diff --git a/include/xrpl/nodestore/detail/DatabaseRotatingImp.h b/include/xrpl/nodestore/detail/DatabaseRotatingImp.h
index 9262826afe..16f5440112 100644
--- a/include/xrpl/nodestore/detail/DatabaseRotatingImp.h
+++ b/include/xrpl/nodestore/detail/DatabaseRotatingImp.h
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ private:
     // counter unusable as a metric: a series that drops to 0 on every swap
     // cannot be rated. This one only ever increases, so rate() over it reads
     // correctly and the two uses do not fight over one variable.
+    //
+    // Incremented only when telemetry is compiled in, since the metrics registry
+    // is its only reader; otherwise it stays 0 and the fetch path does one atomic
+    // increment less per copy-forward.
     std::atomic<std::uint64_t> copyForwardTotal_{0};
 
     std::shared_ptr<NodeObject>
diff --git a/src/libxrpl/nodestore/DatabaseRotatingImp.cpp b/src/libxrpl/nodestore/DatabaseRotatingImp.cpp
index bece5b7d9b..a4e2e9f46d 100644
--- a/src/libxrpl/nodestore/DatabaseRotatingImp.cpp
+++ b/src/libxrpl/nodestore/DatabaseRotatingImp.cpp
@@ -227,8 +227,13 @@ DatabaseRotatingImp::fetchNodeObject(
                     // Two counters, one event: the per-rotation tally that
                     // rotate() resets for its log line, and the monotonic total
                     // the metrics gauge reads, which must never go backwards.
+                    // Only the first is needed for the log line, so the second
+                    // costs an extra atomic increment per copy-forward and is
+                    // compiled out with its only reader.
                     copyForwardCount_.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+#ifdef XRPL_ENABLE_TELEMETRY
                     copyForwardTotal_.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+#endif
                 }
                 writable->store(nodeObject);
             }