diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
index c86c0f1..37a1dea 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/DHTProtocol.hs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ module Hash2Pub.DHTProtocol
     , requestLeave
     , requestPing
     , requestStabilise
+    , requestQueryLoad
     , lookupMessage
     , sendRequestTo
     , queryIdLookupLoop
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ import           Control.Concurrent.STM.TQueue
 import           Control.Concurrent.STM.TVar
 import           Control.Exception
 import           Control.Monad                  (foldM, forM, forM_, void, when)
-import           Control.Monad.Except           (MonadError (..), runExceptT)
+import           Control.Monad.Except           (MonadError (..), liftEither,
+                                                 runExceptT)
 import           Control.Monad.IO.Class         (MonadIO (..))
 import qualified Data.ByteString                as BS
 import           Data.Either                    (rights)
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ import           Hash2Pub.FediChordTypes        (CacheEntry (..),
                                                  RealNode (..), RealNodeSTM,
                                                  RemoteNodeState (..),
                                                  RingEntry (..), RingMap (..),
+                                                 SegmentLoadStats (..),
                                                  Service (..), addRMapEntry,
                                                  addRMapEntryWith,
                                                  cacheGetNodeStateUnvalidated,
@@ -744,6 +747,53 @@ requestPing ns target = do
         ) responses
 
 
+-- still need a particular vserver as LocalNodeState, because requests need a sender
+requestQueryLoad :: (MonadError String m, MonadIO m)
+                 => LocalNodeState s
+                 -> NodeID
+                 -> NodeID
+                 -> RemoteNodeState
+                 -> m SegmentLoadStats
+requestQueryLoad ns lowerIdBound upperIdBound target = do
+    nodeConf <- nodeConfig <$> liftIO (readTVarIO $ parentRealNode ns)
+    let
+        srcAddr = confIP nodeConf
+        loadPl = LoadRequestPayload
+            { loadLowerBound = lowerIdBound
+            , loadUpperBound = upperIdBound
+            }
+    responses <- liftIO $ bracket (mkSendSocket srcAddr (getDomain target) (getDhtPort target)) close
+        (fmap Right . sendRequestTo (confRequestTimeout nodeConf) (confRequestRetries nodeConf) (\rid ->
+                Request {
+                    requestID = rid
+                  , sender = toRemoteNodeState ns
+                  , part = 1
+                  , isFinalPart = False
+                  , action = QueryLoad
+                  , payload = Just loadPl
+                        }
+                                                                                                        )
+        ) `catch`  (\e -> pure . Left $ displayException (e :: IOException))
+    responseMsgSet <- liftEither responses
+    -- throws an error if an exception happened
+    loadPl <- maybe (throwError "no load response payload found") pure
+        (foldr' (\msg acc -> case payload msg of
+            -- just extract the first found LoadResponsePayload
+              Just pl@LoadResponsePayload{} | isNothing acc -> Just pl
+              _                                             -> Nothing
+                )
+            Nothing
+            responseMsgSet
+        )
+    pure SegmentLoadStats
+        { segmentLowerKeyBound = lowerIdBound
+        , segmentUpperKeyBound = upperIdBound
+        , segmentLoad = loadSum loadPl
+        , segmentOwnerLoadTarget = loadRemainingTarget loadPl
+        }
+
+
+
 -- | Generic function for sending a request over a connected socket and collecting the response.
 -- Serialises the message and tries to deliver its parts for a number of attempts within a specified timeout.
 sendRequestTo :: Int                    -- ^ timeout in milliseconds
diff --git a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
index af3d285..d8bbe4c 100644
--- a/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
+++ b/src/Hash2Pub/FediChordTypes.hs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ module Hash2Pub.FediChordTypes
   , RealNodeSTM
   , LoadStats (..)
   , emptyLoadStats
+  , SegmentLoadStats (..)
   , setSuccessors
   , setPredecessors
   , NodeCache
@@ -436,11 +437,25 @@ data FediChordConf = FediChordConf
 
 data LoadStats = LoadStats
     { loadPerTag          :: RingMap NodeID Double
+    -- ^ map of loads for each handled tag
     , totalCapacity       :: Double
+    -- ^ total designated capacity of the service
     , remainingLoadTarget :: Double
+    -- ^ current mismatch between actual load and target load/capacity
     }
     deriving (Show, Eq)
 
+data SegmentLoadStats = SegmentLoadStats
+    { segmentLowerKeyBound   :: NodeID
+    -- ^ segment start key
+    , segmentUpperKeyBound   :: NodeID
+    -- ^ segment end key
+    , segmentLoad            :: Double
+    -- ^ sum of load of all keys in the segment
+    , segmentOwnerLoadTarget :: Double
+    -- ^ remaining load target of the current segment handler
+    }
+
 -- TODO: figure out a better way of initialising
 emptyLoadStats :: LoadStats
 emptyLoadStats = LoadStats