diff --git a/cmd/soju/main.go b/cmd/soju/main.go
index e679181..e8ef6d7 100644
--- a/cmd/soju/main.go
+++ b/cmd/soju/main.go
@@ -316,7 +316,9 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if db, ok := db.(soju.MetricsCollectorDatabase); ok && srv.MetricsRegistry != nil {
-		srv.MetricsRegistry.MustRegister(db.MetricsCollector())
+		if err := db.RegisterMetrics(srv.MetricsRegistry); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("failed to register database metrics: %v", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	sigCh := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index a227978..6dcab77 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ type Database interface {
 
 type MetricsCollectorDatabase interface {
 	Database
-	MetricsCollector() prometheus.Collector
+	RegisterMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer) error
 }
 
 func OpenDB(driver, source string) (Database, error) {
diff --git a/db_postgres.go b/db_postgres.go
index 008fdef..da0b5ba 100644
--- a/db_postgres.go
+++ b/db_postgres.go
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@ func (db *PostgresDB) Close() error {
 	return db.db.Close()
 }
 
-func (db *PostgresDB) MetricsCollector() prometheus.Collector {
-	return promcollectors.NewDBStatsCollector(db.db, "main")
+func (db *PostgresDB) RegisterMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer) error {
+	return r.Register(promcollectors.NewDBStatsCollector(db.db, "main"))
 }
 
 func (db *PostgresDB) Stats(ctx context.Context) (*DatabaseStats, error) {
diff --git a/db_sqlite.go b/db_sqlite.go
index 44556eb..89c9478 100644
--- a/db_sqlite.go
+++ b/db_sqlite.go
@@ -259,8 +259,8 @@ func (db *SqliteDB) upgrade() error {
 	return tx.Commit()
 }
 
-func (db *SqliteDB) MetricsCollector() prometheus.Collector {
-	return promcollectors.NewDBStatsCollector(db.db, "main")
+func (db *SqliteDB) RegisterMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer) error {
+	return r.Register(promcollectors.NewDBStatsCollector(db.db, "main"))
 }
 
 func (db *SqliteDB) Stats(ctx context.Context) (*DatabaseStats, error) {