diff --git a/shotover/src/transforms/query_counter.rs b/shotover/src/transforms/query_counter.rs
index f0d10bf7c..760f6c3c1 100644
--- a/shotover/src/transforms/query_counter.rs
+++ b/shotover/src/transforms/query_counter.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ use crate::transforms::{Transform, TransformBuilder, Wrapper};
 use anyhow::Result;
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use metrics::counter;
+use metrics::Counter;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use serde::Serialize;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
 
 use super::DownChainProtocol;
 use super::TransformContextConfig;
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ use super::UpChainProtocol;
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct QueryCounter {
     counter_name: &'static str,
+    query_to_counter: HashMap<String, Counter>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
@@ -26,13 +29,23 @@ pub struct QueryCounterConfig {
 
 impl QueryCounter {
     pub fn new(counter_name: String) -> Self {
-        counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => counter_name.clone());
+        // Leaking here is fine since the builder is created only once during shotover startup.
+        let counter_name_ref: &'static str = counter_name.leak();
+
+        // Although not incremented, this counter needs to be created to ensure shotover_query_count is 0 on shotover startup.
+        counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => counter_name_ref);
 
         QueryCounter {
-            // Leaking here is fine since the builder is created only once during shotover startup.
-            counter_name: counter_name.leak(),
+            counter_name: counter_name_ref,
+            query_to_counter: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
+
+    fn increment_counter(&mut self, query: String, query_type: &'static str) {
+        self.query_to_counter.entry(query)
+            .or_insert_with_key(|query| counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => self.counter_name, "query" => query.clone(), "type" => query_type))
+            .increment(1);
+    }
 }
 
 impl TransformBuilder for QueryCounter {
@@ -57,20 +70,20 @@ impl Transform for QueryCounter {
                 #[cfg(feature = "cassandra")]
                 Some(Frame::Cassandra(frame)) => {
                     for statement in frame.operation.queries() {
-                        counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => self.counter_name, "query" => statement.short_name(), "type" => "cassandra").increment(1);
+                        self.increment_counter(statement.short_name().to_string(), "cassandra");
                     }
                 }
                 #[cfg(feature = "redis")]
                 Some(Frame::Redis(frame)) => {
                     if let Some(query_type) = crate::frame::redis::redis_query_name(frame) {
-                        counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => self.counter_name, "query" => query_type, "type" => "redis").increment(1);
+                        self.increment_counter(query_type, "redis");
                     } else {
-                        counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => self.counter_name, "query" => "unknown", "type" => "redis").increment(1);
+                        self.increment_counter("unknown".to_string(), "redis");
                     }
                 }
                 #[cfg(feature = "kafka")]
                 Some(Frame::Kafka(_)) => {
-                    counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => self.counter_name, "query" => "unknown", "type" => "kafka").increment(1);
+                    self.increment_counter("unknown".to_string(), "kafka");
                 }
                 Some(Frame::Dummy) => {
                     // Dummy does not count as a message
@@ -80,7 +93,7 @@ impl Transform for QueryCounter {
                     todo!();
                 }
                 None => {
-                    counter!("shotover_query_count", "name" => self.counter_name, "query" => "unknown", "type" => "none").increment(1)
+                    self.increment_counter("unknown".to_string(), "none");
                 }
             }
         }