diff --git a/metrics/metrics.go b/metrics/metrics.go
index 6143fe2875..b90729ede5 100644
--- a/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func init() {
 	//exp.Exp(DefaultRegistry)
 }
 
-// NewResettingTimer create a new ResettingTimer, either a real one of a NOP stub depending
+// NewResettingTimer creates a new ResettingTimer, either a real one of a NOP stub depending
 // on the metrics flag.
 func NewResettingTimer(name string) metrics.ResettingTimer {
 	if !Enabled {
diff --git a/swarm/api/http/server.go b/swarm/api/http/server.go
index b9c2e4c24e..f27d6d891c 100644
--- a/swarm/api/http/server.go
+++ b/swarm/api/http/server.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ var (
 	getListCount    = metrics.NewCounter("api.http.get.list.count")
 	getListFail     = metrics.NewCounter("api.http.get.list.fail")
 	requestCount    = metrics.NewCounter("http.request.count")
-	requestTimer    = metrics.NewTimer("http.request.time")
+	requestTimer    = metrics.NewResettingTimer("http.request.time")
 )
 
 // ServerConfig is the basic configuration needed for the HTTP server and also
@@ -644,9 +644,7 @@ func (s *Server) HandleGetFile(w http.ResponseWriter, r *Request) {
 
 func (s *Server) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	requestCount.Inc(1)
-	startTime := time.Now()
-	defer requestTimer.UpdateSince(startTime)
-	defer metrics.NewResettingTimer("http.request.time_resetting").UpdateSince(startTime)
+	defer requestTimer.UpdateSince(time.Now())
 	s.logDebug("HTTP %s request URL: '%s', Host: '%s', Path: '%s', Referer: '%s', Accept: '%s'", r.Method, r.RequestURI, r.URL.Host, r.URL.Path, r.Referer(), r.Header.Get("Accept"))
 
 	uri, err := api.Parse(strings.TrimLeft(r.URL.Path, "/"))
diff --git a/swarm/metrics/flags.go b/swarm/metrics/flags.go
index ea2afd071f..9a5454144e 100644
--- a/swarm/metrics/flags.go
+++ b/swarm/metrics/flags.go
@@ -28,29 +28,33 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	metricsEndpointFlag = cli.StringFlag{
-		Name:  "metricsendpoint",
-		Usage: "metrics backend endpoint",
+	metricsInfluxDBEndpointFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:  "metrics.influxdb.endpoint",
+		Usage: "Metrics InfluxDB endpoint",
 		Value: "http://127.0.0.1:8086",
 	}
-	metricsDatabaseFlag = cli.StringFlag{
-		Name:  "metricsdatabase",
-		Usage: "metrics backend database",
+	metricsInfluxDBDatabaseFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:  "metrics.influxdb.database",
+		Usage: "metrics InfluxDB database",
 		Value: "metrics",
 	}
-	metricsUsernameFlag = cli.StringFlag{
-		Name:  "metricsusername",
-		Usage: "metrics backend username",
-		Value: "admin",
+	metricsInfluxDBUsernameFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:  "metrics.influxdb.username",
+		Usage: "metrics InfluxDB username",
+		Value: "",
 	}
-	metricsPasswordFlag = cli.StringFlag{
-		Name:  "metricspassword",
-		Usage: "metrics backend password",
-		Value: "admin",
+	metricsInfluxDBPasswordFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:  "metrics.influxdb.password",
+		Usage: "metrics InfluxDB password",
+		Value: "",
 	}
-	metricsHostTagFlag = cli.StringFlag{
-		Name:  "metricshosttag",
-		Usage: "metrics host tag",
+	// The `host` tag is part of every measurement sent to InfluxDB. Queries on tags are faster in InfluxDB.
+	// It is used so that we can group all nodes and average a measurement across all of them, but also so
+	// that we can select a specific node and inspect its measurements.
+	// https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v1.4/concepts/key_concepts/#tag-key
+	metricsInfluxDBHostTagFlag = cli.StringFlag{
+		Name:  "metrics.influxdb.host.tag",
+		Usage: "metrics InfluxDB `host` tag attached to all measurements",
 		Value: "localhost",
 	}
 )
@@ -58,17 +62,17 @@ var (
 // Flags holds all command-line flags required for metrics collection.
 var Flags = []cli.Flag{
 	utils.MetricsEnabledFlag,
-	metricsEndpointFlag, metricsDatabaseFlag, metricsUsernameFlag, metricsPasswordFlag, metricsHostTagFlag,
+	metricsInfluxDBEndpointFlag, metricsInfluxDBDatabaseFlag, metricsInfluxDBUsernameFlag, metricsInfluxDBPasswordFlag, metricsInfluxDBHostTagFlag,
 }
 
 func Setup(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	if gethmetrics.Enabled {
 		var (
-			endpoint = ctx.GlobalString(metricsEndpointFlag.Name)
-			database = ctx.GlobalString(metricsDatabaseFlag.Name)
-			username = ctx.GlobalString(metricsUsernameFlag.Name)
-			password = ctx.GlobalString(metricsPasswordFlag.Name)
-			hosttag  = ctx.GlobalString(metricsHostTagFlag.Name)
+			endpoint = ctx.GlobalString(metricsInfluxDBEndpointFlag.Name)
+			database = ctx.GlobalString(metricsInfluxDBDatabaseFlag.Name)
+			username = ctx.GlobalString(metricsInfluxDBUsernameFlag.Name)
+			password = ctx.GlobalString(metricsInfluxDBPasswordFlag.Name)
+			hosttag  = ctx.GlobalString(metricsInfluxDBHostTagFlag.Name)
 		)
 
 		log.Info("Enabling swarm metrics collection and export")