diff --git a/constellation/src/bin/main.rs b/constellation/src/bin/main.rs
index dcac2b2..9fe78f4 100644
--- a/constellation/src/bin/main.rs
+++ b/constellation/src/bin/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use anyhow::{bail, Result};
 use clap::{Parser, ValueEnum};
+use metrics::{describe_counter, describe_gauge, describe_histogram, Unit};
 use metrics_exporter_prometheus::PrometheusBuilder;
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::num::NonZero;
@@ -244,16 +245,6 @@ fn run(
 
                 let process_collector = metrics_process::Collector::default();
                 process_collector.describe();
-                metrics::describe_gauge!(
-                    "storage_available",
-                    metrics::Unit::Bytes,
-                    "available to be allocated"
-                );
-                metrics::describe_gauge!(
-                    "storage_free",
-                    metrics::Unit::Bytes,
-                    "unused bytes in filesystem"
-                );
                 if let Some(ref p) = data_dir {
                     if let Err(e) = fs4::available_space(p) {
                         eprintln!("fs4 failed to get available space. may not be supported here? space metrics may be absent. e: {e:?}");
@@ -301,7 +292,10 @@ fn run(
 
 fn install_metrics_server(metrics_bind: SocketAddr) -> Result<()> {
     println!("installing metrics server...");
-    #[expect(deprecated, reason = "would change counters to _total suffix, needs dash updates")]
+    #[expect(
+        deprecated,
+        reason = "would change counters to _total suffix, needs dash updates"
+    )]
     PrometheusBuilder::new()
         .idle_timeout(
             metrics_util::MetricKindMask::ALL,
@@ -313,10 +307,108 @@ fn install_metrics_server(metrics_bind: SocketAddr) -> Result<()> {
         .set_enable_unit_suffix(true)
         .with_http_listener(metrics_bind)
         .install()?;
+    describe_metrics();
     println!("metrics server installed! listening at {metrics_bind:?}");
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn describe_metrics() {
+    describe_gauge!(
+        "storage_available",
+        Unit::Bytes,
+        "available to be allocated"
+    );
+    describe_gauge!("storage_free", Unit::Bytes, "unused bytes in filesystem");
+    describe_counter!(
+        "jetstream_connnect",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "attempts to connect to a jetstream server"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "jetstream_read",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "attempts to read an event from jetstream"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "jetstream_read_fail",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "failures to read events from jetstream"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "jetstream_read_bytes",
+        Unit::Bytes,
+        "total received message bytes from jetstream"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "jetstream_read_bytes_decompressed",
+        Unit::Bytes,
+        "total decompressed message bytes from jetstream"
+    );
+    describe_histogram!(
+        "jetstream_read_bytes_decompressed",
+        Unit::Bytes,
+        "decompressed size of jetstream messages"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "jetstream_events",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "valid json messages received"
+    );
+    describe_histogram!(
+        "jetstream_events_queued",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "event messages waiting in queue"
+    );
+    describe_gauge!(
+        "jetstream_cursor_age",
+        Unit::Microseconds,
+        "microseconds between our clock and the jetstream event's time_us"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "consumer_events_non_actionable",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "count of non-actionable events"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "consumer_events_actionable",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "count of action by type. *all* atproto record delete events are included"
+    );
+    describe_counter!(
+        "consumer_events_actionable_links",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "total links encountered"
+    );
+    describe_histogram!(
+        "consumer_events_actionable_links",
+        Unit::Count,
+        "number of links per message"
+    );
+    #[cfg(feature = "rocks")]
+    {
+        describe_histogram!(
+            "storage_rocksdb_read_seconds",
+            Unit::Seconds,
+            "duration of the read stage of actions"
+        );
+        describe_histogram!(
+            "storage_rocksdb_action_seconds",
+            Unit::Seconds,
+            "duration of read + write of actions"
+        );
+        describe_counter!(
+            "storage_rocksdb_batch_ops_total",
+            Unit::Count,
+            "total batched operations from actions"
+        );
+        describe_histogram!(
+            "storage_rocksdb_delete_account_ops",
+            Unit::Count,
+            "total batched ops for account deletions"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use constellation::consumer::get_actionable;
diff --git a/constellation/src/consumer/jetstream.rs b/constellation/src/consumer/jetstream.rs
index 3808b48..7e58155 100644
--- a/constellation/src/consumer/jetstream.rs
