diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go b/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go
index c4cfd1bd9..249933035 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3api_bucket_handlers.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/filer"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/s3api/s3_constants"
+	stats_collect "github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/stats"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/needle"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/storage/super_block"
 
@@ -396,8 +397,9 @@ func (s3a *S3ApiServer) DeleteBucketHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Reque
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Clean up bucket-related caches and locks after successful deletion
+	// Clean up bucket-related caches, locks, and metrics after successful deletion
 	s3a.invalidateBucketConfigCache(bucket)
+	stats_collect.DeleteBucketMetrics(bucket)
 
 	s3err.WriteEmptyResponse(w, r, http.StatusNoContent)
 }
diff --git a/weed/stats/metrics.go b/weed/stats/metrics.go
index 9c3b902a3..d07b53d76 100644
--- a/weed/stats/metrics.go
+++ b/weed/stats/metrics.go
@@ -573,6 +573,26 @@ func RecordBucketActiveTime(bucket string) {
 	bucketLastActiveLock.Unlock()
 }
 
+func DeleteBucketMetrics(bucket string) {
+	bucketLastActiveLock.Lock()
+	delete(bucketLastActiveTsNs, bucket)
+	bucketLastActiveLock.Unlock()
+
+	labels := prometheus.Labels{"bucket": bucket}
+	c := S3RequestCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3RequestHistogram.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3TimeToFirstByteHistogram.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3BucketTrafficReceivedBytesCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3BucketTrafficSentBytesCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3DeletedObjectsCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3UploadedObjectsCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3BucketSizeBytesGauge.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3BucketPhysicalSizeBytesGauge.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+	c += S3BucketObjectCountGauge.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+
+	glog.V(0).Infof("delete bucket metrics, %s: %d", bucket, c)
+}
+
 func DeleteCollectionMetrics(collection string) {
 	labels := prometheus.Labels{"collection": collection}
 	c := MasterReplicaPlacementMismatch.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
@@ -605,13 +625,11 @@ func bucketMetricTTLControl() {
 
 		for _, bucket := range expiredBuckets {
 			labels := prometheus.Labels{"bucket": bucket}
-			c := S3RequestCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
-			c += S3RequestHistogram.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
+			// Only delete gauges and histograms, which represent current state.
+			// Counters (traffic, requests, objects) must persist for the process
+			// lifetime so that Prometheus rate()/increase() queries work correctly.
+			c := S3RequestHistogram.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
 			c += S3TimeToFirstByteHistogram.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
-			c += S3BucketTrafficReceivedBytesCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
-			c += S3BucketTrafficSentBytesCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
-			c += S3DeletedObjectsCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
-			c += S3UploadedObjectsCounter.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
 			c += S3BucketSizeBytesGauge.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
 			c += S3BucketPhysicalSizeBytesGauge.DeletePartialMatch(labels)
 			c += S3BucketObjectCountGauge.DeletePartialMatch(labels)