diff --git a/metrics/exp/exp.go b/metrics/exp/exp.go
index 4847638f49..56602a7edb 100644
--- a/metrics/exp/exp.go
+++ b/metrics/exp/exp.go
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func (exp *exp) syncToExpvar() {
 			exp.publishGauge(name, i.Snapshot())
 		case *metrics.GaugeFloat64:
 			exp.publishGaugeFloat64(name, i.Snapshot())
-		case metrics.GaugeInfo:
+		case *metrics.GaugeInfo:
 			exp.publishGaugeInfo(name, i.Snapshot())
 		case metrics.Histogram:
 			exp.publishHistogram(name, i)
diff --git a/metrics/gauge_info.go b/metrics/gauge_info.go
index 0010edc324..2f78455649 100644
--- a/metrics/gauge_info.go
+++ b/metrics/gauge_info.go
@@ -5,16 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 )
 
-type GaugeInfoSnapshot interface {
-	Value() GaugeInfoValue
-}
-
-// GaugeInfo holds a GaugeInfoValue value that can be set arbitrarily.
-type GaugeInfo interface {
-	Update(GaugeInfoValue)
-	Snapshot() GaugeInfoSnapshot
-}
-
 // GaugeInfoValue is a mapping of keys to values
 type GaugeInfoValue map[string]string
 
@@ -24,26 +14,23 @@ func (val GaugeInfoValue) String() string {
 }
 
 // GetOrRegisterGaugeInfo returns an existing GaugeInfo or constructs and registers a
-// new StandardGaugeInfo.
-func GetOrRegisterGaugeInfo(name string, r Registry) GaugeInfo {
+// new GaugeInfo.
+func GetOrRegisterGaugeInfo(name string, r Registry) *GaugeInfo {
 	if nil == r {
 		r = DefaultRegistry
 	}
-	return r.GetOrRegister(name, NewGaugeInfo()).(GaugeInfo)
+	return r.GetOrRegister(name, NewGaugeInfo()).(*GaugeInfo)
 }
 
-// NewGaugeInfo constructs a new StandardGaugeInfo.
-func NewGaugeInfo() GaugeInfo {
-	if !Enabled {
-		return NilGaugeInfo{}
-	}
-	return &StandardGaugeInfo{
+// NewGaugeInfo constructs a new GaugeInfo.
+func NewGaugeInfo() *GaugeInfo {
+	return &GaugeInfo{
 		value: GaugeInfoValue{},
 	}
 }
 
-// NewRegisteredGaugeInfo constructs and registers a new StandardGaugeInfo.
-func NewRegisteredGaugeInfo(name string, r Registry) GaugeInfo {
+// NewRegisteredGaugeInfo constructs and registers a new GaugeInfo.
+func NewRegisteredGaugeInfo(name string, r Registry) *GaugeInfo {
 	c := NewGaugeInfo()
 	if nil == r {
 		r = DefaultRegistry
@@ -53,31 +40,24 @@ func NewRegisteredGaugeInfo(name string, r Registry) GaugeInfo {
 }
 
 // gaugeInfoSnapshot is a read-only copy of another GaugeInfo.
-type gaugeInfoSnapshot GaugeInfoValue
+type GaugeInfoSnapshot GaugeInfoValue
 
 // Value returns the value at the time the snapshot was taken.
-func (g gaugeInfoSnapshot) Value() GaugeInfoValue { return GaugeInfoValue(g) }
+func (g GaugeInfoSnapshot) Value() GaugeInfoValue { return GaugeInfoValue(g) }
 
-type NilGaugeInfo struct{}
-
-func (NilGaugeInfo) Snapshot() GaugeInfoSnapshot { return NilGaugeInfo{} }
-func (NilGaugeInfo) Update(v GaugeInfoValue)     {}
-func (NilGaugeInfo) Value() GaugeInfoValue       { return GaugeInfoValue{} }
-
-// StandardGaugeInfo is the standard implementation of a GaugeInfo and uses
-// sync.Mutex to manage a single string value.
-type StandardGaugeInfo struct {
+// GaugeInfo maintains a set of key/value mappings.
+type GaugeInfo struct {
 	mutex sync.Mutex
 	value GaugeInfoValue
 }
 
 // Snapshot returns a read-only copy of the gauge.
-func (g *StandardGaugeInfo) Snapshot() GaugeInfoSnapshot {
-	return gaugeInfoSnapshot(g.value)
+func (g *GaugeInfo) Snapshot() GaugeInfoSnapshot {
+	return GaugeInfoSnapshot(g.value)
 }
 
