diff --git a/src/script/interpreter.h b/src/script/interpreter.h
--- a/src/script/interpreter.h
+++ b/src/script/interpreter.h
@@ -100,9 +100,25 @@
     ScriptExecutionMetrics dummymetrics;
     return EvalScript(stack, script, flags, checker, dummymetrics, error);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Execute an unlocking and locking script together.
+ *
+ * Upon success, metrics will hold the accumulated script metrics.
+ * (upon failure, the results should not be relied on)
+ */
 bool VerifyScript(const CScript &scriptSig, const CScript &scriptPubKey,
                   uint32_t flags, const BaseSignatureChecker &checker,
+                  ScriptExecutionMetrics &metricsOut,
                   ScriptError *serror = nullptr);
+static inline bool VerifyScript(const CScript &scriptSig,
+                                const CScript &scriptPubKey, uint32_t flags,
+                                const BaseSignatureChecker &checker,
+                                ScriptError *serror = nullptr) {
+    ScriptExecutionMetrics dummymetrics;
+    return VerifyScript(scriptSig, scriptPubKey, flags, checker, dummymetrics,
+                        serror);
+}
 
 int FindAndDelete(CScript &script, const CScript &b);
 
diff --git a/src/script/interpreter.cpp b/src/script/interpreter.cpp
--- a/src/script/interpreter.cpp
+++ b/src/script/interpreter.cpp
@@ -1692,7 +1692,7 @@
 
 bool VerifyScript(const CScript &scriptSig, const CScript &scriptPubKey,
                   uint32_t flags, const BaseSignatureChecker &checker,
-                  ScriptError *serror) {
+                  ScriptExecutionMetrics &metricsOut, ScriptError *serror) {
     set_error(serror, ScriptError::UNKNOWN);
 
     // If FORKID is enabled, we also ensure strict encoding.
@@ -1704,15 +1704,17 @@
         return set_error(serror, ScriptError::SIG_PUSHONLY);
     }
 
+    ScriptExecutionMetrics metrics = {};
+
     std::vector<valtype> stack, stackCopy;
-    if (!EvalScript(stack, scriptSig, flags, checker, serror)) {
+    if (!EvalScript(stack, scriptSig, flags, checker, metrics, serror)) {
         // serror is set
         return false;
     }
     if (flags & SCRIPT_VERIFY_P2SH) {
         stackCopy = stack;
     }
-    if (!EvalScript(stack, scriptPubKey, flags, checker, serror)) {
+    if (!EvalScript(stack, scriptPubKey, flags, checker, metrics, serror)) {
         // serror is set
         return false;
     }
@@ -1747,10 +1749,12 @@
         // pushed onto the stack.
         if ((flags & SCRIPT_DISALLOW_SEGWIT_RECOVERY) == 0 && stack.empty() &&
             pubKey2.IsWitnessProgram()) {
+            // must set metricsOut for all successful returns
+            metricsOut = metrics;
             return set_success(serror);
         }
 
-        if (!EvalScript(stack, pubKey2, flags, checker, serror)) {
+        if (!EvalScript(stack, pubKey2, flags, checker, metrics, serror)) {
             // serror is set
             return false;
         }
@@ -1776,5 +1780,6 @@
         }
     }
 
+    metricsOut = metrics;
     return set_success(serror);
 }
diff --git a/src/test/sigcheckcount_tests.cpp b/src/test/sigcheckcount_tests.cpp
--- a/src/test/sigcheckcount_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/sigcheckcount_tests.cpp
@@ -308,4 +308,41 @@
     }
 }
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(test_verifyscript) {
+    // make sure that verifyscript is correctly resetting and accumulating
+    // sigchecks for the input.
+
+    ScriptExecutionMetrics metrics;
+
+    // regardless of the initial value, it gets zeroed out
+    metrics.nSigChecks = 12345;
+    BOOST_CHECK(VerifyScript(CScript() << OP_1, CScript(), 0, dummysigchecker,
+                             metrics));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(metrics.nSigChecks, 0);
+
+    // it even gets zeroed out for segwit recovery special case (which returns
+    // true from an alternative location)
+    metrics.nSigChecks = 12345;
+    CScript swscript;
+    swscript << OP_0 << std::vector<uint8_t>(20);
+    BOOST_CHECK(VerifyScript(CScript() << ToByteVector(swscript),
+                             CScript() << OP_HASH160
+                                       << ToByteVector(CScriptID(swscript))
+                                       << OP_EQUAL,
+                             SCRIPT_VERIFY_P2SH | SCRIPT_VERIFY_CLEANSTACK,
+                             dummysigchecker, metrics));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(metrics.nSigChecks, 0);
+
+    // If signature checks somehow occur in scriptsig, they do get counted.
+    // This can happen in historical blocks pre SIGPUSHONLY, even with CHECKSIG.
+    // (an analogous check for P2SH is not possible since it enforces
+    // sigpushonly).
+    BOOST_CHECK(VerifyScript(CScript() << sigschnorr << msg << pub
+                                       << OP_CHECKDATASIG /* scriptSig */,
+                             CScript() << sigecdsa << msg << pub
+                                       << OP_CHECKDATASIG /* scriptPubKey */,
+                             0, dummysigchecker, metrics));
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(metrics.nSigChecks, 2);
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()