diff --git a/ant-networking/src/driver.rs b/ant-networking/src/driver.rs
index bb1637a099..6622264d1b 100644
--- a/ant-networking/src/driver.rs
+++ b/ant-networking/src/driver.rs
@@ -594,19 +594,17 @@ impl NetworkBuilder {
         let kademlia = {
             match record_store_cfg {
                 Some(store_cfg) => {
+                    #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+                    let record_stored_metrics =
+                        metrics_recorder.as_ref().map(|r| r.records_stored.clone());
                     let node_record_store = NodeRecordStore::with_config(
                         peer_id,
                         store_cfg,
                         network_event_sender.clone(),
                         local_swarm_cmd_sender.clone(),
+                        #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+                        record_stored_metrics,
                     );
-                    #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
-                    let mut node_record_store = node_record_store;
-                    #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
-                    if let Some(metrics_recorder) = &metrics_recorder {
-                        node_record_store = node_record_store
-                            .set_record_count_metric(metrics_recorder.records_stored.clone());
-                    }
 
                     let store = UnifiedRecordStore::Node(node_record_store);
                     debug!("Using Kademlia with NodeRecordStore!");
diff --git a/ant-networking/src/record_store.rs b/ant-networking/src/record_store.rs
index b4ab4ff6b3..20e5f7bca9 100644
--- a/ant-networking/src/record_store.rs
+++ b/ant-networking/src/record_store.rs
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ impl NodeRecordStore {
         config: NodeRecordStoreConfig,
         network_event_sender: mpsc::Sender<NetworkEvent>,
         swarm_cmd_sender: mpsc::Sender<LocalSwarmCmd>,
+        #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")] record_count_metric: Option<Gauge>,
     ) -> Self {
         info!("Using encryption_seed of {:?}", config.encryption_seed);
         let encryption_details = derive_aes256gcm_siv_from_seed(&config.encryption_seed);
@@ -386,7 +387,7 @@ impl NodeRecordStore {
             local_swarm_cmd_sender: swarm_cmd_sender,
             responsible_distance_range: None,
             #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
-            record_count_metric: None,
+            record_count_metric,
             received_payment_count,
             encryption_details,
             timestamp,
@@ -397,14 +398,12 @@ impl NodeRecordStore {
 
         record_store.flush_historic_quoting_metrics();
 
-        record_store
-    }
+        #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+        if let Some(metric) = &record_store.record_count_metric {
+            let _ = metric.set(record_store.records.len() as i64);
+        }
 
-    /// Set the record_count_metric to report the number of records stored to the metrics server
-    #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
-    pub fn set_record_count_metric(mut self, metric: Gauge) -> Self {
-        self.record_count_metric = Some(metric);
-        self
+        record_store
     }
 
     /// Returns the current distance ilog2 (aka bucket) range of CLOSE_GROUP nodes.
@@ -1076,6 +1075,8 @@ mod tests {
             Default::default(),
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         // An initial unverified put should not write to disk
@@ -1152,6 +1153,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config.clone(),
             network_event_sender.clone(),
             swarm_cmd_sender.clone(),
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         // Create a chunk
@@ -1189,6 +1192,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config,
             network_event_sender.clone(),
             swarm_cmd_sender.clone(),
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         // Sleep a lit bit to let OS completes restoring
@@ -1210,6 +1215,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config_diff,
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         // Sleep a lit bit to let OS completes restoring (if has)
@@ -1247,6 +1254,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config,
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         // Create a chunk
@@ -1311,6 +1320,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config,
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         // Create a scratchpad
@@ -1404,6 +1415,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config.clone(),
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
         // keep track of everything ever stored, to check missing at the end are further away
         let mut stored_records_at_some_point: Vec<RecordKey> = vec![];
@@ -1528,6 +1541,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config,
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         let mut stored_records: Vec<RecordKey> = vec![];
@@ -1612,6 +1627,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config.clone(),
             network_event_sender.clone(),
             swarm_cmd_sender.clone(),
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         store.payment_received();
@@ -1624,6 +1641,8 @@ mod tests {
             store_config,
             network_event_sender,
             swarm_cmd_sender,
+            #[cfg(feature = "open-metrics")]
+            None,
         );
 
         assert_eq!(1, new_store.received_payment_count);