diff --git a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
index 5fc66439b..05719c998 100644
--- a/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
+++ b/storage/remote/queue_manager.go
@@ -360,7 +360,6 @@ outer:
 func (t *QueueManager) Start() {
 	// Initialise some metrics.
 	t.metrics.shardCapacity.Set(float64(t.cfg.Capacity))
-	t.metrics.pendingSamples.Set(0)
 	t.metrics.maxNumShards.Set(float64(t.cfg.MaxShards))
 	t.metrics.minNumShards.Set(float64(t.cfg.MinShards))
 	t.metrics.desiredNumShards.Set(float64(t.cfg.MinShards))
@@ -667,7 +666,8 @@ type shards struct {
 
 	// Hard shutdown context is used to terminate outgoing HTTP connections
 	// after giving them a chance to terminate.
-	hardShutdown context.CancelFunc
+	hardShutdown          context.CancelFunc
+	droppedOnHardShutdown uint32
 }
 
 // start the shards; must be called before any call to enqueue.
@@ -675,6 +675,9 @@ func (s *shards) start(n int) {
 	s.mtx.Lock()
 	defer s.mtx.Unlock()
 
+	s.qm.metrics.pendingSamples.Set(0)
+	s.qm.metrics.numShards.Set(float64(n))
+
 	newQueues := make([]chan sample, n)
 	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
 		newQueues[i] = make(chan sample, s.qm.cfg.Capacity)
@@ -687,10 +690,10 @@ func (s *shards) start(n int) {
 	s.softShutdown = make(chan struct{})
 	s.running = int32(n)
 	s.done = make(chan struct{})
+	atomic.StoreUint32(&s.droppedOnHardShutdown, 0)
 	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
 		go s.runShard(hardShutdownCtx, i, newQueues[i])
 	}
-	s.qm.metrics.numShards.Set(float64(n))
 }
 
 // stop the shards; subsequent call to enqueue will return false.
@@ -715,12 +718,14 @@ func (s *shards) stop() {
 	case <-s.done:
 		return
 	case <-time.After(s.qm.flushDeadline):
-		level.Error(s.qm.logger).Log("msg", "Failed to flush all samples on shutdown")
 	}
 
 	// Force an unclean shutdown.
 	s.hardShutdown()
 	<-s.done
+	if dropped := atomic.LoadUint32(&s.droppedOnHardShutdown); dropped > 0 {
+		level.Error(s.qm.logger).Log("msg", "Failed to flush all samples on shutdown", "count", dropped)
+	}
 }
 
 // enqueue a sample.  If we are currently in the process of shutting down or resharding,
@@ -740,6 +745,7 @@ func (s *shards) enqueue(ref uint64, sample sample) bool {
 	case <-s.softShutdown:
 		return false
 	case s.queues[shard] <- sample:
+		s.qm.metrics.pendingSamples.Inc()
 		return true
 	}
 }
@@ -777,6 +783,12 @@ func (s *shards) runShard(ctx context.Context, shardID int, queue chan sample) {
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
+			// In this case we drop all samples in the buffer and the queue.
+			// Remove them from pending and mark them as failed.
+			droppedSamples := nPending + len(queue)
+			s.qm.metrics.pendingSamples.Sub(float64(droppedSamples))
+			s.qm.metrics.failedSamplesTotal.Add(float64(droppedSamples))
+			atomic.AddUint32(&s.droppedOnHardShutdown, uint32(droppedSamples))
 			return
 
 		case sample, ok := <-queue:
@@ -797,7 +809,6 @@ func (s *shards) runShard(ctx context.Context, shardID int, queue chan sample) {
 			pendingSamples[nPending].Samples[0].Timestamp = sample.t
 			pendingSamples[nPending].Samples[0].Value = sample.v
 			nPending++
-			s.qm.metrics.pendingSamples.Inc()
 
 			if nPending >= max {
 				s.sendSamples(ctx, pendingSamples, &buf)