+++ b/constellation/src/consumer/jetstream.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::{bail, Result};
-use metrics::{
-    counter, describe_counter, describe_gauge, describe_histogram, gauge, histogram, Unit,
-};
+use metrics::{counter, gauge, histogram};
 use std::io::{Cursor, ErrorKind, Read};
 use std::net::ToSocketAddrs;
 use std::thread;
@@ -19,52 +17,6 @@ pub fn consume_jetstream(
     stream: String,
     staying_alive: CancellationToken,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-    describe_counter!(
-        "jetstream_connnect",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "attempts to connect to a jetstream server"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "jetstream_read",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "attempts to read an event from jetstream"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "jetstream_read_fail",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "failures to read events from jetstream"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "jetstream_read_bytes",
-        Unit::Bytes,
-        "total received message bytes from jetstream"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "jetstream_read_bytes_decompressed",
-        Unit::Bytes,
-        "total decompressed message bytes from jetstream"
-    );
-    describe_histogram!(
-        "jetstream_read_bytes_decompressed",
-        Unit::Bytes,
-        "decompressed size of jetstream messages"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "jetstream_events",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "valid json messages received"
-    );
-    describe_histogram!(
-        "jetstream_events_queued",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "event messages waiting in queue"
-    );
-    describe_gauge!(
-        "jetstream_cursor_age",
-        Unit::Microseconds,
-        "microseconds between our clock and the jetstream event's time_us"
-    );
-
     let dict = DecoderDictionary::copy(JETSTREAM_ZSTD_DICTIONARY);
     let mut connect_retries = 0;
     let mut latest_cursor = cursor;
diff --git a/constellation/src/consumer/mod.rs b/constellation/src/consumer/mod.rs
index 9ba9c14..a5dabd9 100644
--- a/constellation/src/consumer/mod.rs
+++ b/constellation/src/consumer/mod.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use anyhow::Result;
 use jetstream::consume_jetstream;
 use jsonl_file::consume_jsonl_file;
 use links::{parse_any_link, record::walk_record, CollectedLink};
-use metrics::{counter, describe_counter, describe_histogram, histogram, Unit};
+use metrics::{counter, histogram};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
@@ -23,27 +23,6 @@ pub fn consume(
     stream: String,
     staying_alive: CancellationToken,
 ) -> Result<()> {
-    describe_counter!(
-        "consumer_events_non_actionable",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "count of non-actionable events"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "consumer_events_actionable",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "count of action by type. *all* atproto record delete events are included"
-    );
-    describe_counter!(
-        "consumer_events_actionable_links",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "total links encountered"
-    );
-    describe_histogram!(
-        "consumer_events_actionable_links",
-        Unit::Count,
-        "number of links per message"
-    );
-
     let mut fixture_cursor = None;
     let (receiver, consumer_handle) = if let Some(f) = fixture {
         let (sender, receiver) = flume::bounded(21);
diff --git a/constellation/src/storage/rocks_store.rs b/constellation/src/storage/rocks_store.rs
index 3974636..993931a 100644
--- a/constellation/src/storage/rocks_store.rs
+++ b/constellation/src/storage/rocks_store.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::{CountsByCount, Did, ManyToManyItem, RecordId};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Result};
 use bincode::Options as BincodeOptions;
 use links::CollectedLink;
-use metrics::{counter, describe_counter, describe_histogram, histogram, Unit};
+use metrics::{counter, histogram};
 use ratelimit::Ratelimiter;
 use rocksdb::backup::{BackupEngine, BackupEngineOptions};
 use rocksdb::{
@@ -256,7 +256,6 @@ fn now() -> u64 {
 
 impl RocksStorage {
     pub fn new(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<Self> {
-        Self::describe_metrics();
         let me = RocksStorage::open_readmode(path, false)?;
         me.global_init()?;
         Ok(me)
@@ -420,29 +419,6 @@ impl RocksStorage {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn describe_metrics() {
-        describe_histogram!(
-            "storage_rocksdb_read_seconds",
-            Unit::Seconds,
-            "duration of the read stage of actions"
-        );
-        describe_histogram!(
-            "storage_rocksdb_action_seconds",
-            Unit::Seconds,
-            "duration of read + write of actions"
-        );
-        describe_counter!(
-            "storage_rocksdb_batch_ops_total",
-            Unit::Count,
-            "total batched operations from actions"
-        );
-        describe_histogram!(
-            "storage_rocksdb_delete_account_ops",
-            Unit::Count,
-            "total batched ops for account deletions"
-        );
-    }
-
     fn merge_op_extend_did_ids(
         key: &[u8],
         existing: Option<&[u8]>,