diff --git a/src/metric.c b/src/metric.c
index c758605..a1b33bb 100644
--- a/src/metric.c
+++ b/src/metric.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ gauge__record(struct brubeck_metric *metric, value_t value, value_t sample_freq,
 		} else {
 			metric->as.gauge.value = value;
 		}
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_ACTIVE;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 }
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ gauge__sample(struct brubeck_metric *metric, brubeck_sample_cb sample, void *opa
 	pthread_spin_lock(&metric->lock);
 	{
 		value = metric->as.gauge.value;
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_DISABLED;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ meter__record(struct brubeck_metric *metric, value_t value, value_t sample_freq,
 	pthread_spin_lock(&metric->lock);
 	{
 		metric->as.meter.value += value;
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_ACTIVE;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 }
@@ -95,6 +98,7 @@ meter__sample(struct brubeck_metric *metric, brubeck_sample_cb sample, void *opa
 	{
 		value = metric->as.meter.value;
 		metric->as.meter.value = 0.0;
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_DISABLED;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 
@@ -124,6 +128,7 @@ counter__record(struct brubeck_metric *metric, value_t value, value_t sample_fre
 		}
 
 		metric->as.counter.previous = value;
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_ACTIVE;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 }
@@ -137,6 +142,7 @@ counter__sample(struct brubeck_metric *metric, brubeck_sample_cb sample, void *o
 	{
 		value = metric->as.counter.value;
 		metric->as.counter.value = 0.0;
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_DISABLED;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 
@@ -155,6 +161,7 @@ histogram__record(struct brubeck_metric *metric, value_t value, value_t sample_f
 	pthread_spin_lock(&metric->lock);
 	{
 		brubeck_histo_push(&metric->as.histogram, value, sample_freq);
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_ACTIVE;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 }
@@ -168,6 +175,7 @@ histogram__sample(struct brubeck_metric *metric, brubeck_sample_cb sample, void
 	pthread_spin_lock(&metric->lock);
 	{
 		brubeck_histo_sample(&hsample, &metric->as.histogram);
+		metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_DISABLED;
 	}
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&metric->lock);
 
@@ -187,11 +195,6 @@ histogram__sample(struct brubeck_metric *metric, brubeck_sample_cb sample, void
 		sample(key, hsample.count / (double)backend->sample_freq, opaque);
 	}
 
-	/* if there have been no metrics during this sampling period,
-	 * we don't need to report any of the histogram samples */
-	if (hsample.count == 0.0)
-		return;
-
 	WITH_SUFFIX(".min") {
 		sample(key, hsample.min, opaque);
 	}
@@ -333,6 +336,5 @@ brubeck_metric_find(struct brubeck_server *server, const char *key, size_t key_l
 	brubeck_atomic_inc(&metric->flow);
 #endif
 
-	metric->expire = BRUBECK_EXPIRE_ACTIVE;
 	return metric;
 }
diff --git a/src/server.c b/src/server.c
index 0584697..8fc96ca 100644
--- a/src/server.c
+++ b/src/server.c
@@ -63,16 +63,6 @@ update_proctitle(struct brubeck_server *server)
 	setproctitle("brubeck", buf);
 }
 
-static void
-expire_metric(struct brubeck_metric *mt, void *_)
-{
-	/* If this metric is not disabled, turn "inactive"
-	 * into "disabled" and "active" into "inactive"
-	 */
-	if (mt->expire > BRUBECK_EXPIRE_DISABLED)
-		mt->expire = mt->expire - 1;
-}
-
 static void
 dump_metric(struct brubeck_metric *mt, void *out_file)
 {
@@ -192,7 +182,6 @@ static void load_config(struct brubeck_server *server, const char *path)
 	json_t *backends, *samplers;
 
 	/* optional */
-	int expire = 0;
 	char *http = NULL;
 
 	server->name = "brubeck";
@@ -211,8 +200,7 @@ static void load_config(struct brubeck_server *server, const char *path)
 		"capacity", &capacity,
 		"backends", &backends,
 		"samplers", &samplers,
-		"http", &http,
-		"expire", &expire);
+		"http", &http);
 
 	gh_log_set_instance(server->name);
 
@@ -224,7 +212,6 @@ static void load_config(struct brubeck_server *server, const char *path)
 	load_samplers(server, samplers);
 
 	if (http) brubeck_http_endpoint_init(server, http);
-	if (expire) server->fd_expire = load_timerfd(expire);
 }
 
 void brubeck_server_init(struct brubeck_server *server, const char *config)
@@ -237,7 +224,6 @@ void brubeck_server_init(struct brubeck_server *server, const char *config)
 
 	server->fd_signal = load_signalfd();
 	server->fd_update = load_timerfd(1);
-	server->fd_expire = -1;
 
 	/* init the memory allocator */
 	brubeck_slab_init(&server->slab);
@@ -272,7 +258,7 @@ static int signal_triggered(struct pollfd *fd)
 
 int brubeck_server_run(struct brubeck_server *server)
 {
-	struct pollfd fds[3];
+	struct pollfd fds[2];
 	int nfd = 2;
 	size_t i;
 
@@ -284,11 +270,6 @@ int brubeck_server_run(struct brubeck_server *server)
 	fds[1].fd = server->fd_update;
 	fds[1].events = POLLIN;
 
-	if (server->fd_expire >= 0) {
-		fds[2].fd = server->fd_expire;
-		fds[2].events = POLLIN;
-		nfd++;
-	}
 
 	server->running = 1;
 	log_splunk("event=listening");
@@ -315,11 +296,6 @@ int brubeck_server_run(struct brubeck_server *server)
 			update_flows(server);
 			update_proctitle(server);
 		}
-
-		if (timer_elapsed(&fds[2])) {
-			log_splunk("event=expire_metrics");
-			brubeck_hashtable_foreach(server->metrics, &expire_metric, NULL);
-		}
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < server->active_backends; ++i)