diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index bf4a9d58661..f9f020c5902 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -296,10 +296,6 @@ func NewClient(cfg *config.Config, consulCatalog consul.CatalogAPI, consulServic
 	// Start collecting stats
 	go c.emitStats()
 
-	// Assign labels at the latest possible moment so the information expected
-	// is ready
-	c.baseLabels = []metrics.Label{{Name: "node_id", Value: c.Node().ID}, {Name: "datacenter", Value: c.Node().Datacenter}}
-
 	c.logger.Printf("[INFO] client: Node ID %q", c.Node().ID)
 	return c, nil
 }
@@ -1851,6 +1847,10 @@ DISCOLOOP:
 
 // emitStats collects host resource usage stats periodically
 func (c *Client) emitStats() {
+	// Assign labels directly before emitting stats so the information expected
+	// is ready
+	c.baseLabels = []metrics.Label{{Name: "node_id", Value: c.Node().ID}, {Name: "datacenter", Value: c.Node().Datacenter}}
+
 	// Start collecting host stats right away and then keep collecting every
 	// collection interval
 	next := time.NewTimer(0)
@@ -1877,6 +1877,7 @@ func (c *Client) emitStats() {
 	}
 }
 
+// setGaugeForMemoryStats proxies metrics for memory specific statistics
 func (c *Client) setGaugeForMemoryStats(nodeID string, hStats *stats.HostStats) {
 	if !c.config.DisableTaggedMetrics {
 		metrics.SetGaugeWithLabels([]string{"client", "host", "memory", "total"}, float32(hStats.Memory.Total), c.baseLabels)
@@ -1893,6 +1894,7 @@ func (c *Client) setGaugeForMemoryStats(nodeID string, hStats *stats.HostStats)
 	}
 }
 
+// setGaugeForCPUStats proxies metrics for CPU specific statistics
 func (c *Client) setGaugeForCPUStats(nodeID string, hStats *stats.HostStats) {
 	for _, cpu := range hStats.CPU {
 		if !c.config.DisableTaggedMetrics {
@@ -1913,6 +1915,7 @@ func (c *Client) setGaugeForCPUStats(nodeID string, hStats *stats.HostStats) {
 	}
 }
 
+// setGaugeForDiskStats proxies metrics for disk specific statistics
 func (c *Client) setGaugeForDiskStats(nodeID string, hStats *stats.HostStats) {
 	for _, disk := range hStats.DiskStats {
 		if !c.config.DisableTaggedMetrics {
@@ -1935,6 +1938,7 @@ func (c *Client) setGaugeForDiskStats(nodeID string, hStats *stats.HostStats) {
 	}
 }
 
+// setGaugeForAllocationStats proxies metrics for allocation specific statistics
 func (c *Client) setGaugeForAllocationStats(nodeID string) {
 	node := c.configCopy.Node
 	c.configLock.RUnlock()
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 50a60a45fd6..94331854fb3 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -148,8 +148,11 @@ func TestClient_BaseLabels(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	baseLabels := client.baseLabels
+	assert.NotEqual(0, len(baseLabels))
+
 	nodeID := client.Node().ID
-	for _, e := range client.baseLabels {
+	for _, e := range baseLabels {
 		if e.Name == "node_id" {
 			assert.Equal(nodeID, e.Value)
 		}
diff --git a/client/task_runner.go b/client/task_runner.go
index 0a6346f5091..cd5afbd9197 100644
--- a/client/task_runner.go
+++ b/client/task_runner.go
@@ -1849,11 +1849,15 @@ func (r *TaskRunner) setGaugeForCPU(ru *cstructs.TaskResourceUsage) {
 // emitStats emits resource usage stats of tasks to remote metrics collector
 // sinks
 func (r *TaskRunner) emitStats(ru *cstructs.TaskResourceUsage) {
-	if ru.ResourceUsage.MemoryStats != nil && r.config.PublishAllocationMetrics {
+	if !r.config.PublishAllocationMetrics {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if ru.ResourceUsage.MemoryStats != nil {
 		r.setGaugeForMemory(ru)
 	}
 
-	if ru.ResourceUsage.CpuStats != nil && r.config.PublishAllocationMetrics {
+	if ru.ResourceUsage.CpuStats != nil {
 		r.setGaugeForCPU(ru)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/command/agent/config_test.go b/command/agent/config_test.go
index 2e8d207106e..5ddea6be839 100644
--- a/command/agent/config_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/config_test.go
@@ -224,10 +224,12 @@ func TestConfig_Merge(t *testing.T) {
 				ReservedPorts:       "2,10-30,55",
 				ParsedReservedPorts: []int{1, 2, 3},
 			},
-			GCInterval:            6 * time.Second,
-			GCParallelDestroys:    6,
-			GCDiskUsageThreshold:  71,
-			GCInodeUsageThreshold: 86,
+			GCInterval:                 6 * time.Second,
+			GCParallelDestroys:         6,
+			GCDiskUsageThreshold:       71,
+			GCInodeUsageThreshold:      86,
+			DisableTaggedMetrics:       true,
+			BackwardsCompatibleMetrics: true,
 		},
 		Server: &ServerConfig{
 			Enabled:                true,