diff --git a/api/api_controller.go b/api/api_controller.go
index 2d7157e6558..96e58336ee2 100644
--- a/api/api_controller.go
+++ b/api/api_controller.go
@@ -249,17 +249,6 @@ func (c *Controller) SetupLakeFSHandler() setupop.SetupLakeFSHandler {
 				})
 		}
 
-		// write metadata
-		metadata, err := c.deps.Meta.Write()
-		if err != nil {
-			return setupop.NewSetupLakeFSDefault(http.StatusInternalServerError).
-				WithPayload(&models.Error{
-					Message: err.Error(),
-				})
-		}
-
-		c.deps.Collector.SetInstallationID(metadata["installation_id"])
-		c.deps.Collector.CollectMetadata(metadata)
 		c.deps.Collector.CollectEvent("global", "init")
 
 		// setup admin user
diff --git a/api/handler_test.go b/api/handler_test.go
index d37b3dd1382..c441863b7c6 100644
--- a/api/handler_test.go
+++ b/api/handler_test.go
@@ -71,8 +71,6 @@ func createDefaultAdminUser(authService auth.Service, t *testing.T) *authmodel.C
 
 type mockCollector struct{}
 
-func (m *mockCollector) SetInstallationID(_ string) {}
-
 func (m *mockCollector) CollectMetadata(_ map[string]string) {}
 
 func (m *mockCollector) CollectEvent(_, _ string) {}
diff --git a/auth/metadata.go b/auth/metadata.go
index 1caebff4fcf..f659066c0a8 100644
--- a/auth/metadata.go
+++ b/auth/metadata.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
@@ -12,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 type MetadataManager interface {
-	InstallationID() (string, error)
 	SetupTimestamp() (time.Time, error)
 	UpdateSetupTimestamp(time.Time) error
 	Write() (map[string]string, error)
@@ -35,6 +33,23 @@ func NewDBMetadataManager(version string, database db.Database) *DBMetadataManag
 	}
 }
 
+func insertOrGetInstallationID(tx db.Tx) (string, error) {
+	newInstallationID := uuid.New().String()
+	res, err := tx.Exec(`INSERT INTO auth_installation_metadata (key_name, key_value)
+			VALUES ($1,$2)
+			ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING`,
+		InstallationIDKeyName, newInstallationID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if affected, err := res.RowsAffected(); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	} else if affected == 1 {
+		return newInstallationID, nil
+	}
+	return getInstallationID(tx)
+}
+
 func getInstallationID(tx db.Tx) (string, error) {
 	var installationID string
 	err := tx.Get(&installationID, `SELECT key_value FROM auth_installation_metadata WHERE key_name = $1`,
@@ -66,16 +81,6 @@ func writeMetadata(tx sqlx.Execer, items map[string]string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (d *DBMetadataManager) InstallationID() (string, error) {
-	installationID, err := d.db.Transact(func(tx db.Tx) (interface{}, error) {
-		return getInstallationID(tx)
-	}, db.WithLogger(logging.Dummy()), db.ReadOnly())
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return installationID.(string), nil
-}
-
 func (d *DBMetadataManager) UpdateSetupTimestamp(ts time.Time) error {
 	_, err := d.db.Transact(func(tx db.Tx) (interface{}, error) {
 		return nil, writeMetadata(tx, map[string]string{
@@ -107,25 +112,24 @@ func (d *DBMetadataManager) Write() (map[string]string, error) {
 			metadata[k] = v
 		}
 	}
-
-	// see if we have existing metadata or we need to generate one
 	_, err = d.db.Transact(func(tx db.Tx) (interface{}, error) {
-		// get installation ID - if we don't have one we'll generate one
-		_, err := getInstallationID(tx)
-		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, db.ErrNotFound) {
+		// write metadata
+		err = writeMetadata(tx, metadata)
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-
-		if err != nil { // i.e. err is db.ErrNotFound
-			// we don't have an installation ID - let's write one.
-			installationID := uuid.Must(uuid.NewUUID()).String()
-			metadata["installation_id"] = installationID
-			metadata["setup_time"] = time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
+		// write installation id
+		installationID, err := insertOrGetInstallationID(tx)
+		if err == nil {
+			metadata[InstallationIDKeyName] = installationID
 		}
 
-		err = writeMetadata(tx, metadata)
-		return nil, err
+		// get setup timestamp
+		setupTS, err := getSetupTimestamp(tx)
+		if err == nil {
+			metadata[SetupTimestampKeyName] = setupTS.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
+		}
+		return nil, nil
 	}, db.WithLogger(logging.Dummy()))
-
 	return metadata, err
 }
diff --git a/cmd/lakefs/cmd/init.go b/cmd/lakefs/cmd/init.go
index 5379f5ff185..aac1c7c6ded 100644
--- a/cmd/lakefs/cmd/init.go
+++ b/cmd/lakefs/cmd/init.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ var initCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		ctx, cancelFn := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 		processID, bufferedCollectorArgs := cfg.GetStatsBufferedCollectorArgs()
-		stats := stats.NewBufferedCollector(metadata["installation_id"], processID, bufferedCollectorArgs...)
+		stats := stats.NewBufferedCollector(metadata[auth.InstallationIDKeyName], processID, bufferedCollectorArgs...)
 		go stats.Run(ctx)
 		stats.CollectMetadata(metadata)
 		stats.CollectEvent("global", "init")
diff --git a/cmd/lakefs/cmd/run.go b/cmd/lakefs/cmd/run.go
index e9e4f411de8..8afa7c37ca1 100644
--- a/cmd/lakefs/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/lakefs/cmd/run.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"math/rand"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
@@ -78,12 +77,17 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		meta := auth.NewDBMetadataManager(config.Version, dbPool)
 
