diff --git a/storage/metric/instrumentation.go b/storage/metric/instrumentation.go
index 701354e5d..de4d224e2 100644
--- a/storage/metric/instrumentation.go
+++ b/storage/metric/instrumentation.go
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ const (
 	hasIndexMetric              = "has_index_metric"
 	hasLabelName                = "has_label_name"
 	hasLabelPair                = "has_label_pair"
+	indexLabelNames             = "index_label_names"
+	indexLabelPairs             = "index_label_pairs"
 	indexMetric                 = "index_metric"
 	indexMetrics                = "index_metrics"
 	rebuildDiskFrontier         = "rebuild_disk_frontier"
diff --git a/storage/metric/leveldb.go b/storage/metric/leveldb.go
index 5772f636d..95e078a7c 100644
--- a/storage/metric/leveldb.go
+++ b/storage/metric/leveldb.go
@@ -269,6 +269,145 @@ func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) findUnindexedMetrics(candidates map[model.Fin
 	return
 }
 
+// indexLabelNames accumulates all label name to fingerprint index entries for
+// the dirty metrics, appends the new dirtied metrics, sorts, and bulk updates
+// the index to reflect the new state.
+func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) indexLabelNames(metrics map[model.Fingerprint]model.Metric) (err error) {
+	begin := time.Now()
+	defer func() {
+		duration := time.Since(begin)
+
+		recordOutcome(duration, err, map[string]string{operation: indexLabelNames, result: success}, map[string]string{operation: indexLabelNames, result: failure})
+	}()
+
+	labelNameFingerprints := map[model.LabelName]utility.Set{}
+
+	for fingerprint, metric := range metrics {
+		for labelName := range metric {
+			fingerprintSet, ok := labelNameFingerprints[labelName]
+			if !ok {
+				fingerprintSet = utility.Set{}
+
+				fingerprints, err := l.GetFingerprintsForLabelName(labelName)
+				if err != nil {
+					panic(err)
+					return err
+				}
+
+				for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
+					fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
+				}
+			}
+
+			fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
+			labelNameFingerprints[labelName] = fingerprintSet
+		}
+	}
+
+	batch := leveldb.NewBatch()
+	defer batch.Close()
+
+	for labelName, fingerprintSet := range labelNameFingerprints {
+		fingerprints := model.Fingerprints{}
+		for fingerprint := range fingerprintSet {
+			fingerprints = append(fingerprints, fingerprint.(model.Fingerprint))
+		}
+
+		sort.Sort(fingerprints)
+
+		key := &dto.LabelName{
+			Name: proto.String(string(labelName)),
+		}
+		value := &dto.FingerprintCollection{}
+		for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
+			value.Member = append(value.Member, fingerprint.ToDTO())
+		}
+
+		batch.Put(coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(key), coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(value))
+	}
+
+	err = l.labelNameToFingerprints.Commit(batch)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
+// indexLabelPairs accumulates all label pair to fingerprint index entries for
+// the dirty metrics, appends the new dirtied metrics, sorts, and bulk updates
+// the index to reflect the new state.
+func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) indexLabelPairs(metrics map[model.Fingerprint]model.Metric) (err error) {
+	begin := time.Now()
+	defer func() {
+		duration := time.Since(begin)
+
+		recordOutcome(duration, err, map[string]string{operation: indexLabelPairs, result: success}, map[string]string{operation: indexLabelPairs, result: failure})
+	}()
+
+	labelPairFingerprints := map[model.LabelPair]utility.Set{}
+
+	for fingerprint, metric := range metrics {
+		for labelName, labelValue := range metric {
+			labelPair := model.LabelPair{
+				Name:  labelName,
+				Value: labelValue,
+			}
+			fingerprintSet, ok := labelPairFingerprints[labelPair]
+			if !ok {
+				fingerprintSet = utility.Set{}
+
+				fingerprints, err := l.GetFingerprintsForLabelSet(model.LabelSet{
+					labelName: labelValue,
+				})
+				if err != nil {
+					panic(err)
+					return err
+				}
+
+				for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
+					fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
+				}
+			}
+
+			fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
+			labelPairFingerprints[labelPair] = fingerprintSet
+		}
+	}
+
+	batch := leveldb.NewBatch()
+	defer batch.Close()
+
+	for labelPair, fingerprintSet := range labelPairFingerprints {
+		fingerprints := model.Fingerprints{}
+		for fingerprint := range fingerprintSet {
+			fingerprints = append(fingerprints, fingerprint.(model.Fingerprint))
+		}
+
+		sort.Sort(fingerprints)
+
+		key := &dto.LabelPair{
+			Name:  proto.String(string(labelPair.Name)),
+			Value: proto.String(string(labelPair.Value)),
+		}
+		value := &dto.FingerprintCollection{}
+		for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
+			value.Member = append(value.Member, fingerprint.ToDTO())
+		}
+
+		batch.Put(coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(key), coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(value))
+	}
+
+	err = l.labelSetToFingerprints.Commit(batch)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
 // indexMetrics takes groups of samples, determines which ones contain metrics
 // that are unknown to the storage stack, and then proceeds to update all
 // affected indices.
@@ -289,149 +428,35 @@ func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) indexMetrics(fingerprints map[model.Fingerpri
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	if len(absentMetrics) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// TODO: For the missing fingerprints, determine what label names and pairs
 	// are absent and act accordingly and append fingerprints.
 	var (
-		doneBuildingLabelNameIndex = make(chan interface{})
-		doneBuildingLabelPairIndex = make(chan interface{})
+		doneBuildingLabelNameIndex = make(chan error)
+		doneBuildingLabelPairIndex = make(chan error)
 	)
 
