diff --git a/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware.go b/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware.go
index 9f14ef5f4..45a8211f6 100644
--- a/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware.go
+++ b/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ var (
 			Name:      "datasource_request_total",
 			Help:      "A counter for outgoing requests for an external data source",
 		},
-		[]string{"datasource", "datasource_type", "code", "method", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
+		[]string{"datasource_type", "code", "method", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
 	)
 
 	datasourceRequestHistogram = promauto.NewHistogramVec(
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ var (
 			Name:      "datasource_request_duration_seconds",
 			Help:      "histogram of durations of outgoing external data source requests sent from Grafana",
 			Buckets:   []float64{.005, .01, .025, .05, .1, .25, .5, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100},
-		}, []string{"datasource", "datasource_type", "code", "method", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
+		}, []string{"datasource_type", "code", "method", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
 	)
 
 	datasourceResponseHistogram = promauto.NewHistogramVec(
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ var (
 			NativeHistogramBucketFactor:     1.1,
 			NativeHistogramMaxBucketNumber:  100,
 			NativeHistogramMinResetDuration: time.Hour,
-		}, []string{"datasource", "datasource_type", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
+		}, []string{"datasource_type", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
 	)
 
 	datasourceRequestsInFlight = promauto.NewGaugeVec(
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ var (
 			Name:      "datasource_request_in_flight",
 			Help:      "A gauge of outgoing external data source requests currently being sent by Grafana",
 		},
-		[]string{"datasource", "datasource_type", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
+		[]string{"datasource_type", "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled", "endpoint"},
 	)
 )
 
@@ -96,19 +96,6 @@ func DataSourceMetricsMiddleware() Middleware {
 			return next
 		}
 
-		datasourceName, exists := opts.Labels["datasource_name"]
-		if !exists {
-			return next
-		}
-
-		datasourceLabelName, err := sanitizeLabelName(datasourceName)
-		// if the datasource named cannot be turned into a prometheus
-		// label we will skip instrumenting these metrics.
-		if err != nil {
-			log.DefaultLogger.Error("failed to sanitize datasource name", "error", err)
-			return next
-		}
-
 		datasourceType, exists := opts.Labels["datasource_type"]
 		if !exists {
 			return next
@@ -121,22 +108,21 @@ func DataSourceMetricsMiddleware() Middleware {
 			return next
 		}
 
-		labels := prometheus.Labels{
-			"datasource":                    datasourceLabelName,
-			"datasource_type":               datasourceLabelType,
-			"secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled": strconv.FormatBool(opts.ProxyOptions != nil && opts.ProxyOptions.Enabled),
-		}
-
-		return executeMiddlewareFunc(next, labels)
+		return executeMiddlewareFunc(next, datasourceLabelType, strconv.FormatBool(opts.ProxyOptions != nil && opts.ProxyOptions.Enabled))
 	})
 }
 
-func executeMiddleware(next http.RoundTripper, labels prometheus.Labels) http.RoundTripper {
+func executeMiddleware(next http.RoundTripper, datasourceType string, secureSocksProxyEnabled string) http.RoundTripper {
 	return RoundTripperFunc(func(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 		ctx := r.Context()
-		labels["endpoint"] = ""
+		endpoint := ""
 		if ep := ctx.Value(endpointctx.EndpointCtxKey); ep != nil {
-			labels["endpoint"] = fmt.Sprintf("%v", ep)
+			endpoint = fmt.Sprintf("%v", ep)
+		}
+		labels := prometheus.Labels{
+			"datasource_type":               datasourceType,
+			"secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled": secureSocksProxyEnabled,
+			"endpoint":                      endpoint,
 		}
 		requestCounter := datasourceRequestCounter.MustCurryWith(labels)
 		requestHistogram := datasourceRequestHistogram.MustCurryWith(labels)
diff --git a/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware_test.go b/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware_test.go
index 44782f38b..bb2d2493d 100644
--- a/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware_test.go
+++ b/backend/httpclient/datasource_metrics_middleware_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func TestDataSourceMetricsMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 		origExecuteMiddlewareFunc := executeMiddlewareFunc
 		executeMiddlewareCalled := false
 		middlewareCalled := false
-		executeMiddlewareFunc = func(next http.RoundTripper, _ prometheus.Labels) http.RoundTripper {
+		executeMiddlewareFunc = func(next http.RoundTripper, _ string, _ string) http.RoundTripper {
 			executeMiddlewareCalled = true
 			return RoundTripperFunc(func(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 				middlewareCalled = true
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ func TestDataSourceMetricsMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 		require.False(t, middlewareCalled)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("Without data source name label options set should return next http.RoundTripper", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("Without data source type label options set should return next http.RoundTripper", func(t *testing.T) {
 		origExecuteMiddlewareFunc := executeMiddlewareFunc
 		executeMiddlewareCalled := false
 		middlewareCalled := false
-		executeMiddlewareFunc = func(next http.RoundTripper, _ prometheus.Labels) http.RoundTripper {
+		executeMiddlewareFunc = func(next http.RoundTripper, _ string, _ string) http.RoundTripper {
 			executeMiddlewareCalled = true
 			return RoundTripperFunc(func(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 				middlewareCalled = true
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ func TestDataSourceMetricsMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 		require.False(t, middlewareCalled)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("With datasource name label options set should execute middleware", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("With datasource type label options set should execute middleware", func(t *testing.T) {
 		origExecuteMiddlewareFunc := executeMiddlewareFunc
 		executeMiddlewareCalled := false
 		labels := prometheus.Labels{}
 		middlewareCalled := false
-		executeMiddlewareFunc = func(next http.RoundTripper, datasourceLabel prometheus.Labels) http.RoundTripper {
+		executeMiddlewareFunc = func(next http.RoundTripper, datasourceLabel string, secureSocksProxyEnabled string) http.RoundTripper {
 			executeMiddlewareCalled = true
-			labels = datasourceLabel
+			labels = prometheus.Labels{"datasource_type": datasourceLabel, "secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled": secureSocksProxyEnabled}
 			return RoundTripperFunc(func(r *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 				middlewareCalled = true
 				return next.RoundTrip(r)
@@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ func TestDataSourceMetricsMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 			{
 				description: "secure socks ds proxy is disabled",
 				httpClientOptions: Options{
-					Labels: map[string]string{"datasource_name": "My Data Source 123", "datasource_type": "prometheus"},
+					Labels: map[string]string{"datasource_type": "prometheus"},
 				},
 				expectedSecureSocksDSProxyEnabled: "false",
 			},
 			{
 				description: "secure socks ds proxy is enabled",
 				httpClientOptions: Options{
-					Labels:       map[string]string{"datasource_name": "My Data Source 123", "datasource_type": "prometheus"},
+					Labels:       map[string]string{"datasource_type": "prometheus"},
 					ProxyOptions: &proxy.Options{Enabled: true},
 				},
 				expectedSecureSocksDSProxyEnabled: "true",
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ func TestDataSourceMetricsMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 				require.Len(t, ctx.callChain, 1)
 				require.ElementsMatch(t, []string{"finalrt"}, ctx.callChain)
 				require.True(t, executeMiddlewareCalled)
-				require.Len(t, labels, 3)
-				require.Equal(t, "My_Data_Source_123", labels["datasource"])
+				require.Len(t, labels, 2)
 				require.Equal(t, "prometheus", labels["datasource_type"])
 				require.Equal(t, tt.expectedSecureSocksDSProxyEnabled, labels["secure_socks_ds_proxy_enabled"])
 				require.True(t, middlewareCalled)