diff --git a/cmd/alertmanager/main.go b/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
index 8b2757de..1fc321fc 100644
--- a/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
+++ b/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ func run() int {
 		tmpl      *template.Template
 	)
 
-	dispMetrics := dispatch.NewDispatcherMetrics(prometheus.DefaultRegisterer)
+	dispMetrics := dispatch.NewDispatcherMetrics(false, prometheus.DefaultRegisterer)
 	pipelineBuilder := notify.NewPipelineBuilder(prometheus.DefaultRegisterer)
 	configLogger := log.With(logger, "component", "configuration")
 	configCoordinator := config.NewCoordinator(
diff --git a/dispatch/dispatch.go b/dispatch/dispatch.go
index 65e4dda8..a31b869b 100644
--- a/dispatch/dispatch.go
+++ b/dispatch/dispatch.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type DispatcherMetrics struct {
 }
 
 // NewDispatcherMetrics returns a new registered DispatchMetrics.
-func NewDispatcherMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer) *DispatcherMetrics {
+func NewDispatcherMetrics(registerLimitMetrics bool, r prometheus.Registerer) *DispatcherMetrics {
 	m := DispatcherMetrics{
 		aggrGroups: prometheus.NewGauge(
 			prometheus.GaugeOpts{
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ func NewDispatcherMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer) *DispatcherMetrics {
 	}
 
 	if r != nil {
-		r.MustRegister(m.aggrGroups, m.processingDuration, m.aggrGroupLimitReached)
+		r.MustRegister(m.aggrGroups, m.processingDuration)
+		if registerLimitMetrics {
+			r.MustRegister(m.aggrGroupLimitReached)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return &m
diff --git a/dispatch/dispatch_test.go b/dispatch/dispatch_test.go
index b2dd5bb5..39575b36 100644
--- a/dispatch/dispatch_test.go
+++ b/dispatch/dispatch_test.go
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ route:
 	timeout := func(d time.Duration) time.Duration { return time.Duration(0) }
 	recorder := &recordStage{alerts: make(map[string]map[model.Fingerprint]*types.Alert)}
 	lim := limits{groups: 6}
-	m := NewDispatcherMetrics(prometheus.NewRegistry())
+	m := NewDispatcherMetrics(true, prometheus.NewRegistry())
 	dispatcher := NewDispatcher(alerts, route, recorder, marker, timeout, lim, logger, m)
 	go dispatcher.Run()
 	defer dispatcher.Stop()
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ func TestDispatcherRace(t *testing.T) {
 	defer alerts.Close()
 
 	timeout := func(d time.Duration) time.Duration { return time.Duration(0) }
-	dispatcher := NewDispatcher(alerts, nil, nil, marker, timeout, nil, logger, NewDispatcherMetrics(prometheus.NewRegistry()))
+	dispatcher := NewDispatcher(alerts, nil, nil, marker, timeout, nil, logger, NewDispatcherMetrics(false, prometheus.NewRegistry()))
 	go dispatcher.Run()
 	dispatcher.Stop()
 }
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ func TestDispatcherRaceOnFirstAlertNotDeliveredWhenGroupWaitIsZero(t *testing.T)
 
 	timeout := func(d time.Duration) time.Duration { return d }
 	recorder := &recordStage{alerts: make(map[string]map[model.Fingerprint]*types.Alert)}
-	dispatcher := NewDispatcher(alerts, route, recorder, marker, timeout, nil, logger, NewDispatcherMetrics(prometheus.NewRegistry()))
+	dispatcher := NewDispatcher(alerts, route, recorder, marker, timeout, nil, logger, NewDispatcherMetrics(false, prometheus.NewRegistry()))
 	go dispatcher.Run()
 	defer dispatcher.Stop()