diff --git a/status/metrics.go b/status/metrics.go
index 0bda46e..ed97324 100644
--- a/status/metrics.go
+++ b/status/metrics.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // M is the Metrics instance
-var M = NewMetrics()
+var M = newMetrics()
 
 const (
 	namespace = "contentserver"
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const (
 	metricLabelError   = "error"
 )
 
+// Metrics is the structure that holds all prometheus metrics
 type Metrics struct {
 	ServiceRequestCounter   *prometheus.CounterVec // count the number of requests for each service function
 	ServiceRequestDuration  *prometheus.SummaryVec // observe the duration of requests for each service function
@@ -28,96 +29,85 @@ type Metrics struct {
 	NumSocketsGauge         *prometheus.GaugeVec   // keep track of the total number of open sockets
 }
 
-func NewMetrics() *Metrics {
+// newMetrics can be used to instantiate a metrics instance
+// since this function will also register each metric and metrics should only be registered once
+// it is private
+// the package exposes the initialized Metrics instance as the variable M.
+func newMetrics() *Metrics {
 	return &Metrics{
-		ServiceRequestCounter:   serviceRequestCounter(),
-		ServiceRequestDuration:  serviceRequestDuration(),
-		UpdatesRejectedCounter:  updatesRejectedCounter(),
-		UpdatesCompletedCounter: updatesCompletedCounter(),
-		UpdatesFailedCounter:    updatesFailedCounter(),
-		UpdateDuration:          updateDuration(),
-		ContentRequestCounter:   contentRequestCounter(),
-		NumSocketsGauge:         numSocketsGauge(),
+		ServiceRequestCounter: newCounterVec(
+			"service_request_count",
+			"Count of requests for each handler",
+			metricLabelHandler, metricLabelStatus, metricLabelSource,
+		),
+		ServiceRequestDuration: newSummaryVec(
+			"service_request_duration_seconds",
+			"Seconds to unmarshal requests, execute a service function and marshal its reponses",
+			metricLabelHandler, metricLabelStatus, metricLabelSource,
+		),
+		UpdatesRejectedCounter: newCounterVec(
+			"updates_rejected_count",
+			"Number of updates that were rejected because the queue was full",
+		),
+		UpdatesCompletedCounter: newCounterVec(
+			"updates_completed_count",
+			"Number of updates that were successfully completed",
+		),
+		UpdatesFailedCounter: newCounterVec(
+			"updates_failed_count",
+			"Number of updates that failed due to an error",
+			metricLabelError,
+		),
+		UpdateDuration: newSummaryVec(
+			"update_duration_seconds",
+			"Duration in seconds for each successful repo.update() call",
+		),
+		ContentRequestCounter: newCounterVec(
+			"num_sockets_total",
+			"Total number of currently open socket connections",
+			metricLabelRemote,
+		),
+		NumSocketsGauge: newGaugeVec(
+			"content_request_count",
+			"Number of requests for content",
+			metricLabelSource,
+		),
 	}
 }
 
-func serviceRequestCounter() *prometheus.CounterVec {
+/*
+ *	Metric constructors
+ */
+
+func newSummaryVec(name, help string, labels ...string) *prometheus.SummaryVec {
+	vec := prometheus.NewSummaryVec(
+		prometheus.SummaryOpts{
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			Name:      name,
+			Help:      help,
+		}, labels)
+	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
+	return vec
+}
+
+func newCounterVec(name, help string, labels ...string) *prometheus.CounterVec {
 	vec := prometheus.NewCounterVec(
 		prometheus.CounterOpts{
 			Namespace: namespace,
-			Name:      "service_request_count",
-			Help:      "Count of requests for each handler",
-		}, []string{metricLabelHandler, metricLabelStatus, metricLabelSource})
+			Name:      name,
+			Help:      help,
+		}, labels)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
 	return vec
 }
 
-func serviceRequestDuration() *prometheus.SummaryVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewSummaryVec(prometheus.SummaryOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "service_request_duration_seconds",
-		Help:      "Seconds to unmarshal requests, execute a service function and marshal its reponses",
-	}, []string{metricLabelHandler, metricLabelStatus, metricLabelSource})
-	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
-	return vec
-}
-
-func updatesRejectedCounter() *prometheus.CounterVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "updates_rejected_count",
-		Help:      "Number of updates that were rejected because the queue was full",
-	}, []string{})
-	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
-	return vec
-}
-
-func updatesCompletedCounter() *prometheus.CounterVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "updates_completed_count",
-		Help:      "Number of updates that were successfully completed",
-	}, []string{})
-	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
-	return vec
-}
-
-func updatesFailedCounter() *prometheus.CounterVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "updates_failed_count",
-		Help:      "Number of updates that failed due to an error",
-	}, []string{metricLabelError})
-	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
-	return vec
-}
-
-func updateDuration() *prometheus.SummaryVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewSummaryVec(prometheus.SummaryOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "update_duration_seconds",
-		Help:      "Duration in seconds for each successful repo.update() call",
-	}, []string{})
-	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
-	return vec
-}
-
-func numSocketsGauge() *prometheus.GaugeVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "num_sockets_total",
-		Help:      "Total number of currently open socket connections",
-	}, []string{metricLabelRemote})
-	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
-	return vec
-}
-
-func contentRequestCounter() *prometheus.CounterVec {
-	vec := prometheus.NewCounterVec(prometheus.CounterOpts{
-		Namespace: namespace,
-		Name:      "content_request_count",
-		Help:      "Number of requests for content",
-	}, []string{metricLabelSource})
+func newGaugeVec(name, help string, labels ...string) *prometheus.GaugeVec {
+	vec := prometheus.NewGaugeVec(
+		prometheus.GaugeOpts{
+			Namespace: namespace,
+			Name:      name,
+			Help:      help,
+		}, labels)
 	prometheus.MustRegister(vec)
 	return vec
 }