diff --git a/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics.go b/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics.go
index 6fb4aa65cc26..54110abf321e 100644
--- a/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics.go
+++ b/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type ClusterMetricSink struct {
 	MaxGaugeCardinality int
 	GaugeInterval       time.Duration
 
-	// Sink is the go-metrics sink to send to
+	// Sink is the go-metrics instance to send to.
 	Sink metrics.MetricSink
 }
 
@@ -57,9 +57,11 @@ func (m *ClusterMetricSink) MeasureSinceWithLabels(key []string, start time.Time
 
 // BlackholeSink is a default suitable for use in unit tests.
 func BlackholeSink() *ClusterMetricSink {
+	sink, _ := metrics.New(metrics.DefaultConfig(""),
+		&metrics.BlackholeSink{})
 	return &ClusterMetricSink{
 		ClusterName: "",
-		Sink:        &metrics.BlackholeSink{},
+		Sink:        sink,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics_test.go b/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics_test.go
index 975159984597..d1ad82a47a84 100644
--- a/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics_test.go
+++ b/helper/metricsutil/wrapped_metrics_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,18 @@ func isLabelPresent(toFind Label, ls []Label) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// We can use a sink directly, or wrap the top-level
+// go-metrics implementation for testing purposes.
+func defaultMetrics(sink metrics.MetricSink) *metrics.Metrics {
+	// No service name
+	config := metrics.DefaultConfig("")
+
+	// No host name
+	config.EnableHostname = false
+	m, _ := metrics.New(config, sink)
+	return m
+}
+
 func TestClusterLabelPresent(t *testing.T) {
 	testClusterName := "test-cluster"
 
@@ -28,7 +40,7 @@ func TestClusterLabelPresent(t *testing.T) {
 		2000000*time.Hour)
 	clusterSink := &ClusterMetricSink{
 		ClusterName: testClusterName,
-		Sink:        inmemSink,
+		Sink:        defaultMetrics(inmemSink),
 	}
 
 	key1 := []string{"aaa", "bbb"}
diff --git a/internalshared/configutil/telemetry.go b/internalshared/configutil/telemetry.go
index 0abfffad898d..8bb833e55519 100644
--- a/internalshared/configutil/telemetry.go
+++ b/internalshared/configutil/telemetry.go
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ func SetupTelemetry(opts *SetupTelemetryOpts) (*metrics.InmemSink, *metricsutil.
 		metricsConf.EnableHostname = false
 	}
 	fanout = append(fanout, inm)
-	_, err := metrics.NewGlobal(metricsConf, fanout)
+	globalMetrics, err := metrics.NewGlobal(metricsConf, fanout)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, false, err
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func SetupTelemetry(opts *SetupTelemetryOpts) (*metrics.InmemSink, *metricsutil.
 		ClusterName:         opts.ClusterName,
 		MaxGaugeCardinality: 500,
 		GaugeInterval:       10 * time.Minute,
-		Sink:                fanout,
+		Sink:                globalMetrics,
 	}
 
 	return inm, wrapper, prometheusEnabled, nil