diff --git a/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinder.java b/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinder.java
index 997f437b2f..38524189f2 100644
--- a/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinder.java
+++ b/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinder.java
@@ -93,8 +93,10 @@ public class MetricDataBinder implements org.jclouds.rest.Binder {
          formParameters.put("MetricData.member." + metricDatumIndex + ".Unit",
                             String.valueOf(metricDatum.getUnit()));
 
-         formParameters.put("MetricData.member." + metricDatumIndex + ".Value",
-                            String.valueOf(metricDatum.getValue()));
+         if (metricDatum.getValue().isPresent()) {
+            formParameters.put("MetricData.member." + metricDatumIndex + ".Value",
+                     String.valueOf(metricDatum.getValue().get()));
+         }
 
          metricDatumIndex++;
       }
diff --git a/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/domain/MetricDatum.java b/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/domain/MetricDatum.java
index 2bd2d1385e..23745a9eb4 100644
--- a/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/domain/MetricDatum.java
+++ b/apis/cloudwatch/src/main/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/domain/MetricDatum.java
@@ -25,14 +25,16 @@ import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Objects;
-import com.google.common.base.Optional;
 import com.google.common.base.Objects.ToStringHelper;
+import com.google.common.base.Optional;
+import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
-import com.google.common.collect.Sets;
 
 /**
- * @see <a href="http://docs.amazonwebservices.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/APIReference/API_MetricDatum.html" />
- *
+ * @see <a href=
+ *      "http://docs.amazonwebservices.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/APIReference/API_MetricDatum.html"
+ *      />
+ * 
  * @author Jeremy Whitlock
  */
 public class MetricDatum {
@@ -42,17 +44,17 @@ public class MetricDatum {
    private final Optional<StatisticValues> statisticValues;
    private final Optional<Date> timestamp;
    private final Unit unit;
-   private final double value;
+   private final Optional<Double> value;
 
    /**
     * Private constructor to enforce using {@link Builder}.
     */
-   protected MetricDatum(Set<Dimension> dimensions, String metricName, StatisticValues statisticValues, Date timestamp,
-                       Unit unit, double value) {
-      this.dimensions = ImmutableSet.<Dimension>copyOf(checkNotNull(dimensions, "dimensions"));
+   protected MetricDatum(Iterable<Dimension> dimensions, String metricName, Optional<StatisticValues> statisticValues,
+            Optional<Date> timestamp, Unit unit, Optional<Double> value) {
+      this.dimensions = ImmutableSet.<Dimension> copyOf(checkNotNull(dimensions, "dimensions"));
       this.metricName = checkNotNull(metricName, "metricName");
-      this.statisticValues = Optional.fromNullable(statisticValues);
-      this.timestamp = Optional.fromNullable(timestamp);
+      this.statisticValues = checkNotNull(statisticValues, "statisticValues");
+      this.timestamp = checkNotNull(timestamp, "timestamp");
       this.unit = checkNotNull(unit, "unit");
       this.value = checkNotNull(value, "value");
    }
@@ -95,13 +97,13 @@ public class MetricDatum {
    /**
     * return the actual value of the metric
     */
-   public double getValue() {
+   public Optional<Double> getValue() {
       return value;
    }
 
    /**
-    * Returns a new builder. The generated builder is equivalent to the builder
-    * created by the {@link Builder} constructor.
+    * Returns a new builder. The generated builder is equivalent to the builder created by the
+    * {@link Builder} constructor.
     */
    public static Builder builder() {
       return new Builder();
@@ -110,36 +112,39 @@ public class MetricDatum {
    public static class Builder {
 
       // this builder is set to be additive on dimension calls, so make this mutable
-      private Set<Dimension> dimensions = Sets.newLinkedHashSet();
+      private ImmutableList.Builder<Dimension> dimensions = ImmutableList.<Dimension> builder();
       private String metricName;
-      private StatisticValues statisticValues;
-      private Date timestamp;
+      private Optional<StatisticValues> statisticValues = Optional.absent();
+      private Optional<Date> timestamp = Optional.absent();
       private Unit unit = Unit.NONE;
-      private double value;
+      private Optional<Double> value = Optional.absent();
 
       /**
-       * Creates a new builder. The returned builder is equivalent to the builder
-       * generated by {@link org.jclouds.cloudwatch.domain.MetricDatum#builder}.
+       * Creates a new builder. The returned builder is equivalent to the builder generated by
+       * {@link org.jclouds.cloudwatch.domain.MetricDatum#builder}.
        */
-      public Builder() {}
+      public Builder() {
+      }
 