-		installationID, err := meta.InstallationID()
+		processID, bufferedCollectorArgs := cfg.GetStatsBufferedCollectorArgs()
+
+		// collect and write metadata
+		metadata, err := meta.Write()
 		if err != nil {
-			installationID = "" // no installation ID is available
+			logger.WithError(err).Debug("failed to collect account metadata")
 		}
-		processID, bufferedCollectorArgs := cfg.GetStatsBufferedCollectorArgs()
-		stats := stats.NewBufferedCollector(installationID, processID, bufferedCollectorArgs...)
+
+		stats := stats.NewBufferedCollector(metadata[auth.InstallationIDKeyName], processID, bufferedCollectorArgs...)
+		// send metadata
+		stats.CollectMetadata(metadata)
 
 		dedupCleaner := dedup.NewCleaner(blockStore, cataloger.DedupReportChannel())
 		defer func() {
@@ -122,22 +126,8 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		ctx, cancelFn := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 		go stats.Run(ctx)
-		stats.CollectEvent("global", "run")
 
-		// stagger a bit and update metadata
-		go func() {
-			// avoid a thundering herd in case we have many lakeFS instances starting together
-			const maxSplay = 10 * time.Second
-			randSource := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano())) //nolint:gosec
-			time.Sleep(time.Duration(randSource.Intn(int(maxSplay))))
-
-			metadata, err := meta.Write()
-			if err != nil {
-				logger.WithError(err).Trace("failed to collect account metadata")
-				return
-			}
-			stats.CollectMetadata(metadata)
-		}()
+		stats.CollectEvent("global", "run")
 
 		logging.Default().WithField("listen_address", cfg.GetListenAddress()).Info("starting HTTP server")
 		server := &http.Server{
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index b73d020720f..59e0f727d28 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -299,9 +299,11 @@ func (c *Config) GetStatsFlushInterval() time.Duration {
 }
 
 func (c *Config) GetStatsBufferedCollectorArgs() (processID string, opts []stats.BufferedCollectorOpts) {
-	sender := stats.NewDummySender()
+	var sender stats.Sender
 	if c.GetStatsEnabled() && Version != UnreleasedVersion {
 		sender = stats.NewHTTPSender(c.GetStatsAddress(), time.Now)
+	} else {
+		sender = stats.NewDummySender()
 	}
 	return uuid.Must(uuid.NewUUID()).String(),
 		[]stats.BufferedCollectorOpts{
diff --git a/gateway/playback_test.go b/gateway/playback_test.go
index 4d4e6c8a0af..7fe82a94d38 100644
--- a/gateway/playback_test.go
+++ b/gateway/playback_test.go
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	os.Exit(code)
 }
 
-func (m *mockCollector) SetInstallationID(installationID string) {}
-
 func (m *mockCollector) CollectMetadata(accountMetadata map[string]string) {}
 
 func (m *mockCollector) CollectEvent(class, action string) {}
diff --git a/loadtest/local_load_test.go b/loadtest/local_load_test.go
index 489f841ba87..4248fc2997d 100644
--- a/loadtest/local_load_test.go
+++ b/loadtest/local_load_test.go
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 
 type mockCollector struct{}
 
-func (m *mockCollector) SetInstallationID(_ string) {}
-
 func (m *mockCollector) CollectMetadata(_ map[string]string) {}
 
 func (m *mockCollector) CollectEvent(_, _ string) {}
diff --git a/stats/collector.go b/stats/collector.go
index b4fb119731f..6197dbee34e 100644
--- a/stats/collector.go
+++ b/stats/collector.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package stats
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/treeverse/lakefs/logging"
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ const (
 )
 
 type Collector interface {
-	SetInstallationID(installationID string)
 	CollectEvent(class, action string)
 	CollectMetadata(accountMetadata map[string]string)
 }
@@ -79,7 +77,6 @@ type BufferedCollector struct {
 	sendTimeout    time.Duration
 	flushTicker    FlushTicker
 	done           chan bool
-	mutex          *sync.RWMutex
 	installationID string
 	processID      string
 }
@@ -125,7 +122,6 @@ func NewBufferedCollector(installationID, processID string, opts ...BufferedColl
 		sendTimeout:    DefaultSendTimeout,
 		flushTicker:    &TimeTicker{ticker: time.NewTicker(DefaultFlushInterval)},
 		installationID: installationID,
-		mutex:          &sync.RWMutex{},
 		processID:      processID,
 	}
 
@@ -136,8 +132,6 @@ func NewBufferedCollector(installationID, processID string, opts ...BufferedColl
 	return s
 }
 func (s *BufferedCollector) getInstallationID() string {
-	s.mutex.RLock()
-	defer s.mutex.RUnlock()
 	return s.installationID
 }
 
@@ -207,12 +201,6 @@ func makeMetrics(counters keyIndex) []Metric {
 	return metrics
 }
 
-func (s *BufferedCollector) SetInstallationID(installationID string) {
-	s.mutex.Lock()
-	defer s.mutex.Unlock()
-	s.installationID = installationID
-}
-
 func (s *BufferedCollector) CollectMetadata(accountMetadata map[string]string) {
 	entries := make([]MetadataEntry, len(accountMetadata))
 	i := 0