diff --git a/src/threading/Manager.cc b/src/threading/Manager.cc
index beafba7758..8e67676643 100644
--- a/src/threading/Manager.cc
+++ b/src/threading/Manager.cc
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ void Manager::InitPostScript() {
                 for ( const auto& t : thread_mgr->msg_threads ) {
                     t->GetStats(&thread_stats);
 
-                    thread_mgr->current_bucketed_messages.sent_in_total += thread_stats.sent_in;
-                    thread_mgr->current_bucketed_messages.sent_out_total += thread_stats.sent_out;
                     thread_mgr->current_bucketed_messages.pending_in_total += thread_stats.pending_in;
                     thread_mgr->current_bucketed_messages.pending_out_total += thread_stats.pending_out;
 
@@ -88,22 +86,10 @@ void Manager::InitPostScript() {
 
     total_threads_metric = telemetry_mgr->CounterInstance("zeek", "msgthread_threads", {}, "Total number of threads");
     total_messages_in_metric =
-        telemetry_mgr->CounterInstance("zeek", "msgthread_in_messages", {}, "Number of inbound messages received", "",
-                                       []() -> prometheus::ClientMetric {
-                                           auto* s = get_message_thread_stats();
-                                           prometheus::ClientMetric metric;
-                                           metric.gauge.value = static_cast<double>(s->sent_in_total);
-                                           return metric;
-                                       });
+        telemetry_mgr->CounterInstance("zeek", "msgthread_in_messages", {}, "Number of inbound messages received", "");
 
-    total_messages_in_metric =
-        telemetry_mgr->CounterInstance("zeek", "msgthread_out_messages", {}, "Number of outbound messages sent", "",
-                                       []() -> prometheus::ClientMetric {
-                                           auto* s = get_message_thread_stats();
-                                           prometheus::ClientMetric metric;
-                                           metric.gauge.value = static_cast<double>(s->sent_out_total);
-                                           return metric;
-                                       });
+    total_messages_out_metric =
+        telemetry_mgr->CounterInstance("zeek", "msgthread_out_messages", {}, "Number of outbound messages sent", "");
 
     pending_messages_in_metric =
         telemetry_mgr->GaugeInstance("zeek", "msgthread_pending_in_messages", {}, "Pending number of inbound messages",
@@ -259,6 +245,10 @@ void Manager::StartHeartbeatTimer() {
         new detail::HeartbeatTimer(run_state::network_time + BifConst::Threading::heartbeat_interval));
 }
 
+void Manager::MessageIn() { total_messages_in_metric->Inc(); }
+
+void Manager::MessageOut() { total_messages_out_metric->Inc(); }
+
 // Raise everything in here as warnings so it is passed to scriptland without
 // looking "fatal". In addition to these warnings, ReaderBackend will queue
 // one reporter message.
diff --git a/src/threading/Manager.h b/src/threading/Manager.h
index 3b4763a497..897068bee5 100644
--- a/src/threading/Manager.h
+++ b/src/threading/Manager.h
@@ -153,6 +153,16 @@ protected:
      */
     void StartHeartbeatTimer();
 
+    /**
+     * Called by MsgThread::SendIn() to update metrics.
+     */
+    void MessageIn();
+
+    /**
+     * Called by MsgThread::SendOut() to update metrics.
+     */
+    void MessageOut();
+
 private:
     using all_thread_list = std::list<BasicThread*>;
     all_thread_list all_threads;
@@ -181,8 +191,6 @@ private:
     std::map<uint64_t, telemetry::GaugePtr> pending_message_out_buckets;
 
     struct BucketedMessages {
-        uint64_t sent_in_total;
-        uint64_t sent_out_total;
         uint64_t pending_in_total;
         uint64_t pending_out_total;
         std::map<uint64_t, uint64_t> pending_in;
diff --git a/src/threading/MsgThread.cc b/src/threading/MsgThread.cc
index 6854f5f188..5bfb8ebeb4 100644
--- a/src/threading/MsgThread.cc
+++ b/src/threading/MsgThread.cc
@@ -388,6 +388,8 @@ void MsgThread::SendIn(BasicInputMessage* msg, bool force) {
 
     queue_in.Put(msg);
     ++cnt_sent_in;
+
+    zeek::thread_mgr->MessageIn();
 }
 
 void MsgThread::SendOut(BasicOutputMessage* msg, bool force) {
@@ -400,6 +402,8 @@ void MsgThread::SendOut(BasicOutputMessage* msg, bool force) {
 
     ++cnt_sent_out;
 
+    zeek::thread_mgr->MessageOut();
+
     if ( io_source )
         io_source->Fire();
 }