diff --git a/docs/operational-metrics.md b/docs/operational-metrics.md
index 2320f80c3..5a4cb1a57 100644
--- a/docs/operational-metrics.md
+++ b/docs/operational-metrics.md
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ Each table below provides documentation for an exported flowlogs-pipeline operat
 | **Labels** | error, metric, key | 
 
 
+### encode_prom_metrics_reported
+| **Name** | encode_prom_metrics_reported | 
+|:---|:---|
+| **Description** | Total number of prometheus metrics reported by this stage | 
+| **Type** | gauge | 
+| **Labels** | stage | 
+
+
 ### ingest_batch_size_bytes
 | **Name** | ingest_batch_size_bytes | 
 |:---|:---|
diff --git a/pkg/pipeline/encode/encode_prom.go b/pkg/pipeline/encode/encode_prom.go
index 2a9e8c163..5f7cb1b20 100644
--- a/pkg/pipeline/encode/encode_prom.go
+++ b/pkg/pipeline/encode/encode_prom.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ type EncodeProm struct {
 	aggHistos        []histoInfo
 	expiryTime       time.Duration
 	mCache           *putils.TimedCache
-	mChacheLen       prometheus.Gauge
+	mChacheLenMetric prometheus.Gauge
 	exitChan         <-chan struct{}
 	metricsProcessed prometheus.Counter
 	metricsDropped   prometheus.Counter
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ var (
 		operational.TypeCounter,
 		"error", "metric", "key",
 	)
+	mChacheLen = operational.DefineMetric(
+		"encode_prom_metrics_reported",
+		"Total number of prometheus metrics reported by this stage",
+		operational.TypeGauge,
+		"stage",
+	)
 )
 
 // Encode encodes a metric before being stored
@@ -335,12 +341,6 @@ func NewEncodeProm(opMetrics *operational.Metrics, params config.StageParam) (En
 	log.Debugf("histos = %v", histos)
 	log.Debugf("aggHistos = %v", aggHistos)
 
-	mChacheLen := operational.DefineMetric(
-		"encode_prom_metrics_reported",
-		"Total number of prometheus metrics reported by this stage",
-		operational.TypeGauge,
-		"stage",
-	)
 	mChacheLenMetric := opMetrics.NewGauge(&mChacheLen, params.Name)
 
 	w := &EncodeProm{
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ func NewEncodeProm(opMetrics *operational.Metrics, params config.StageParam) (En
 		aggHistos:        aggHistos,
 		expiryTime:       expiryTime,
 		mCache:           putils.NewTimedCache(cfg.MaxMetrics, mChacheLenMetric),
-		mChacheLen:       mChacheLenMetric,
+		mChacheLenMetric: mChacheLenMetric,
 		exitChan:         putils.ExitChannel(),
 		metricsProcessed: opMetrics.NewCounter(&metricsProcessed, params.Name),
 		metricsDropped:   opMetrics.NewCounter(&metricsDropped, params.Name),