diff --git a/stripe.go b/stripe.go
index bbc4f567f0..62f8d6fb5c 100644
--- a/stripe.go
+++ b/stripe.go
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ type BackendImplementation struct {
 	// See also SetNetworkRetriesSleep.
 	networkRetriesSleep bool
 
-	enableTelemetry    bool
-	prevRequestMetrics chan requestMetrics
+	enableTelemetry      bool
+	requestMetricsBuffer *ringBuffer
 }
 
 // Call is the Backend.Call implementation for invoking Stripe APIs.
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func (s *BackendImplementation) Do(req *http.Request, body *bytes.Buffer, v inte
 
 	if s.enableTelemetry {
 		select {
-		case metrics := <-s.prevRequestMetrics:
+		case metrics := <-s.requestMetricsBuffer.outputChannel:
 			metricsJSON, err := json.Marshal(&requestTelemetry{LastRequestMetrics: metrics})
 			if err == nil {
 				req.Header.Set("X-Stripe-Client-Telemetry", string(metricsJSON))
@@ -425,11 +425,7 @@ func (s *BackendImplementation) Do(req *http.Request, body *bytes.Buffer, v inte
 				RequestDurationMS: requestDurationMS,
 			}
 
-			select {
-			case s.prevRequestMetrics <- metrics:
-			default:
-				// buffer is full, discard.
-			}
+			s.requestMetricsBuffer.inputChannel <- metrics
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -866,6 +862,11 @@ type requestTelemetry struct {
 	LastRequestMetrics requestMetrics `json:"last_request_metrics"`
 }
 
+// ringBuffer is a circular buffer of requestMetrics.
+type ringBuffer struct {
+	inputChannel, outputChannel chan requestMetrics
+}
+
 //
 // Private variables
 //
@@ -939,24 +940,47 @@ func isHTTPWriteMethod(method string) bool {
 // The vast majority of the time you should be calling GetBackendWithConfig
 // instead of this function.
 func newBackendImplementation(backendType SupportedBackend, config *BackendConfig) Backend {
-	var requestMetricsBuffer chan requestMetrics
+	var requestMetricsBuffer *ringBuffer
 
 	// only allocate the requestMetrics buffer if client telemetry is enabled.
 	if config.EnableTelemetry {
-		requestMetricsBuffer = make(chan requestMetrics, telemetryBufferSize)
+		requestMetricsBuffer = &ringBuffer{
+			// inputChannel does not need to be buffered because ringBuffer#run()
+			// is always pulling objects off inputChannel and putting them in
+			// outputChannel.
+			inputChannel:  make(chan requestMetrics),
+			outputChannel: make(chan requestMetrics, telemetryBufferSize),
+		}
+
+		go requestMetricsBuffer.run()
 	}
 
 	return &BackendImplementation{
-		HTTPClient:          config.HTTPClient,
-		LogLevel:            config.LogLevel,
-		Logger:              config.Logger,
-		MaxNetworkRetries:   config.MaxNetworkRetries,
-		Type:                backendType,
-		URL:                 config.URL,
-		networkRetriesSleep: true,
-		enableTelemetry:     config.EnableTelemetry,
-		prevRequestMetrics:  requestMetricsBuffer,
+		HTTPClient:           config.HTTPClient,
+		LogLevel:             config.LogLevel,
+		Logger:               config.Logger,
+		MaxNetworkRetries:    config.MaxNetworkRetries,
+		Type:                 backendType,
+		URL:                  config.URL,
+		networkRetriesSleep:  true,
+		enableTelemetry:      config.EnableTelemetry,
+		requestMetricsBuffer: requestMetricsBuffer,
+	}
+}
+
+// This is the bookkeeping method for ringBuffer, which should be run as a
+// seperate goroutine.
+func (r *ringBuffer) run() {
+	for v := range r.inputChannel {
+		select {
+		case r.outputChannel <- v:
+		default:
+			<-r.outputChannel
+			r.outputChannel <- v
+		}
 	}
+
+	close(r.outputChannel)
 }
 
 func normalizeURL(url string) string {