diff --git a/userapi/internal/device_list_update.go b/userapi/internal/device_list_update.go
index 80631456a..e17549ad9 100644
--- a/userapi/internal/device_list_update.go
+++ b/userapi/internal/device_list_update.go
@@ -367,8 +367,6 @@ func (u *DeviceListUpdater) notifyWorkers(userID string) {
 	index := int(int64(hash.Sum32()) % int64(len(u.workerChans)))
 
 	ch := u.assignChannel(userID)
-	deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(index)}).Inc()
-	defer deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(index)}).Dec()
 	u.workerChans[index] <- remoteServer
 	select {
 	case <-ch:
@@ -420,17 +418,17 @@ func (u *DeviceListUpdater) worker(ch chan spec.ServerName, workerID int) {
 			deviceListUpdaterServersRetrying.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(workerID)}).Set(float64(len(retries)))
 			retriesMu.Unlock()
 			for _, srv := range serversToRetry {
-				deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(workerID)}).Inc()
 				ch <- srv
-				deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(workerID)}).Dec()
 			}
 		}
 	}()
 	for serverName := range ch {
+		deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(workerID)}).Inc()
 		retriesMu.Lock()
 		_, exists := retries[serverName]
 		retriesMu.Unlock()
 		if exists {
+			deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(workerID)}).Dec()
 			// Don't retry a server that we're already waiting for.
 			continue
 		}
@@ -442,6 +440,7 @@ func (u *DeviceListUpdater) worker(ch chan spec.ServerName, workerID int) {
 			}
 			retriesMu.Unlock()
 		}
+		deviceListUpdaterBackpressure.With(prometheus.Labels{"worker_id": strconv.Itoa(workerID)}).Dec()
 	}
 }