diff --git a/ghost/admin/app/components/gh-nav-menu/main.js b/ghost/admin/app/components/gh-nav-menu/main.js
index cba10dc028..bea2247839 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/app/components/gh-nav-menu/main.js
+++ b/ghost/admin/app/components/gh-nav-menu/main.js
@@ -110,12 +110,12 @@ export default class Main extends Component.extend(ShortcutsMixin) {
     @task(function* () {
         try {
             this.set('memberCountLoading', true);
-            const stats = yield this.membersStats.fetchCounts();
+            const stats = yield this.membersStats.fetchMemberCount();
             this.set('memberCountLoading', false);
             if (stats) {
-                const statsDateObj = this.membersStats.fillCountDates(stats.data) || {};
-                const dateValues = Object.values(statsDateObj);
-                this.set('memberCount', dateValues.length ? dateValues[dateValues.length - 1].total : 0);
+                const {free, paid, comped} = stats.meta.totals;
+                const total = free + paid + comped || 0;
+                this.set('memberCount', total);
             }
         } catch (e) {
             return false;
diff --git a/ghost/admin/app/services/members-stats.js b/ghost/admin/app/services/members-stats.js
index 2d276dd84f..4c8f0d7a44 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/app/services/members-stats.js
+++ b/ghost/admin/app/services/members-stats.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export default class MembersStatsService extends Service {
     @tracked countStats = null;
     @tracked mrrStats = null;
     @tracked newsletterStats = null;
+    @tracked totalMemberCount = null;
 
     fetch() {
         let daysChanged = this._lastFetchedDays !== this.days;
@@ -50,6 +51,22 @@ export default class MembersStatsService extends Service {
         return this._fetchCountsTask.perform();
     }
 
+    fetchMemberCount() {
+        let staleData = this._lastFetchedMemberCounts && (new Date() - this._lastFetchedMemberCounts) > ONE_MINUTE;
+
+        // return an already in-progress promise unless params have changed
+        if (this._fetchMemberCountsTask.isRunning) {
+            return this._fetchMemberCountsTask.last;
+        }
+
+        // return existing stats unless data is > 1 min old
+        if (this.totalMemberCount && !this._forceRefresh && !staleData) {
+            return Promise.resolve(this.totalMemberCount);
+        }
+
+        return this._fetchMemberCountsTask.perform();
+    }
+
     fetchNewsletterStats() {
         let staleData = this._lastFetchedNewsletterStats && (new Date() - this._lastFetchedNewsletterStats) > ONE_MINUTE;
 
@@ -196,6 +213,16 @@ export default class MembersStatsService extends Service {
         return stats;
     }
 
+    @task
+    *_fetchMemberCountsTask() {
+        this._lastFetchedMemberCounts = new Date();
+
+        let statsUrl = this.ghostPaths.url.api('stats/member_count/');
+        let stats = yield this.ajax.request(statsUrl);
+        this.totalMemberCount = stats;
+        return stats;
+    }
+
     @task
     *_fetchMRRTask() {
         this._lastFetchedMRR = new Date();