 // Update updates the gauge's value.
-func (g *StandardGaugeInfo) Update(v GaugeInfoValue) {
+func (g *GaugeInfo) Update(v GaugeInfoValue) {
 	g.mutex.Lock()
 	defer g.mutex.Unlock()
 	g.value = v
diff --git a/metrics/graphite.go b/metrics/graphite.go
index 307fbe7ded..9d3856d489 100644
--- a/metrics/graphite.go
+++ b/metrics/graphite.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func graphite(c *GraphiteConfig) error {
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s.%s.value %d %d\n", c.Prefix, name, metric.Snapshot().Value(), now)
 		case *GaugeFloat64:
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s.%s.value %f %d\n", c.Prefix, name, metric.Snapshot().Value(), now)
-		case GaugeInfo:
+		case *GaugeInfo:
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s.%s.value %s %d\n", c.Prefix, name, metric.Snapshot().Value().String(), now)
 		case Histogram:
 			h := metric.Snapshot()
diff --git a/metrics/influxdb/influxdb.go b/metrics/influxdb/influxdb.go
index fd5ca56fda..63a0d8e70b 100644
--- a/metrics/influxdb/influxdb.go
+++ b/metrics/influxdb/influxdb.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func readMeter(namespace, name string, i interface{}) (string, map[string]interf
 			"value": metric.Snapshot().Value(),
 		}
 		return measurement, fields
-	case metrics.GaugeInfo:
+	case *metrics.GaugeInfo:
 		ms := metric.Snapshot()
 		measurement := fmt.Sprintf("%s%s.gauge", namespace, name)
 		fields := map[string]interface{}{
diff --git a/metrics/log.go b/metrics/log.go
index 99e775c805..06e5f3c7fe 100644
--- a/metrics/log.go
+++ b/metrics/log.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func LogScaled(r Registry, freq time.Duration, scale time.Duration, l Logger) {
 			case *GaugeFloat64:
 				l.Printf("gauge %s\n", name)
 				l.Printf("  value:       %f\n", metric.Snapshot().Value())
-			case GaugeInfo:
+			case *GaugeInfo:
 				l.Printf("gauge %s\n", name)
 				l.Printf("  value:       %s\n", metric.Snapshot().Value())
 			case Healthcheck:
diff --git a/metrics/opentsdb.go b/metrics/opentsdb.go
index 03b8b06283..19c22ab396 100644
--- a/metrics/opentsdb.go
+++ b/metrics/opentsdb.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (c *OpenTSDBConfig) writeRegistry(w io.Writer, now int64, shortHostname str
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "put %s.%s.value %d %d host=%s\n", c.Prefix, name, now, metric.Snapshot().Value(), shortHostname)
 		case *GaugeFloat64:
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "put %s.%s.value %d %f host=%s\n", c.Prefix, name, now, metric.Snapshot().Value(), shortHostname)
-		case GaugeInfo:
+		case *GaugeInfo:
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "put %s.%s.value %d %s host=%s\n", c.Prefix, name, now, metric.Snapshot().Value().String(), shortHostname)
 		case Histogram:
 			h := metric.Snapshot()
diff --git a/metrics/prometheus/collector.go b/metrics/prometheus/collector.go
index 8fa46499e6..9607d4fb97 100644
--- a/metrics/prometheus/collector.go
+++ b/metrics/prometheus/collector.go
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func (c *collector) Add(name string, i any) error {
 		c.addGauge(name, m.Snapshot())
 	case *metrics.GaugeFloat64:
 		c.addGaugeFloat64(name, m.Snapshot())
-	case metrics.GaugeInfo:
+	case *metrics.GaugeInfo:
 		c.addGaugeInfo(name, m.Snapshot())
 	case metrics.Histogram:
 		c.addHistogram(name, m.Snapshot())
diff --git a/metrics/registry.go b/metrics/registry.go
index 05367c4c71..e5a1ad0401 100644
--- a/metrics/registry.go
+++ b/metrics/registry.go
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func (r *StandardRegistry) Unregister(name string) {
 
 func (r *StandardRegistry) loadOrRegister(name string, i interface{}) (interface{}, bool, bool) {
 	switch i.(type) {
-	case *Counter, *CounterFloat64, *Gauge, *GaugeFloat64, GaugeInfo, Healthcheck, Histogram, Meter, Timer, ResettingTimer:
+	case *Counter, *CounterFloat64, *Gauge, *GaugeFloat64, *GaugeInfo, Healthcheck, Histogram, Meter, Timer, ResettingTimer:
 	default:
 		return nil, false, false
 	}
diff --git a/metrics/syslog.go b/metrics/syslog.go
index ffcd9735bc..f7e53c89ce 100644
--- a/metrics/syslog.go
+++ b/metrics/syslog.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func Syslog(r Registry, d time.Duration, w *syslog.Writer) {
 				w.Info(fmt.Sprintf("gauge %s: value: %d", name, metric.Snapshot().Value()))
 			case *GaugeFloat64:
 				w.Info(fmt.Sprintf("gauge %s: value: %f", name, metric.Snapshot().Value()))
-			case GaugeInfo:
+			case *GaugeInfo:
 				w.Info(fmt.Sprintf("gauge %s: value: %s", name, metric.Snapshot().Value()))
 			case Healthcheck:
 				metric.Check()
diff --git a/metrics/writer.go b/metrics/writer.go
index 0d6ca85708..c062f4965f 100644
--- a/metrics/writer.go
+++ b/metrics/writer.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func WriteOnce(r Registry, w io.Writer) {
 		case *GaugeFloat64:
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "gauge %s\n", namedMetric.name)
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "  value:       %f\n", metric.Snapshot().Value())
-		case GaugeInfo:
+		case *GaugeInfo:
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "gauge %s\n", namedMetric.name)
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, "  value:       %s\n", metric.Snapshot().Value().String())
 		case Healthcheck: