diff --git a/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricExporter.java b/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricExporter.java
index b4fb237df..c81fd43fb 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricExporter.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricExporter.java
@@ -14,13 +14,18 @@
 
 package google.registry.monitoring.metrics;
 
+import static com.google.common.util.concurrent.MoreExecutors.directExecutor;
+
 import com.google.common.base.Optional;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.AbstractExecutionThreadService;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadFactory;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
 /**
@@ -49,11 +54,18 @@ class MetricExporter extends AbstractExecutionThreadService {
     logger.info("Started up MetricExporter");
     while (isRunning()) {
       Optional<ImmutableList<MetricPoint<?>>> batch = writeQueue.take();
+      logger.info("Got a batch of points from the writeQueue");
       if (batch.isPresent()) {
-        for (MetricPoint<?> point : batch.get()) {
-          writer.write(point);
+        logger.info("Batch contains data, writing to MetricWriter");
+        try {
+          for (MetricPoint<?> point : batch.get()) {
+            writer.write(point);
+          }
+          writer.flush();
+        } catch (IOException exception) {
+          logger.log(
+              Level.SEVERE, "Threw an exception while writing or flushing metrics", exception);
         }
-        writer.flush();
       } else {
         logger.info("Received a poison pill, stopping now");
         // An absent optional indicates that the Reporter wants this service to shut down.
@@ -64,6 +76,21 @@ class MetricExporter extends AbstractExecutionThreadService {
 
   @Override
   protected Executor executor() {
-    return Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor(threadFactory);
+    final ExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor(threadFactory);
+    // Make sure the ExecutorService terminates when this service does.
+    addListener(
+        new Listener() {
+          @Override
+          public void terminated(State from) {
+            executor.shutdown();
+          }
+
+          @Override
+          public void failed(State from, Throwable failure) {
+            executor.shutdown();
+          }
+        },
+        directExecutor());
+    return executor;
   }
 }
diff --git a/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricReporter.java b/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricReporter.java
index 1b197519f..741cf164c 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricReporter.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/monitoring/metrics/MetricReporter.java
@@ -121,12 +121,18 @@ public class MetricReporter extends AbstractScheduledService {
     // least once.
     runOneIteration();
 
+    // Offer a poision pill to inform the exporter to stop.
     writeQueue.offer(Optional.<ImmutableList<MetricPoint<?>>>absent());
     try {
-      metricExporter.stopAsync().awaitTerminated(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+      metricExporter.awaitTerminated(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
       logger.info("Shut down MetricExporter");
-    } catch (TimeoutException timeoutException) {
-      logger.severe("Failed to shut down MetricExporter: " + timeoutException);
+    } catch (IllegalStateException exception) {
+      logger.log(
+          Level.SEVERE,
+          "Failed to shut down MetricExporter because it was FAILED",
+          metricExporter.failureCause());
+    } catch (TimeoutException exception) {
+      logger.log(Level.SEVERE, "Failed to shut down MetricExporter within the timeout", exception);
     }
   }
 
@@ -145,6 +151,7 @@ public class MetricReporter extends AbstractScheduledService {
   protected ScheduledExecutorService executor() {
     final ScheduledExecutorService executor =
         Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(threadFactory);
+    // Make sure the ExecutorService terminates when this service does.
     addListener(
         new Listener() {
           @Override
@@ -162,15 +169,21 @@ public class MetricReporter extends AbstractScheduledService {
   }
 
   private void startMetricExporter() {
-    // Services in the FAILED state must be reconstructed, they can't be started
-    if (metricExporter.state() == State.FAILED) {
-      logger.log(
-          Level.SEVERE,
-          "MetricExporter died unexpectedly, restarting",
-          metricExporter.failureCause());
-      this.metricExporter = new MetricExporter(writeQueue, metricWriter, threadFactory);
+    switch (metricExporter.state()) {
+      case NEW:
+        metricExporter.startAsync();
+        break;
+      case FAILED:
+        logger.log(
+            Level.SEVERE,
+            "MetricExporter died unexpectedly, restarting",
+            metricExporter.failureCause());
+        this.metricExporter = new MetricExporter(writeQueue, metricWriter, threadFactory);
+        this.metricExporter.startAsync();
+        break;
+      default:
+        throw new IllegalStateException(
+            "MetricExporter not FAILED or NEW, should not be calling startMetricExporter");
     }
-
-    this.metricExporter.startAsync();
   }
 }