-	// Update LabelName -> Fingerprint index.
 	go func() {
-		labelNameFingerprints := map[model.LabelName]utility.Set{}
-
-		for fingerprint, metric := range absentMetrics {
-			for labelName := range metric {
-				fingerprintSet, ok := labelNameFingerprints[labelName]
-				if !ok {
-					fingerprintSet = utility.Set{}
-
-					fingerprints, err := l.GetFingerprintsForLabelName(labelName)
-					if err != nil {
-						panic(err)
-						doneBuildingLabelNameIndex <- err
-						return
-					}
-
-					for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
-						fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
-					}
-				}
-
-				fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
-				labelNameFingerprints[labelName] = fingerprintSet
-			}
-		}
-
-		batch := leveldb.NewBatch()
-		defer batch.Close()
-
-		for labelName, fingerprintSet := range labelNameFingerprints {
-			fingerprints := model.Fingerprints{}
-			for fingerprint := range fingerprintSet {
-				fingerprints = append(fingerprints, fingerprint.(model.Fingerprint))
-			}
-
-			sort.Sort(fingerprints)
-
-			key := &dto.LabelName{
-				Name: proto.String(string(labelName)),
-			}
-			value := &dto.FingerprintCollection{}
-			for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
-				value.Member = append(value.Member, fingerprint.ToDTO())
-			}
-
-			batch.Put(coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(key), coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(value))
-		}
-
-		err := l.labelNameToFingerprints.Commit(batch)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-			doneBuildingLabelNameIndex <- err
-			return
-		}
-
-		doneBuildingLabelNameIndex <- true
+		doneBuildingLabelNameIndex <- l.indexLabelNames(absentMetrics)
 	}()
 
 	// Update LabelPair -> Fingerprint index.
 	go func() {
-		labelPairFingerprints := map[model.LabelPair]utility.Set{}
-
-		for fingerprint, metric := range absentMetrics {
-			for labelName, labelValue := range metric {
-				labelPair := model.LabelPair{
-					Name:  labelName,
-					Value: labelValue,
-				}
-				fingerprintSet, ok := labelPairFingerprints[labelPair]
-				if !ok {
-					fingerprintSet = utility.Set{}
-
-					fingerprints, err := l.GetFingerprintsForLabelSet(model.LabelSet{
-						labelName: labelValue,
-					})
-					if err != nil {
-						panic(err)
-						doneBuildingLabelPairIndex <- err
-						return
-					}
-
-					for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
-						fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
-					}
-				}
-
-				fingerprintSet.Add(fingerprint)
-				labelPairFingerprints[labelPair] = fingerprintSet
-			}
-		}
-
-		batch := leveldb.NewBatch()
-		defer batch.Close()
-
-		for labelPair, fingerprintSet := range labelPairFingerprints {
-			fingerprints := model.Fingerprints{}
-			for fingerprint := range fingerprintSet {
-				fingerprints = append(fingerprints, fingerprint.(model.Fingerprint))
-			}
-
-			sort.Sort(fingerprints)
-
-			key := &dto.LabelPair{
-				Name:  proto.String(string(labelPair.Name)),
-				Value: proto.String(string(labelPair.Value)),
-			}
-			value := &dto.FingerprintCollection{}
-			for _, fingerprint := range fingerprints {
-				value.Member = append(value.Member, fingerprint.ToDTO())
-			}
-
-			batch.Put(coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(key), coding.NewProtocolBufferEncoder(value))
-		}
-
-		err := l.labelSetToFingerprints.Commit(batch)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-			doneBuildingLabelPairIndex <- true
-			return
-		}
-
-		doneBuildingLabelPairIndex <- true
+		doneBuildingLabelPairIndex <- l.indexLabelPairs(absentMetrics)
 	}()
 
 	makeTopLevelIndex := true
 
-	v := <-doneBuildingLabelNameIndex
-	_, ok := v.(error)
-	if ok {
+	err = <-doneBuildingLabelNameIndex
+	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 		makeTopLevelIndex = false
 	}
-	v = <-doneBuildingLabelPairIndex
-	_, ok = v.(error)
-	if ok {
+	err = <-doneBuildingLabelPairIndex
+	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 		makeTopLevelIndex = false
 	}