diff --git a/monitor/service.go b/monitor/service.go
index d368cee7ccf..84336d60420 100644
--- a/monitor/service.go
+++ b/monitor/service.go
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ type Monitor struct {
 
 	diagRegistrations map[string]DiagsClient
 
+	storeCreated           bool
 	storeEnabled           bool
 	storeDatabase          string
 	storeRetentionPolicy   string
@@ -294,29 +295,14 @@ func (m *Monitor) Diagnostics() (map[string]*Diagnostic, error) {
 	return diags, nil
 }
 
-// storeStatistics writes the statistics to an InfluxDB system.
-func (m *Monitor) storeStatistics() {
-	defer m.wg.Done()
-	m.Logger.Printf("Storing statistics in database '%s' retention policy '%s', at interval %s",
-		m.storeDatabase, m.storeRetentionPolicy, m.storeInterval)
-
-	if err := m.MetaStore.WaitForLeader(leaderWaitTimeout); err != nil {
-		m.Logger.Printf("failed to detect a cluster leader, terminating storage: %s", err.Error())
+// createInternalStorage ensures the internal storage has been created.
+func (m *Monitor) createInternalStorage() {
+	if m.storeCreated {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Get cluster-level metadata. Nothing different is going to happen if errors occur.
-	clusterID, _ := m.MetaStore.ClusterID()
-	nodeID := m.MetaStore.NodeID()
-	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
-	clusterTags := map[string]string{
-		"clusterID": fmt.Sprintf("%d", clusterID),
-		"nodeID":    fmt.Sprintf("%d", nodeID),
-		"hostname":  hostname,
-	}
-
 	if _, err := m.MetaStore.CreateDatabaseIfNotExists(m.storeDatabase); err != nil {
-		m.Logger.Printf("failed to create database '%s', terminating storage: %s",
+		m.Logger.Printf("failed to create database '%s', failed to create storage: %s",
 			m.storeDatabase, err.Error())
 		return
 	}
@@ -325,27 +311,55 @@ func (m *Monitor) storeStatistics() {
 	rpi.Duration = MonitorRetentionPolicyDuration
 	rpi.ReplicaN = 1
 	if _, err := m.MetaStore.CreateRetentionPolicyIfNotExists(m.storeDatabase, rpi); err != nil {
-		m.Logger.Printf("failed to create retention policy '%s', terminating storage: %s",
+		m.Logger.Printf("failed to create retention policy '%s', failed to create internal storage: %s",
 			rpi.Name, err.Error())
 		return
 	}
 
 	if err := m.MetaStore.SetDefaultRetentionPolicy(m.storeDatabase, rpi.Name); err != nil {
-		m.Logger.Printf("failed to set default retention policy on '%s', terminating storage: %s",
+		m.Logger.Printf("failed to set default retention policy on '%s', failed to create internal storage: %s",
 			m.storeDatabase, err.Error())
 		return
 	}
 
 	if err := m.MetaStore.DropRetentionPolicy(m.storeDatabase, "default"); err != nil && err != meta.ErrRetentionPolicyNotFound {
-		m.Logger.Printf("failed to delete retention policy 'default', terminating storage: %s", err.Error())
+		m.Logger.Printf("failed to delete retention policy 'default', failed to created internal storage: %s", err.Error())
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Mark storage creation complete.
+	m.storeCreated = true
+}
+
+// storeStatistics writes the statistics to an InfluxDB system.
+func (m *Monitor) storeStatistics() {
+	defer m.wg.Done()
+	m.Logger.Printf("Storing statistics in database '%s' retention policy '%s', at interval %s",
+		m.storeDatabase, m.storeRetentionPolicy, m.storeInterval)
+
+	if err := m.MetaStore.WaitForLeader(leaderWaitTimeout); err != nil {
+		m.Logger.Printf("failed to detect a cluster leader, terminating storage: %s", err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Get cluster-level metadata. Nothing different is going to happen if errors occur.
+	clusterID, _ := m.MetaStore.ClusterID()
+	nodeID := m.MetaStore.NodeID()
+	hostname, _ := os.Hostname()
+	clusterTags := map[string]string{
+		"clusterID": fmt.Sprintf("%d", clusterID),
+		"nodeID":    fmt.Sprintf("%d", nodeID),
+		"hostname":  hostname,
+	}
+
 	tick := time.NewTicker(m.storeInterval)
 	defer tick.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
+
 		case <-tick.C:
+			m.createInternalStorage()
+
 			stats, err := m.Statistics(clusterTags)
 			if err != nil {
 				m.Logger.Printf("failed to retrieve registered statistics: %s", err)