+
+        if universe is None:
+            universe = self.root_universe
+
+        if universe is None:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                'Unable to count cell instances without a root universe')
+
+        # (Re-)initialize all cell instances to 0
+        for cell in self.get_all_cells().values():
+            cell.num_instances = 0
+
+        for cell in universe.cells.values():
+            # Increment the number of cell instances
+            cell.num_instances += 1
+
+            # If material-filled, we are finished with all levels
+            if cell.fill_type == 'material':
+                continue
+
+            # If universe-filled, recursively count cells in filling universe
+            elif cell.fill_type == 'universe':
+                self.count_cell_instances(cell.fill)
+
+            # If lattice-filled, recursively call for all universes in lattice
+            elif cell.fill_type == 'lattice':
+                latt = cell.fill
+
+                if isinstance(latt, openmc.RectLattice):
+                    # 3D Lattices
+                    if latt.ndim == 3:
+                        for j in range(latt.shape[2]):
+                            for k in range(latt.shape[1]):
+                                for m in range(latt.shape[0]):
+                                    univ = latt.universes[j][k][m]
+                                    self.count_cell_instances(univ)
+                    # 2D Lattices
+                    else:
+                        for k in range(latt.shape[1]):
+                            for m in range(latt.shape[0]):
+                                univ = latt.universes[k][m]
+                                self.count_cell_instances(univ)
+
+                elif isinstance(latt, openmc.HexLattice):
+
+                    # 3D Lattices
+                    if latt.ndim == 3:
+                        for m in range(latt.num_axial):
+                            for k in range(2*latt.num_rings-1):
+                                for j in range(2*latt.num_rings-1):
+                                    if j + k < latt.num_rings + 1:
+                                        continue
+                                    elif j + k > 3*latt.num_rings - 1:
+                                        continue
+                                    else:
+                                        univ = latt.universes[j][k][m]
+                                        self.count_cell_instances(univ)
+
+                    # 2D Lattices
+                    else:
+                        for k in range(2*latt.num_rings-1):
+                            for j in range(2*latt.num_rings-1):
+                                if j + k < latt.num_rings + 1:
+                                    continue
+                                elif j + k > 3*latt.num_rings - 1:
+                                    continue
+                                else:
+                                    univ = latt.universes[j][k]
+                                    self.count_cell_instances(univ)
\ No newline at end of file