diff --git a/cmd/cmd_test.go b/cmd/cmd_test.go
index 5dec961..990ce3a 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_test.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd_test.go
@@ -49,18 +49,16 @@ func TestPublishConsume(t *testing.T) {
 			args := []string{tc.publish + "-" + tc.consume, "-C", "1", "-D", "1", "-t", topic, "-T", topic}
 			rootCmd.SetArgs(args)
 			fmt.Println("Running test: omq", strings.Join(args, " "))
-			publishedBefore := testutil.ToFloat64(metrics.MessagesPublished.WithLabelValues(publishProtoLabel))
-			consumedBefore := testutil.ToFloat64(metrics.MessagesConsumed.WithLabelValues(consumeProtoLabel))
 
 			err := rootCmd.Execute()
-
 			assert.Nil(t, err)
+
 			assert.Eventually(t, func() bool {
-				return testutil.ToFloat64(metrics.MessagesPublished.WithLabelValues(publishProtoLabel)) == publishedBefore+1
+				return assert.Equal(t, 1.0, testutil.ToFloat64(metrics.MessagesPublished.WithLabelValues(publishProtoLabel)))
 
 			}, 2*time.Second, 100*time.Millisecond)
 			assert.Eventually(t, func() bool {
-				return testutil.ToFloat64(metrics.MessagesConsumed.WithLabelValues(consumeProtoLabel)) == consumedBefore+1
+				return assert.Equal(t, 1.0, testutil.ToFloat64(metrics.MessagesConsumed.WithLabelValues(consumeProtoLabel)))
 			}, 2*time.Second, 100*time.Millisecond)
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 6122eb6..4908fdb 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ var (
 	versionCmd  = &cobra.Command{}
 )
 
+var metricTags []string
+
 func Execute() {
 	rootCmd := RootCmd()
 	err := rootCmd.Execute()
@@ -159,6 +161,24 @@ func RootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 					os.Exit(1)
 				}
 			}
+
+			// split metric tags into key-value pairs
+			cfg.MetricTags = make(map[string]string)
+			for _, tag := range metricTags {
+				parts := strings.Split(tag, "=")
+				if len(parts) != 2 {
+					_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ERROR: invalid metric tags: %s, use label=value format\n", tag)
+					os.Exit(1)
+				}
+				cfg.MetricTags[parts[0]] = parts[1]
+			}
+			if metricTags != nil {
+				metrics.RegisterMetrics(cfg.MetricTags)
+				metricTags = nil
+			}
+		},
+		PersistentPostRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+			metrics.UnregisterMetrics()
 		},
 	}
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&cfg.PublisherUri, "publisher-uri", "", "", "URI for publishing")
@@ -189,6 +209,7 @@ func RootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&cfg.StreamFilterValueSet, "stream-filter-value-set", "", "Stream filter value for publisher")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().IntVar(&cfg.ConsumerCredits, "consumer-credits", 1, "AMQP-1.0 consumer credits / STOMP prefetch count")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().DurationVarP(&cfg.ConsumerLatency, "consumer-latency", "L", 0*time.Second, "consumer latency (time to accept message)")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringSliceVar(&metricTags, "metric-tags", []string{}, "Prometheus label-value pairs, eg. l1=v1,l2=v2")
 
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(amqp_amqp)
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(amqp_stomp)
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index e17e74a..3fb9609 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Amqp                 AmqpOptions
 	MqttPublisher        MqttOptions
 	MqttConsumer         MqttOptions
+	MetricTags           map[string]string
 }
 
 func NewConfig() Config {
diff --git a/pkg/metrics/metrics.go b/pkg/metrics/metrics.go
index 5cc1496..e19484d 100644
--- a/pkg/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -28,39 +28,44 @@ var lock = &sync.Mutex{}
 var metricsServer *MetricsServer
 
 var (
+	MessagesPublished *prometheus.CounterVec
+	MessagesConsumed  *prometheus.CounterVec
+	PublishingLatency *prometheus.SummaryVec
+	EndToEndLatency   *prometheus.SummaryVec
+)
+
+func RegisterMetrics(globalLabels prometheus.Labels) {
+	fmt.Printf("negistering metrics: %v", globalLabels)
 	MessagesPublished = promauto.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Name: "omq_messages_published_total",
-		Help: "The total number of published messages"},
-		[]string{
-			"protocol",
-		},
-	)
+		Name:        "omq_messages_published_total",
+		Help:        "The total number of published messages",
+		ConstLabels: globalLabels,
+	}, []string{"protocol"})
 	MessagesConsumed = promauto.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Name: "omq_messages_consumed_total",
-		Help: "The total number of consumed messages"},
-		[]string{
-			"protocol",
-		},
-	)
+		Name:        "omq_messages_consumed_total",
+		Help:        "The total number of consumed messages",
+		ConstLabels: globalLabels,
+	}, []string{"protocol"})
 	PublishingLatency = promauto.NewSummaryVec(prometheus.SummaryOpts{
-		Name:       "omq_publishing_latency_seconds",
-		Help:       "Time from sending a message to receiving a confirmation",
-		Objectives: map[float64]float64{0.5: 0.05, 0.9: 0.01, 0.95: 0.005, 0.99: 0.001},
-	},
-		[]string{
-			"protocol",
-		},
-	)
+		Name:        "omq_publishing_latency_seconds",
+		Help:        "Time from sending a message to receiving a confirmation",
+		Objectives:  map[float64]float64{0.5: 0.05, 0.9: 0.01, 0.95: 0.005, 0.99: 0.001},
+		ConstLabels: globalLabels,
+	}, []string{"protocol"})
 	EndToEndLatency = promauto.NewSummaryVec(prometheus.SummaryOpts{
-		Name:       "omq_end_to_end_latency_seconds",
-		Help:       "Time from sending a message to receiving the message",
-		Objectives: map[float64]float64{0.5: 0.05, 0.9: 0.01, 0.95: 0.005, 0.99: 0.001},
-	},
-		[]string{
-			"protocol",
-		},
-	)
-)
+		Name:        "omq_end_to_end_latency_seconds",
+		Help:        "Time from sending a message to receiving the message",
+		Objectives:  map[float64]float64{0.5: 0.05, 0.9: 0.01, 0.95: 0.005, 0.99: 0.001},
+		ConstLabels: globalLabels,
+	}, []string{"protocol"})
+}
+
+func UnregisterMetrics() {
+	prometheus.DefaultRegisterer.Unregister(MessagesPublished)
+	prometheus.DefaultRegisterer.Unregister(MessagesConsumed)
+	prometheus.DefaultRegisterer.Unregister(PublishingLatency)
+	prometheus.DefaultRegisterer.Unregister(EndToEndLatency)
+}
 
 func GetMetricsServer() *MetricsServer {
 	lock.Lock()