diff --git a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
index 6a8b4c432..787272788 100644
--- a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
+++ b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
@@ -177,8 +177,12 @@ func newQueueManagerMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer, rn, e string) *queueManager
 		ConstLabels: constLabels,
 	})
 
-	if r != nil {
-		r.MustRegister(
+	return m
+}
+
+func (m *queueManagerMetrics) register() {
+	if m.reg != nil {
+		m.reg.MustRegister(
 			m.succeededSamplesTotal,
 			m.failedSamplesTotal,
 			m.retriedSamplesTotal,
@@ -195,7 +199,6 @@ func newQueueManagerMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer, rn, e string) *queueManager
 			m.bytesSent,
 		)
 	}
-	return m
 }
 
 func (m *queueManagerMetrics) unregister() {
@@ -358,7 +361,8 @@ outer:
 // Start the queue manager sending samples to the remote storage.
 // Does not block.
 func (t *QueueManager) Start() {
-	// Initialise some metrics.
+	// Register and initialise some metrics.
+	t.metrics.register()
 	t.metrics.shardCapacity.Set(float64(t.cfg.Capacity))
 	t.metrics.pendingSamples.Set(0)
 	t.metrics.maxNumShards.Set(float64(t.cfg.MaxShards))
diff --git a/storage/remote/write_test.go b/storage/remote/write_test.go
index bb8551cc6..69b710aa5 100644
--- a/storage/remote/write_test.go
+++ b/storage/remote/write_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 	common_config "github.com/prometheus/common/config"
 	"github.com/prometheus/common/model"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/config"
@@ -154,6 +155,48 @@ func TestRestartOnNameChange(t *testing.T) {
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
 }
 
+func TestUpdateWithRegisterer(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "TestRestartWithRegisterer")
+	testutil.Ok(t, err)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	s := NewWriteStorage(nil, prometheus.NewRegistry(), dir, time.Millisecond)
+	c1 := &config.RemoteWriteConfig{
+		Name: "named",
+		URL: &common_config.URL{
+			URL: &url.URL{
+				Scheme: "http",
+				Host:   "localhost",
+			},
+		},
+		QueueConfig: config.DefaultQueueConfig,
+	}
+	c2 := &config.RemoteWriteConfig{
+		URL: &common_config.URL{
+			URL: &url.URL{
+				Scheme: "http",
+				Host:   "localhost",
+			},
+		},
+		QueueConfig: config.DefaultQueueConfig,
+	}
+	conf := &config.Config{
+		GlobalConfig:       config.DefaultGlobalConfig,
+		RemoteWriteConfigs: []*config.RemoteWriteConfig{c1, c2},
+	}
+	testutil.Ok(t, s.ApplyConfig(conf))
+
+	c1.QueueConfig.MaxShards = 10
+	c2.QueueConfig.MaxShards = 10
+	testutil.Ok(t, s.ApplyConfig(conf))
+	for _, queue := range s.queues {
+		testutil.Equals(t, 10, queue.cfg.MaxShards)
+	}
+
+	err = s.Close()
+	testutil.Ok(t, err)
+}
+
 func TestWriteStorageLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "TestWriteStorageLifecycle")
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
@@ -178,7 +221,7 @@ func TestUpdateExternalLabels(t *testing.T) {
 	testutil.Ok(t, err)
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	s := NewWriteStorage(nil, nil, dir, time.Second)
+	s := NewWriteStorage(nil, prometheus.NewRegistry(), dir, time.Second)
 
 	externalLabels := labels.FromStrings("external", "true")
 	conf := &config.Config{