diff --git a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/worker/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/worker/StreamingDataflowWorker.java b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/worker/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/worker/StreamingDataflowWorker.java
index c9a00ade6d8c..f2d7c02729c5 100644
--- a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/worker/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/worker/StreamingDataflowWorker.java
+++ b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/worker/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/worker/StreamingDataflowWorker.java
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ public class StreamingDataflowWorker {
   private final Thread dispatchThread;
   private final Thread commitThread;
   private final AtomicLong activeCommitBytes = new AtomicLong();
+  private final AtomicLong previousTimeAtMaxThreads = new AtomicLong();
   private final AtomicBoolean running = new AtomicBoolean();
   private final SideInputStateFetcher sideInputStateFetcher;
   private final StreamingDataflowWorkerOptions options;
@@ -245,10 +246,10 @@ public class StreamingDataflowWorker {
   private final Counter<Long, Long> windmillStateBytesRead;
   private final Counter<Long, Long> windmillStateBytesWritten;
   private final Counter<Long, Long> windmillQuotaThrottling;
+  private final Counter<Long, Long> timeAtMaxActiveThreads;
   // Built-in cumulative counters.
   private final Counter<Long, Long> javaHarnessUsedMemory;
   private final Counter<Long, Long> javaHarnessMaxMemory;
-  private final Counter<Long, Long> timeAtMaxActiveThreads;
   private final Counter<Integer, Integer> activeThreads;
   private final Counter<Integer, Integer> totalAllocatedThreads;
   private final Counter<Long, Long> outstandingBytes;
@@ -331,15 +332,15 @@ public class StreamingDataflowWorker {
     this.windmillQuotaThrottling =
         pendingDeltaCounters.longSum(
             StreamingSystemCounterNames.WINDMILL_QUOTA_THROTTLING.counterName());
+    this.timeAtMaxActiveThreads =
+        pendingDeltaCounters.longSum(
+            StreamingSystemCounterNames.TIME_AT_MAX_ACTIVE_THREADS.counterName());
     this.javaHarnessUsedMemory =
         pendingCumulativeCounters.longSum(
             StreamingSystemCounterNames.JAVA_HARNESS_USED_MEMORY.counterName());
     this.javaHarnessMaxMemory =
         pendingCumulativeCounters.longSum(
             StreamingSystemCounterNames.JAVA_HARNESS_MAX_MEMORY.counterName());
-    this.timeAtMaxActiveThreads =
-        pendingCumulativeCounters.longSum(
-            StreamingSystemCounterNames.TIME_AT_MAX_ACTIVE_THREADS.counterName());
     this.activeThreads =
         pendingCumulativeCounters.intSum(StreamingSystemCounterNames.ACTIVE_THREADS.counterName());
     this.outstandingBytes =
@@ -1739,7 +1740,9 @@ private void updateVMMetrics() {
 
   private void updateThreadMetrics() {
     timeAtMaxActiveThreads.getAndReset();
-    timeAtMaxActiveThreads.addValue(workUnitExecutor.allThreadsActiveTime());
+    long allThreadsActiveTime = workUnitExecutor.allThreadsActiveTime();
+    timeAtMaxActiveThreads.addValue(allThreadsActiveTime - previousTimeAtMaxThreads.get());
+    previousTimeAtMaxThreads.set(allThreadsActiveTime);
     activeThreads.getAndReset();
     activeThreads.addValue(workUnitExecutor.activeCount());
     totalAllocatedThreads.getAndReset();