diff --git a/embed/etcd.go b/embed/etcd.go
index d36d732a6..c1a94bc45 100644
--- a/embed/etcd.go
+++ b/embed/etcd.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/rafthttp"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/pkg/capnslog"
+	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/go-grpc-prometheus"
 	"github.com/soheilhy/cmux"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/keepalive"
@@ -523,6 +524,10 @@ func (e *Etcd) serveClients() (err error) {
 }
 
 func (e *Etcd) serveMetrics() (err error) {
+	if e.cfg.Metrics == "extensive" {
+		grpc_prometheus.EnableHandlingTimeHistogram()
+	}
+
 	if len(e.cfg.ListenMetricsUrls) > 0 {
 		metricsMux := http.NewServeMux()
 		etcdhttp.HandleMetricsHealth(metricsMux, e.Server)
diff --git a/etcdmain/etcd.go b/etcdmain/etcd.go
index 0174a5020..87e9b25bb 100644
--- a/etcdmain/etcd.go
+++ b/etcdmain/etcd.go
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/version"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/pkg/capnslog"
-	"github.com/grpc-ecosystem/go-grpc-prometheus"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 )
 
@@ -179,10 +178,6 @@ func startEtcdOrProxyV2() {
 
 // startEtcd runs StartEtcd in addition to hooks needed for standalone etcd.
 func startEtcd(cfg *embed.Config) (<-chan struct{}, <-chan error, error) {
-	if cfg.Metrics == "extensive" {
-		grpc_prometheus.EnableHandlingTimeHistogram()
-	}
-
 	e, err := embed.StartEtcd(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err