diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/BUILD b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/BUILD
index f33f482e6e9..23b674b5554 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/BUILD
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ go_test(
         "gce_healthchecks_test.go",
         "gce_loadbalancer_external_test.go",
         "gce_test.go",
+        "metrics_test.go",
     ],
     library = ":go_default_library",
     deps = [
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_addresses.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_addresses.go
index f3bd9dea780..7e963e901bd 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_addresses.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_addresses.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package gce
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 	computealpha "google.golang.org/api/compute/v0.alpha"
@@ -26,10 +25,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func newAddressMetricContext(request, region string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"address_" + request, region, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newAddressMetricContextWithVersion(request, region, computeV1Version)
+}
+
+func newAddressMetricContextWithVersion(request, region, version string) *metricContext {
+	return newGenericMetricContext("address", request, region, unusedMetricLabel, version)
 }
 
 // ReserveGlobalAddress creates a global address.
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) ReserveRegionAddress(addr *compute.Address, region string)
 
 // ReserveAlphaRegionAddress creates an Alpha, regional address.
 func (gce *GCECloud) ReserveAlphaRegionAddress(addr *computealpha.Address, region string) error {
-	mc := newAddressMetricContext("reserve", region)
+	mc := newAddressMetricContextWithVersion("reserve", region, computeAlphaVersion)
 	op, err := gce.serviceAlpha.Addresses.Insert(gce.projectID, region, addr).Do()
 	if err != nil {
 		return mc.Observe(err)
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) GetRegionAddress(name, region string) (*compute.Address, er
 
 // GetAlphaRegionAddress returns the Alpha, regional address by name.
 func (gce *GCECloud) GetAlphaRegionAddress(name, region string) (*computealpha.Address, error) {
-	mc := newAddressMetricContext("get", region)
+	mc := newAddressMetricContextWithVersion("get", region, computeAlphaVersion)
 	v, err := gce.serviceAlpha.Addresses.Get(gce.projectID, region, name).Do()
 	return v, mc.Observe(err)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_backendservice.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_backendservice.go
index d460c6157d8..7bf3d73e0d8 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_backendservice.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_backendservice.go
@@ -18,16 +18,12 @@ package gce
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 )
 
 func newBackendServiceMetricContext(request, region string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"backendservice_" + request, region, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("backendservice", request, region, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetGlobalBackendService retrieves a backend by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_cert.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_cert.go
index 77af58bbe3c..e981fe71765 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_cert.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_cert.go
@@ -18,16 +18,12 @@ package gce
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 )
 
 func newCertMetricContext(request string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"cert_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("cert", request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetSslCertificate returns the SslCertificate by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_clusters.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_clusters.go
index 4524d483f69..dad330ca5d5 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_clusters.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_clusters.go
@@ -16,13 +16,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package gce
 
-import "time"
-
 func newClustersMetricContext(request, zone string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"clusters_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, zone},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("clusters", request, unusedMetricLabel, zone, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 func (gce *GCECloud) ListClusters() ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_disks.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_disks.go
index c916989b5ee..57ca223da73 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_disks.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_disks.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
@@ -85,10 +84,7 @@ type GCEDisk struct {
 }
 
 func newDiskMetricContext(request, zone string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"disk_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, zone},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("disk", request, unusedMetricLabel, zone, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 func (gce *GCECloud) AttachDisk(diskName string, nodeName types.NodeName, readOnly bool) error {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_firewall.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_firewall.go
index 668f2e05522..b08d3f28067 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_firewall.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_firewall.go
@@ -17,16 +17,11 @@ limitations under the License.
 package gce
 
 import (
-	"time"
-
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 )
 
 func newFirewallMetricContext(request string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"firewall_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("firewall", request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetFirewall returns the Firewall by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_forwardingrule.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_forwardingrule.go
index 8a7110da6ba..0473c44266d 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_forwardingrule.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_forwardingrule.go
@@ -17,17 +17,15 @@ limitations under the License.
 package gce
 
 import (
-	"time"
-
 	computealpha "google.golang.org/api/compute/v0.alpha"
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 )
 
 func newForwardingRuleMetricContext(request, region string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"forwardingrule_" + request, region, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newForwardingRuleMetricContextWithVersion(request, region, computeV1Version)
+}
+func newForwardingRuleMetricContextWithVersion(request, region, version string) *metricContext {
+	return newGenericMetricContext("forwardingrule", request, region, unusedMetricLabel, version)
 }
 
 // CreateGlobalForwardingRule creates the passed GlobalForwardingRule
@@ -88,7 +86,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) GetRegionForwardingRule(name, region string) (*compute.Forw
 
 // GetAlphaRegionForwardingRule returns the Alpha forwarding rule by name & region.
 func (gce *GCECloud) GetAlphaRegionForwardingRule(name, region string) (*computealpha.ForwardingRule, error) {
-	mc := newForwardingRuleMetricContext("get", region)
+	mc := newForwardingRuleMetricContextWithVersion("get", region, computeAlphaVersion)
 	v, err := gce.serviceAlpha.ForwardingRules.Get(gce.projectID, region, name).Do()
 	return v, mc.Observe(err)
 }
@@ -116,7 +114,7 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) CreateRegionForwardingRule(rule *compute.ForwardingRule, re
 // CreateAlphaRegionForwardingRule creates and returns an Alpha
 // forwarding fule in the given region.
 func (gce *GCECloud) CreateAlphaRegionForwardingRule(rule *computealpha.ForwardingRule, region string) error {
-	mc := newForwardingRuleMetricContext("create", region)
+	mc := newForwardingRuleMetricContextWithVersion("create", region, computeAlphaVersion)
 	op, err := gce.serviceAlpha.ForwardingRules.Insert(gce.projectID, region, rule).Do()
 	if err != nil {
 		return mc.Observe(err)
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_healthchecks.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_healthchecks.go
index 9fd2989b2a6..85f077f0007 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_healthchecks.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_healthchecks.go
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package gce
 
 import (
-	"time"
-
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/master/ports"
 	utilversion "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/version"
@@ -45,10 +43,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func newHealthcheckMetricContext(request string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"healthcheck_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("healthcheck", request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetHttpHealthCheck returns the given HttpHealthCheck by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instancegroup.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instancegroup.go
index 044847ab3b4..67083224bb2 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instancegroup.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instancegroup.go
@@ -16,17 +16,10 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package gce
 
