diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsub.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsub.nim
index d7b98a708..2dd811e91 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsub.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsub.nim
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ logScope:
 
 declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_peers, "pubsub peer instances")
 declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_topics, "pubsub subscribed topics")
-declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_validation_success, "pubsub successfully validated messages")
-declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_validation_failure, "pubsub failed validated messages")
+declareCounter(libp2p_pubsub_validation_success, "pubsub successfully validated messages")
+declareCounter(libp2p_pubsub_validation_failure, "pubsub failed validated messages")
 declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_peers_per_topic, "pubsub peers per topic", labels = ["topic"])
 
 type
diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim
index 85e4b2950..e2a07f591 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/pubsubpeer.nim
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ type
 
   RPCHandler* = proc(peer: PubSubPeer, msg: seq[RPCMsg]): Future[void] {.gcsafe.}
 
-declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_encoded_messages, "number of messages encoded")
-declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_decoded_messages, "number of messages decoded")
+declareCounter(libp2p_pubsub_encoded_messages, "number of messages encoded")
+declareCounter(libp2p_pubsub_decoded_messages, "number of messages decoded")
 
 proc id*(p: PubSubPeer): string = p.peerInfo.id
 
diff --git a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/rpc/message.nim b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/rpc/message.nim
index fdf72e35b..5ceeed8d5 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/rpc/message.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocols/pubsub/rpc/message.nim
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ logScope:
 
 const PubSubPrefix = "libp2p-pubsub:"
 
-declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_sig_verify_success, "pubsub successfully validated messages")
-declareGauge(libp2p_pubsub_sig_verify_failure, "pubsub failed validated messages")
+declareCounter(libp2p_pubsub_sig_verify_success, "pubsub successfully validated messages")
+declareCounter(libp2p_pubsub_sig_verify_failure, "pubsub failed validated messages")
 
 proc msgIdProvider(m: Message): string =
   ## default msg id provider