       /**
        * A list of dimensions describing qualities of the metric.
-       *
-       * @param dimensions the dimensions describing the qualities of the metric
-       *
+       * 
+       * @param dimensions
+       *           the dimensions describing the qualities of the metric
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
-      public Builder dimensions(Set<Dimension> dimensions) {
+      public Builder dimensions(Iterable<Dimension> dimensions) {
          this.dimensions.addAll(checkNotNull(dimensions, "dimensions"));
          return this;
       }
 
       /**
        * A dimension describing qualities of the metric.
-       *
-       * @param dimension the dimension describing the qualities of the metric
-       *
+       * 
+       * @param dimension
+       *           the dimension describing the qualities of the metric
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
       public Builder dimension(Dimension dimension) {
@@ -149,9 +154,10 @@ public class MetricDatum {
 
       /**
        * The name of the metric.
-       *
-       * @param metricName the metric name
-       *
+       * 
+       * @param metricName
+       *           the metric name
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
       public Builder metricName(String metricName) {
@@ -161,34 +167,37 @@ public class MetricDatum {
 
       /**
        * The object describing the set of statistical values describing the metric.
-       *
-       * @param statisticValues the object describing the set of statistical values for the metric
-       *
+       * 
+       * @param statisticValues
+       *           the object describing the set of statistical values for the metric
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
       public Builder statisticValues(StatisticValues statisticValues) {
-         this.statisticValues = statisticValues;
+         this.statisticValues = Optional.fromNullable(statisticValues);
          return this;
       }
 
       /**
-       * The time stamp used for the metric.  If not specified, the default value is set to the time the metric data was
-       * received.
-       *
-       * @param timestamp the time stamp used for the metric
-       *
+       * The time stamp used for the metric. If not specified, the default value is set to the time
+       * the metric data was received.
+       * 
+       * @param timestamp
+       *           the time stamp used for the metric
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
       public Builder timestamp(Date timestamp) {
-         this.timestamp = timestamp;
+         this.timestamp = Optional.fromNullable(timestamp);
          return this;
       }
 
       /**
        * The unit for the metric.
-       *
-       * @param unit the unit for the metric
-       *
+       * 
+       * @param unit
+       *           the unit for the metric
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
       public Builder unit(Unit unit) {
@@ -198,13 +207,14 @@ public class MetricDatum {
 
       /**
        * The value for the metric.
-       *
-       * @param value the value for the metric
-       *
+       * 
+       * @param value
+       *           the value for the metric
+       * 
        * @return this {@code Builder} object
        */
-      public Builder value(double value) {
-         this.value = value;
+      public Builder value(Double value) {
+         this.value = Optional.fromNullable(value);
          return this;
       }
 
@@ -212,7 +222,7 @@ public class MetricDatum {
        * Returns a newly-created {@code MetricDatum} based on the contents of the {@code Builder}.
        */
       public MetricDatum build() {
-         return new MetricDatum(dimensions, metricName, statisticValues, timestamp, unit, value);
+         return new MetricDatum(dimensions.build(), metricName, statisticValues, timestamp, unit, value);
       }
 
    }
@@ -240,7 +250,8 @@ public class MetricDatum {
    }
 
    protected ToStringHelper string() {
-      return Objects.toStringHelper("").add("dimensions", dimensions).add("metricName", metricName).add(
-               "statisticValues", statisticValues).add("timestamp", timestamp).add("unit", unit).add("value", value);
+      return Objects.toStringHelper("").omitNullValues().add("dimensions", dimensions).add("metricName", metricName)
+               .add("statisticValues", statisticValues.orNull()).add("timestamp", timestamp.orNull()).add("unit", unit)
+               .add("value", value.orNull());
    }
 }
diff --git a/apis/cloudwatch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinderTest.java b/apis/cloudwatch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinderTest.java
index 94dcac48f6..003fb90274 100644
--- a/apis/cloudwatch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinderTest.java
+++ b/apis/cloudwatch/src/test/java/org/jclouds/cloudwatch/binders/MetricDataBinderTest.java
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ public class MetricDataBinderTest {
                                            .statisticValues(ss)
                                            .dimension(new Dimension("TestDimension", "FAKE"))
                                            .unit(Unit.COUNT)
-                                           .value(2)
                                            .build();
 
       HttpRequest request = binder.bindToRequest(request(), ImmutableSet.of(metricDatum));
@@ -73,8 +72,7 @@ public class MetricDataBinderTest {
                                 "&MetricData.member.1.StatisticValues.Minimum=1.0" +
                                 "&MetricData.member.1.StatisticValues.SampleCount=4.0" +
                                 "&MetricData.member.1.StatisticValues.Sum=10.0" +
-                                "&MetricData.member.1.Unit=" + Unit.COUNT.toString() +
-                                "&MetricData.member.1.Value=2.0");
+                                "&MetricData.member.1.Unit=" + Unit.COUNT.toString());
    }
 
    public void testMetricWithMultipleDimensions() throws Exception {