diff --git a/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/DirectDruidClient.java b/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/DirectDruidClient.java
index cc1bbd8dba2..3ab0c3f137f 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/DirectDruidClient.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/io/druid/client/DirectDruidClient.java
@@ -200,21 +200,29 @@ public class DirectDruidClient<T> implements QueryRunner<T>
 
       final long requestStartTimeNs = System.nanoTime();
 
-      final QueryMetrics<? super Query<T>> queryMetrics = toolChest.makeMetrics(query);
-      queryMetrics.server(host);
-
       long timeoutAt = ((Long) context.get(QUERY_FAIL_TIME)).longValue();
       long maxScatterGatherBytes = QueryContexts.getMaxScatterGatherBytes(query);
       AtomicLong totalBytesGathered = (AtomicLong) context.get(QUERY_TOTAL_BYTES_GATHERED);
 
       final HttpResponseHandler<InputStream, InputStream> responseHandler = new HttpResponseHandler<InputStream, InputStream>()
       {
-        private long responseStartTimeNs;
         private final AtomicLong byteCount = new AtomicLong(0);
         private final BlockingQueue<InputStream> queue = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
         private final AtomicBoolean done = new AtomicBoolean(false);
         private final AtomicReference<String> fail = new AtomicReference<>();
 
+        private QueryMetrics<? super Query<T>> queryMetrics;
+        private long responseStartTimeNs;
+
+        private QueryMetrics<? super Query<T>> acquireResponseMetrics()
+        {
+          if (queryMetrics == null) {
+            queryMetrics = toolChest.makeMetrics(query);
+            queryMetrics.server(host);
+          }
+          return queryMetrics;
+        }
+
         @Override
         public ClientResponse<InputStream> handleResponse(HttpResponse response)
         {
@@ -223,7 +231,7 @@ public class DirectDruidClient<T> implements QueryRunner<T>
 
           log.debug("Initial response from url[%s] for queryId[%s]", url, query.getId());
           responseStartTimeNs = System.nanoTime();
-          queryMetrics.reportNodeTimeToFirstByte(responseStartTimeNs - requestStartTimeNs).emit(emitter);
+          acquireResponseMetrics().reportNodeTimeToFirstByte(responseStartTimeNs - requestStartTimeNs).emit(emitter);
 
           try {
             final String responseContext = response.headers().get("X-Druid-Response-Context");
@@ -342,9 +350,10 @@ public class DirectDruidClient<T> implements QueryRunner<T>
               nodeTimeMs,
               byteCount.get() / (0.001 * nodeTimeMs) // Floating math; division by zero will yield Inf, not exception
           );
-          queryMetrics.reportNodeTime(nodeTimeNs);
-          queryMetrics.reportNodeBytes(byteCount.get());
-          queryMetrics.emit(emitter);
+          QueryMetrics<? super Query<T>> responseMetrics = acquireResponseMetrics();
+          responseMetrics.reportNodeTime(nodeTimeNs);
+          responseMetrics.reportNodeBytes(byteCount.get());
+          responseMetrics.emit(emitter);
           synchronized (done) {
             try {
               // An empty byte array is put at the end to give the SequenceInputStream.close() as something to close out