-import (
-	"time"
-
-	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
-)
+import compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 
 func newInstanceGroupMetricContext(request string, zone string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"instancegroup_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, zone},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("instancegroup", request, unusedMetricLabel, zone, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // CreateInstanceGroup creates an instance group with the given
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go
index 8d997ae9ed4..4c1c4af6c96 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_instances.go
@@ -41,10 +41,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func newInstancesMetricContext(request, zone string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"instances_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, zone},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("instances", request, unusedMetricLabel, zone, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 func splitNodesByZone(nodes []*v1.Node) map[string][]*v1.Node {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_loadbalancer.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_loadbalancer.go
index 7026df8fea1..ba2fa03cdb8 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_loadbalancer.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_loadbalancer.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/golang/glog"
 
@@ -40,10 +39,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 func newLoadBalancerMetricContext(request, region string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"loadbalancer_" + request, region, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("loadbalancer", request, region, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 type lbScheme string
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_routes.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_routes.go
index 1e0d82661b5..5f6459cd1a8 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_routes.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_routes.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"path"
-	"time"
 
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
@@ -30,10 +29,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func newRoutesMetricContext(request string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"routes_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("routes", request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 func (gce *GCECloud) ListRoutes(clusterName string) ([]*cloudprovider.Route, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetpool.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetpool.go
index 9de1f6befb9..0efe15adfc0 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetpool.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetpool.go
@@ -16,17 +16,10 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 package gce
 
-import (
-	"time"
-
-	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
-)
+import compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 
 func newTargetPoolMetricContext(request, region string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"targetpool_" + request, region, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("targetpool", request, region, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetTargetPool returns the TargetPool by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetproxy.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetproxy.go
index af5a52855d4..b92206cfc4e 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetproxy.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_targetproxy.go
@@ -18,16 +18,12 @@ package gce
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 )
 
 func newTargetProxyMetricContext(request string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"targetproxy_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("targetproxy", request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetTargetHttpProxy returns the UrlMap by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_urlmap.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_urlmap.go
index f19db2f23a7..60184ac4354 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_urlmap.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_urlmap.go
@@ -18,16 +18,12 @@ package gce
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
-	"time"
 
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 )
 
 func newUrlMapMetricContext(request string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"urlmap_" + request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("urlmap", request, unusedMetricLabel, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetUrlMap returns the UrlMap by name.
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_zones.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_zones.go
index 3179e757892..212e740893c 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_zones.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/gce_zones.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package gce
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"time"
 
 	compute "google.golang.org/api/compute/v1"
 
@@ -27,10 +26,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func newZonesMetricContext(request, region string) *metricContext {
-	return &metricContext{
-		start:      time.Now(),
-		attributes: []string{"zones_" + request, region, unusedMetricLabel},
-	}
+	return newGenericMetricContext("zones", request, region, unusedMetricLabel, computeV1Version)
 }
 
 // GetZone creates a cloudprovider.Zone of the current zone and region
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics.go
index 16536898f9b..649bd11b132 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics.go
@@ -22,21 +22,33 @@ import (
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
 )
 
+const (
+	// Version strings for recording metrics.
+	computeV1Version    = "v1"
+	computeAlphaVersion = "alpha"
+	computeBetaVersion  = "beta"
+)
+
 type apiCallMetrics struct {
 	latency *prometheus.HistogramVec
 	errors  *prometheus.CounterVec
 }
 
 var (
-	apiMetrics = registerAPIMetrics(
+	metricLabels = []string{
 		"request", // API function that is begin invoked.
 		"region",  // region (optional).
 		"zone",    // zone (optional).
-	)
+		"version", // API version.
+	}
+
+	apiMetrics = registerAPIMetrics(metricLabels...)
 )
 
 type metricContext struct {
-	start      time.Time
+	start time.Time
+	// The cardinalities of attributes and metricLabels (defined above) must
+	// match, or prometheus will panic.
 	attributes []string
 }
 
@@ -54,6 +66,13 @@ func (mc *metricContext) Observe(err error) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func newGenericMetricContext(prefix, request, region, zone, version string) *metricContext {
+	return &metricContext{
+		start:      time.Now(),
+		attributes: []string{prefix + "_" + request, region, zone, version},
+	}
+}
+
 // registerApiMetrics adds metrics definitions for a category of API calls.
 func registerAPIMetrics(attributes ...string) *apiCallMetrics {
 	metrics := &apiCallMetrics{
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics_test.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..89fde2ac4b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/gce/metrics_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2017 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package gce
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestVerifyMetricLabelCardinality(t *testing.T) {
+	mc := newGenericMetricContext("foo", "get", "us-central1", "<n/a>", "alpha")
+	assert.Len(t, mc.attributes, len(metricLabels), "cardinalities of labels and values must match")
+}