diff --git a/discovery/manager.go b/discovery/manager.go
index 00293ca66..5457bd9b2 100644
--- a/discovery/manager.go
+++ b/discovery/manager.go
@@ -195,12 +195,13 @@ func (m *Manager) ApplyConfig(cfg map[string]sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig) e
 	m.providers = nil
 	m.discoverCancel = nil
 
-	failedConfigs.WithLabelValues(m.name).Set(0)
-
+	failedCount := 0
 	for name, scfg := range cfg {
-		m.registerProviders(scfg, name)
+		failedCount += m.registerProviders(scfg, name)
 		discoveredTargets.WithLabelValues(m.name, name).Set(0)
 	}
+	failedConfigs.WithLabelValues(m.name).Set(float64(failedCount))
+
 	for _, prov := range m.providers {
 		m.startProvider(m.ctx, prov)
 	}
@@ -320,8 +321,12 @@ func (m *Manager) allGroups() map[string][]*targetgroup.Group {
 	return tSets
 }
 
-func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setName string) {
-	var added bool
+// registerProviders returns a number of failed SD config.
+func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setName string) int {
+	var (
+		failedCount int
+		added       bool
+	)
 	add := func(cfg interface{}, newDiscoverer func() (Discoverer, error)) {
 		t := reflect.TypeOf(cfg).String()
 		for _, p := range m.providers {
@@ -335,7 +340,7 @@ func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setNam
 		d, err := newDiscoverer()
 		if err != nil {
 			level.Error(m.logger).Log("msg", "Cannot create service discovery", "err", err, "type", t)
-			failedConfigs.WithLabelValues(m.name).Inc()
+			failedCount++
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -424,6 +429,7 @@ func (m *Manager) registerProviders(cfg sd_config.ServiceDiscoveryConfig, setNam
 			return &StaticProvider{TargetGroups: []*targetgroup.Group{{}}}, nil
 		})
 	}
+	return failedCount
 }
 
 // StaticProvider holds a list of target groups that never change.