diff --git a/pkg/kubelet/metrics/metrics.go b/pkg/kubelet/metrics/metrics.go
index d47d5ac0a6e..da8d55569ee 100644
--- a/pkg/kubelet/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/kubelet/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ const (
 	VolumeStatsInodesKey         = "volume_stats_inodes"
 	VolumeStatsInodesFreeKey     = "volume_stats_inodes_free"
 	VolumeStatsInodesUsedKey     = "volume_stats_inodes_used"
+	RunningPodsKey               = "running_pods"
+	RunningContainersKey         = "running_containers"
 	// Metrics keys of remote runtime operations
 	RuntimeOperationsKey         = "runtime_operations_total"
 	RuntimeOperationsDurationKey = "runtime_operations_duration_seconds"
@@ -362,7 +364,7 @@ var (
 	RunningPodCount = metrics.NewGauge(
 		&metrics.GaugeOpts{
 			Subsystem:      KubeletSubsystem,
-			Name:           "running_pods",
+			Name:           RunningPodsKey,
 			Help:           "Number of pods currently running",
 			StabilityLevel: metrics.ALPHA,
 		},
@@ -371,7 +373,7 @@ var (
 	RunningContainerCount = metrics.NewGaugeVec(
 		&metrics.GaugeOpts{
 			Subsystem:      KubeletSubsystem,
-			Name:           "running_containers",
+			Name:           RunningContainersKey,
 			Help:           "Number of containers currently running",
 			StabilityLevel: metrics.ALPHA,
 		},