diff --git a/querier/src/cache/mod.rs b/querier/src/cache/mod.rs
index fa70536f9f..7d0129cc2e 100644
--- a/querier/src/cache/mod.rs
+++ b/querier/src/cache/mod.rs
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ impl CatalogCache {
         let read_buffer_cache = ReadBufferCache::new(
             backoff_config,
             Arc::clone(&time_provider),
-            &metric_registry,
+            metric_registry,
             Arc::clone(&ram_pool),
         );
 
diff --git a/querier/src/cache/read_buffer.rs b/querier/src/cache/read_buffer.rs
index e95d795cd5..72c5203c04 100644
--- a/querier/src/cache/read_buffer.rs
+++ b/querier/src/cache/read_buffer.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use datafusion::physical_plan::SendableRecordBatchStream;
 use futures::StreamExt;
 use iox_time::TimeProvider;
 use parquet_file::{chunk::DecodedParquetFile, storage::ParquetStorage};
-use read_buffer::RBChunk;
+use read_buffer::{ChunkMetrics, RBChunk};
 use snafu::{ResultExt, Snafu};
 use std::{collections::HashMap, mem, sync::Arc};
 
@@ -43,12 +43,14 @@ impl ReadBufferCache {
     pub fn new(
         backoff_config: BackoffConfig,
         time_provider: Arc<dyn TimeProvider>,
-        metric_registry: &metric::Registry,
+        metric_registry: Arc<metric::Registry>,
         ram_pool: Arc<ResourcePool<RamSize>>,
     ) -> Self {
+        let metric_registry_captured = Arc::clone(&metric_registry);
         let loader = Box::new(FunctionLoader::new(
             move |_parquet_file_id, extra_fetch_info: ExtraFetchInfo| {
                 let backoff_config = backoff_config.clone();
+                let metric_registry = Arc::clone(&metric_registry_captured);
 
                 async move {
                     let rb_chunk = Backoff::new(&backoff_config)
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ impl ReadBufferCache {
                                     decoded_parquet_file_for_load,
                                     table_name_for_load,
                                     store_for_load,
+                                    &metric_registry,
                                 )
                                 .await
                             }
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ impl ReadBufferCache {
             loader,
             CACHE_ID,
             Arc::clone(&time_provider),
-            metric_registry,
+            &metric_registry,
         ));
 
         // add to memory pool
@@ -137,10 +140,11 @@ async fn load_from_parquet_file(
     decoded_parquet_file: Arc<DecodedParquetFile>,
     table_name: Arc<str>,
     store: ParquetStorage,
+    metric_registry: &metric::Registry,
 ) -> Result<RBChunk, LoadError> {
     let record_batch_stream =
         record_batches_stream(decoded_parquet_file, store).context(ReadingFromStorageSnafu)?;
-    read_buffer_chunk_from_stream(table_name, record_batch_stream)
+    read_buffer_chunk_from_stream(table_name, record_batch_stream, metric_registry)
         .await
         .context(BuildingChunkSnafu)
 }
@@ -170,10 +174,15 @@ enum RBChunkError {
 async fn read_buffer_chunk_from_stream(
     table_name: Arc<str>,
     mut stream: SendableRecordBatchStream,
+    metric_registry: &metric::Registry,
 ) -> Result<RBChunk, RBChunkError> {
     let schema = stream.schema();
 
-    let mut builder = read_buffer::RBChunkBuilder::new(table_name.as_ref(), schema);
+    // create "global" metric object, so that we don't blow up prometheus w/ too many metrics
+    let metrics = ChunkMetrics::new(metric_registry, "iox_shared");
+
+    let mut builder =
+        read_buffer::RBChunkBuilder::new(table_name.as_ref(), schema).with_metrics(metrics);
 
     while let Some(record_batch) = stream.next().await {
         builder
@@ -192,7 +201,7 @@ mod tests {
     use arrow_util::assert_batches_eq;
     use datafusion_util::stream_from_batches;
     use iox_tests::util::{TestCatalog, TestPartition};
-    use metric::{Attributes, Metric, U64Counter};
+    use metric::{Attributes, CumulativeGauge, Metric, U64Counter};
     use mutable_batch_lp::test_helpers::lp_to_mutable_batch;
     use read_buffer::Predicate;
     use schema::selection::Selection;
@@ -202,7 +211,7 @@ mod tests {
         ReadBufferCache::new(
             BackoffConfig::default(),
             catalog.time_provider(),
-            &catalog.metric_registry(),
+            catalog.metric_registry(),
             test_ram_pool(),
         )
     }
@@ -304,7 +313,7 @@ mod tests {
         let cache = ReadBufferCache::new(
             BackoffConfig::default(),
             catalog.time_provider(),
-            &catalog.metric_registry(),
+            catalog.metric_registry(),
             ram_pool,
         );
 
@@ -407,7 +416,9 @@ mod tests {
 
         let stream = stream_from_batches(batches);
 
-        let rb = read_buffer_chunk_from_stream("cpu".into(), stream)
+        let metric_registry = metric::Registry::new();
+
+        let rb = read_buffer_chunk_from_stream("cpu".into(), stream, &metric_registry)
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
@@ -427,4 +438,32 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert_batches_eq!(expected, &rb_batches);
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_rb_metrics() {
+        let (catalog, partition) = make_catalog().await;
+
+        let test_parquet_file = partition.create_parquet_file("table1 foo=1 11").await;
+        let parquet_file = test_parquet_file.parquet_file;
+        let decoded = Arc::new(DecodedParquetFile::new(parquet_file));
+        let storage = ParquetStorage::new(Arc::clone(&catalog.object_store));
+
+        let cache = make_cache(&catalog);
+
+        let _rb = cache
+            .get(Arc::clone(&decoded), "table1".into(), storage.clone())
+            .await;
+
+        let g: Metric<CumulativeGauge> = catalog
+            .metric_registry
+            .get_instrument("read_buffer_row_group_total")
+            .unwrap();
+        let v = g
+            .get_observer(&Attributes::from(&[("db_name", "iox_shared")]))
+            .unwrap()
+            .fetch();
+
+        // Load is only called once
+        assert_eq!(v, 1);
+    }
 }