diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2be12a7f2..1fc33c7a9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -26,5 +26,6 @@
 * [ENHANCEMENT] flagext: for cases such as `DeprecatedFlag()` that need a logger, add RegisterFlagsWithLogger. #80
 * [ENHANCEMENT] Added option to BasicLifecycler to keep instance in the ring when stopping. #97
 * [ENHANCEMENT] Add WaitRingTokensStability function to ring, to be able to wait on ring stability excluding allowed state transitions. #95
+* [ENHANCEMENT] Trigger metrics update on ring changes instead of doing it periodically to speed up tests that wait for certain metrics. #107
 * [BUGFIX] spanlogger: Support multiple tenant IDs. #59
 * [BUGFIX] Memberlist: fixed corrupted packets when sending compound messages with more than 255 messages or messages bigger than 64KB. #85
diff --git a/ring/ring.go b/ring/ring.go
index b9a11b83a..9632cf174 100644
--- a/ring/ring.go
+++ b/ring/ring.go
@@ -285,21 +285,9 @@ func (r *Ring) starting(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 func (r *Ring) loop(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// Update the ring metrics at start of the main loop.
-	r.updateRingMetrics()
-	go func() {
-		// Start metrics update ticker to update the ring metrics.
-		ticker := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Second)
-		defer ticker.Stop()
-
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ticker.C:
-				r.updateRingMetrics()
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				return
-			}
-		}
-	}()
+	r.mtx.Lock()
+	r.updateRingMetrics(Different)
+	r.mtx.Unlock()
 
 	r.KVClient.WatchKey(ctx, r.key, func(value interface{}) bool {
 		if value == nil {
@@ -334,6 +322,7 @@ func (r *Ring) updateRingState(ringDesc *Desc) {
 		// when watching the ring for updates).
 		r.mtx.Lock()
 		r.ringDesc = ringDesc
+		r.updateRingMetrics(rc)
 		r.mtx.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
@@ -356,6 +345,7 @@ func (r *Ring) updateRingState(ringDesc *Desc) {
 		// Invalidate all cached subrings.
 		r.shuffledSubringCache = make(map[subringCacheKey]*Ring)
 	}
+	r.updateRingMetrics(rc)
 }
 
 // Get returns n (or more) instances which form the replicas for the given key.
@@ -564,21 +554,16 @@ func (r *Ring) countTokens() (map[string]uint32, map[string]uint32) {
 	return numTokens, owned
 }
 
-// updateRingMetrics updates ring metrics.
-func (r *Ring) updateRingMetrics() {
-	r.mtx.RLock()
-	defer r.mtx.RUnlock()
-
-	numTokens, ownedRange := r.countTokens()
-	for id, totalOwned := range ownedRange {
-		r.memberOwnershipGaugeVec.WithLabelValues(id).Set(float64(totalOwned) / float64(math.MaxUint32))
-		r.numTokensGaugeVec.WithLabelValues(id).Set(float64(numTokens[id]))
+// updateRingMetrics updates ring metrics. Caller must be holding at least a Read lock!
+func (r *Ring) updateRingMetrics(compareResult CompareResult) {
+	if compareResult == Equal {
+		return
 	}
 
 	numByState := map[string]int{}
 	oldestTimestampByState := map[string]int64{}
 
-	// Initialised to zero so we emit zero-metrics (instead of not emitting anything)
+	// Initialized to zero so we emit zero-metrics (instead of not emitting anything)
 	for _, s := range []string{unhealthy, ACTIVE.String(), LEAVING.String(), PENDING.String(), JOINING.String()} {
 		numByState[s] = 0
 		oldestTimestampByState[s] = 0
@@ -601,6 +586,17 @@ func (r *Ring) updateRingMetrics() {
 	for state, timestamp := range oldestTimestampByState {
 		r.oldestTimestampGaugeVec.WithLabelValues(state).Set(float64(timestamp))
 	}
+
+	if compareResult == EqualButStatesAndTimestamps {
+		return
+	}
+
+	numTokens, ownedRange := r.countTokens()
+	for id, totalOwned := range ownedRange {
+		r.memberOwnershipGaugeVec.WithLabelValues(id).Set(float64(totalOwned) / float64(math.MaxUint32))
+		r.numTokensGaugeVec.WithLabelValues(id).Set(float64(numTokens[id]))
+	}
+
 	r.totalTokensGauge.Set(float64(len(r.ringTokens)))
 }
 
diff --git a/ring/ring_test.go b/ring/ring_test.go
index 82193753c..35a91c691 100644
--- a/ring/ring_test.go
+++ b/ring/ring_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-kit/log"
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
@@ -81,6 +82,72 @@ func generateKeys(r *rand.Rand, numTokens int, dest []uint32) {
 	}
 }
 
+func BenchmarkUpdateRingState(b *testing.B) {
+	for _, numInstances := range []int{50, 100, 500} {
+		for _, numZones := range []int{1, 3} {
+			for _, numTokens := range []int{128, 256, 512} {
+				for _, updateTokens := range []bool{false, true} {
+					b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("num instances = %d, num zones = %d, num tokens = %d, update tokens = %t", numInstances, numZones, numTokens, updateTokens), func(b *testing.B) {
+						benchmarkUpdateRingState(b, numInstances, numZones, numTokens, updateTokens)
+					})
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func benchmarkUpdateRingState(b *testing.B, numInstances, numZones, numTokens int, updateTokens bool) {
+	cfg := Config{
+		KVStore:              kv.Config{},
+		HeartbeatTimeout:     0, // get healthy stats
+		ReplicationFactor:    3,
+		ZoneAwarenessEnabled: true,
+	}
+
+	// create the ring to set up metrics, but do not start
+	registry := prometheus.NewRegistry()
+	ring, err := NewWithStoreClientAndStrategy(cfg, testRingName, testRingKey, nil, NewDefaultReplicationStrategy(), registry, log.NewNopLogger())
+	require.NoError(b, err)
+
+	// Make a random ring with N instances, and M tokens per ingests
+	// Also make a copy with different timestamps and one with different tokens
+	desc := NewDesc()
+	otherDesc := NewDesc()
+	takenTokens := []uint32{}
+	otherTakenTokens := []uint32{}
+	for i := 0; i < numInstances; i++ {
+		tokens := GenerateTokens(numTokens, takenTokens)
+		takenTokens = append(takenTokens, tokens...)
+		now := time.Now()
+		id := fmt.Sprintf("%d", i)
+		desc.AddIngester(id, fmt.Sprintf("instance-%d", i), strconv.Itoa(i), tokens, ACTIVE, now)
+		if updateTokens {
+			otherTokens := GenerateTokens(numTokens, otherTakenTokens)
+			otherTakenTokens = append(otherTakenTokens, otherTokens...)
+			otherDesc.AddIngester(id, fmt.Sprintf("instance-%d", i), strconv.Itoa(i), otherTokens, ACTIVE, now)
+		} else {
+			otherDesc.AddIngester(id, fmt.Sprintf("instance-%d", i), strconv.Itoa(i), tokens, JOINING, now)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if updateTokens {
+		require.Equal(b, Different, desc.RingCompare(otherDesc))
+	} else {
+		require.Equal(b, EqualButStatesAndTimestamps, desc.RingCompare(otherDesc))
+	}
+
+	flipFlop := true
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+		if flipFlop {
+			ring.updateRingState(desc)
+		} else {
+			ring.updateRingState(otherDesc)
+		}
+		flipFlop = !flipFlop
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDoBatchZeroInstances(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	numKeys := 10