diff --git a/plugin/metrics/metrics.go b/plugin/metrics/metrics.go
index af4afc6ac..8efeff1e7 100644
--- a/plugin/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/plugin/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
 package metrics
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/metrics/vars"
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ type Metrics struct {
 	ln      net.Listener
 	lnSetup bool
 	mux     *http.ServeMux
+	srv     *http.Server
 
 	zoneNames []string
 	zoneMap   map[string]bool
@@ -94,9 +97,9 @@ func (m *Metrics) OnStartup() error {
 
 	m.mux = http.NewServeMux()
 	m.mux.Handle("/metrics", promhttp.HandlerFor(m.Reg, promhttp.HandlerOpts{}))
-
+	m.srv = &http.Server{Handler: m.mux}
 	go func() {
-		http.Serve(m.ln, m.mux)
+		m.srv.Serve(m.ln)
 	}()
 	return nil
 }
@@ -106,24 +109,28 @@ func (m *Metrics) OnRestart() error {
 	if !m.lnSetup {
 		return nil
 	}
+	uniqAddr.Unset(m.Addr)
+	return m.stopServer()
+}
 
-	uniqAddr.SetTodo(m.Addr)
-
-	m.ln.Close()
+func (m *Metrics) stopServer() error {
+	if !m.lnSetup {
+		return nil
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), shutdownTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	if err := m.srv.Shutdown(ctx); err != nil {
+		log.Infof("Failed to stop prometheus http server: %s", err)
+		return err
+	}
 	m.lnSetup = false
+	m.ln.Close()
 	return nil
 }
 
 // OnFinalShutdown tears down the metrics listener on shutdown and restart.
 func (m *Metrics) OnFinalShutdown() error {
-	// We allow prometheus statements in multiple Server Blocks, but only the first
-	// will open the listener, for the rest they are all nil; guard against that.
-	if !m.lnSetup {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	m.lnSetup = false
-	return m.ln.Close()
+	return m.stopServer()
 }
 
 func keys(m map[string]bool) []string {
@@ -138,6 +145,10 @@ func keys(m map[string]bool) []string {
 // we listen on "localhost:0" and need to retrieve the actual address.
 var ListenAddr string
 
+// shutdownTimeout is the maximum amount of time the metrics plugin will wait
+// before erroring when it tries to close the metrics server
+const shutdownTimeout time.Duration = time.Second * 5
+
 var buildInfo = prometheus.NewGaugeVec(prometheus.GaugeOpts{
 	Namespace: plugin.Namespace,
 	Name:      "build_info",
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/uniq/uniq.go b/plugin/pkg/uniq/uniq.go
index 3e50d64b5..6dd74883d 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/uniq/uniq.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/uniq/uniq.go
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ func (u U) Set(key string, f func() error) {
 	u.u[key] = item{todo, f}
 }
 
+// Unset removes the 'todo' associated with a key
+func (u U) Unset(key string) {
+	if _, ok := u.u[key]; ok {
+		delete(u.u, key)
+	}
+}
+
 // SetTodo sets key to 'todo' again.
 func (u U) SetTodo(key string) {
 	v, ok := u.u[key]
diff --git a/test/reload_test.go b/test/reload_test.go
index 18639ff03..bc55071c6 100644
--- a/test/reload_test.go
+++ b/test/reload_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package test
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
@@ -125,4 +126,80 @@ func TestReloadMetricsHealth(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func collectMetricsInfo(addr, proc string) error {
+	cl := &http.Client{}
+	resp, err := cl.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://%s/metrics", addr))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	metrics, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if !bytes.Contains(metrics, []byte(proc)) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to see %s in metric output", proc)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// TestReloadSeveralTimeMetrics ensures that metrics are not pushed to
+// prometheus once the metrics plugin is removed and a coredns
+// reload is triggered
+// 1. check that metrics have not been exported to prometheus before coredns starts
+// 2. ensure that build-related metrics have been exported once coredns starts
+// 3. trigger multiple reloads without changing the corefile
+// 4. remove the metrics plugin and trigger a final reload
+// 5. ensure the original prometheus exporter has not received more metrics
+func TestReloadSeveralTimeMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	//TODO: add a tool that find an available port because this needs to be a port
+	// that is not used in another test
+	promAddress := "127.0.0.1:53185"
+	proc := "coredns_build_info"
+	corefileWithMetrics := `
+	.:0 {
+		prometheus ` + promAddress + `
+		whoami
+	}`
+	corefileWithoutMetrics := `
+	.:0 {
+		whoami
+	}`
+	if err := collectMetricsInfo(promAddress, proc); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Prometheus is listening before the test started")
+	}
+	serverWithMetrics, err := CoreDNSServer(corefileWithMetrics)
+	if err != nil {
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), inUse) {
+			return
+		}
+		t.Errorf("Could not get service instance: %s", err)
+	}
+	// verify prometheus is running
+	if err := collectMetricsInfo(promAddress, proc); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Prometheus is not listening : %s", err)
+	}
+	reloadCount := 2
+	for i := 0; i < reloadCount; i++ {
+		serverReload, err := serverWithMetrics.Restart(
+			NewInput(corefileWithMetrics),
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Could not restart CoreDNS : %s, at loop %v", err, i)
+		}
+		if err := collectMetricsInfo(promAddress, proc); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Prometheus is not listening : %s", err)
+		}
+		serverWithMetrics = serverReload
+	}
+	// reload without prometheus
+	serverWithoutMetrics, err := serverWithMetrics.Restart(
+		NewInput(corefileWithoutMetrics),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not restart a second time CoreDNS : %s", err)
+	}
+	serverWithoutMetrics.Stop()
+	// verify that metrics have not been pushed
+	if err := collectMetricsInfo(promAddress, proc); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Prometheus is still listening")
+	}
+}
+
 const inUse = "address already in use"