diff --git a/metrics/desc.go b/metrics/desc.go
index cc88730b..70eda008 100644
--- a/metrics/desc.go
+++ b/metrics/desc.go
@@ -140,22 +140,17 @@ type Description struct {
 	Subsystem      string
 	Name           string
 	Help           string
-	ConstantLabels []KeyValue
+	ConstantLabels prometheus.Labels
 	VariableLabels []string
 }
 
-type KeyValue struct {
-	Key   string `json:"key"`
-	Value string `json:"value"`
-}
-
 func (d *Description) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	return json.Marshal(&struct {
-		Type           string     `json:"type"`
-		FQName         string     `json:"name"`
-		Help           string     `json:"help"`
-		ConstantLabels []KeyValue `json:"constant_labels"`
-		VariableLabels []string   `json:"variable_labels"`
+		Type           string            `json:"type"`
+		FQName         string            `json:"name"`
+		Help           string            `json:"help"`
+		ConstantLabels prometheus.Labels `json:"constant_labels,omitempty"`
+		VariableLabels []string          `json:"variable_labels,omitempty"`
 	}{
 		Type:           d.Type.String(),
 		FQName:         d.BuildFQName(),
@@ -169,14 +164,6 @@ func (d *Description) BuildFQName() string {
 	return prometheus.BuildFQName(d.Namespace, d.Subsystem, d.Name)
 }
 
-func (d *Description) ConstLabelsMap() map[string]string {
-	constsLabels := make(map[string]string, len(d.ConstantLabels))
-	for _, kv := range d.ConstantLabels {
-		constsLabels[kv.Key] = kv.Value
-	}
-	return constsLabels
-}
-
 // DescribeAll returns descriptions for metrics.
 func DescribeAll() []Description {
 	var list []Description
@@ -195,7 +182,7 @@ func newOpts(description Description) prometheus.Opts {
 		Subsystem:   description.Subsystem,
 		Name:        description.Name,
 		Help:        description.Help,
-		ConstLabels: description.ConstLabelsMap(),
+		ConstLabels: description.ConstantLabels,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -204,7 +191,7 @@ func newDesc(description Description) *prometheus.Desc {
 		description.BuildFQName(),
 		description.Help,
 		description.VariableLabels,
-		description.ConstLabelsMap())
+		description.ConstantLabels)
 }
 
 func mustNewGauge(description Description) prometheus.Gauge {
@@ -237,7 +224,7 @@ func mustNewHistogramVec(description Description, buckets []float64) *prometheus
 			Subsystem:   description.Subsystem,
 			Name:        description.Name,
 			Help:        description.Name,
-			ConstLabels: description.ConstLabelsMap(),
+			ConstLabels: description.ConstantLabels,
 			Buckets:     buckets,
 		},
 		description.VariableLabels,