diff --git a/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb.go b/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb.go
index 763eea6911..2478f95a3f 100644
--- a/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb.go
+++ b/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ package opendb
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
@@ -44,6 +43,8 @@ const (
 
 	defaultColumnFamilyName = "default"
 
+	enableRocksdbMetricsOptName = "enable_rocksdb_metrics"
+
 	maxOpenFilesDBOptName          = "max_open_files"
 	maxFileOpeningThreadsDBOptName = "max_file_opening_threads"
 
@@ -70,8 +71,9 @@ func openRocksdb(dir string, appOpts types.AppOptions) (dbm.DB, error) {
 	// customize rocksdb options
 	dbOpts = overrideDBOpts(dbOpts, appOpts)
 	cfOpts = overrideCFOpts(cfOpts, appOpts)
+	enableMetrics := cast.ToBool(appOpts.Get(enableRocksdbMetricsOptName))
 
-	return newRocksDBWithOptions("application", dir, dbOpts, cfOpts)
+	return newRocksDBWithOptions("application", dir, dbOpts, cfOpts, enableMetrics)
 }
 
 // loadLatestOptions loads and returns database and column family options
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ func overrideCFOpts(cfOpts *grocksdb.Options, appOpts types.AppOptions) *grocksd
 
 // newRocksDBWithOptions opens rocksdb with provided database and column family options
 // newRocksDBWithOptions expects that db has only one column family named default
-func newRocksDBWithOptions(name string, dir string, dbOpts, cfOpts *grocksdb.Options) (*dbm.RocksDB, error) {
+func newRocksDBWithOptions(name string, dir string, dbOpts, cfOpts *grocksdb.Options, enableMetrics bool) (*dbm.RocksDB, error) {
 	dbPath := filepath.Join(dir, name+".db")
 
 	// Ensure path exists
@@ -139,29 +141,29 @@ func newRocksDBWithOptions(name string, dir string, dbOpts, cfOpts *grocksdb.Opt
 	}
 
 	dbOpts.EnableStatistics()
-	//cfOpts.EnableStatistics()
 	db, _, err := grocksdb.OpenDbColumnFamilies(dbOpts, dbPath, []string{defaultColumnFamilyName}, []*grocksdb.Options{cfOpts})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	registerMetrics()
-
-	go func() {
-		ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 15)
-		for {
-			select {
-			case <-ticker.C:
-				props, stats, err := getPropsAndStats(db)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Fatal(err)
-					continue
-				}
+	if enableMetrics {
+		registerMetrics()
+
+		go func() {
+			ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 15)
+			for {
+				select {
+				case <-ticker.C:
+					props, stats, err := getPropsAndStats(db)
+					if err != nil {
+						continue
+					}
 
-				rocksdbMetrics.send(props, stats)
+					rocksdbMetrics.send(props, stats)
+				}
 			}
-		}
-	}()
+		}()
+	}
 
 	ro := grocksdb.NewDefaultReadOptions()
 	wo := grocksdb.NewDefaultWriteOptions()
diff --git a/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb_test.go b/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb_test.go
index a7eafa92d6..133e179afe 100644
--- a/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb_test.go
+++ b/cmd/kava/opendb/opendb_rocksdb_test.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func TestLoadLatestOptions(t *testing.T) {
 					require.NoError(t, err)
 				}()
 
-				db, err := newRocksDBWithOptions(name, dir, tc.dbOpts, tc.cfOpts)
+				db, err := newRocksDBWithOptions(name, dir, tc.dbOpts, tc.cfOpts, true)
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 				require.NoError(t, db.Close())
 
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ func TestNewRocksDBWithOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	cfOpts := newDefaultOptions()
 	cfOpts.SetWriteBufferSize(999_999)
 
-	db, err := newRocksDBWithOptions(name, dir, dbOpts, cfOpts)
+	db, err := newRocksDBWithOptions(name, dir, dbOpts, cfOpts, true)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NoError(t, db.Close())