diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 4165ab0dce0..5e5c633e506 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -191,8 +191,6 @@ func NewClient(cfg *config.Config, consulCatalog consul.CatalogAPI, consulServic
 		serversDiscoveredCh: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
-	c.baseLabels = []metrics.Label{{"node_id", c.Node().ID}, {"datacenter", c.Node().Datacenter}}
-
 	// Initialize the client
 	if err := c.init(); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize client: %v", err)
@@ -290,6 +288,10 @@ 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
 }
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 30baff15b57..95fc0e9cc4b 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	nconfig "github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs/config"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/testutil"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/hashstructure"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	ctestutil "github.com/hashicorp/nomad/client/testutil"
 )
@@ -121,6 +122,25 @@ func TestClient_StartStop(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Certain labels for metrics are dependant on client intial setup. This tests
+// that the client has properly initialized before we assign values to labels
+func TestClient_BaseLabels(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	client := testClient(t, nil)
+	if err := client.Shutdown(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	nodeID := client.Node().ID
+	for _, e := range client.baseLabels {
+		if e.Name == "node_id" {
+			assert.Equal(nodeID, e.Value)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestClient_RPC(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	s1, addr := testServer(t, nil)