diff --git a/cmd/bootstrap/main.go b/cmd/bootstrap/main.go
index 45b371a1c..c2ddd6e97 100644
--- a/cmd/bootstrap/main.go
+++ b/cmd/bootstrap/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"storj.io/storj/internal/fpath"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/cfgstruct"
@@ -71,7 +72,11 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func cmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
-	return cfg.Server.Run(process.Ctx(cmd), nil, cfg.Kademlia)
+	ctx := process.Ctx(cmd)
+	if err := process.InitMetricsWithCertPath(ctx, nil, cfg.Identity.CertPath); err != nil {
+		zap.S().Errorf("Failed to initialize telemetry batcher: %+v", err)
+	}
+	return cfg.Server.Run(ctx, nil, cfg.Kademlia)
 }
 
 func cmdSetup(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
diff --git a/cmd/captplanet/run.go b/cmd/captplanet/run.go
index 0447aa657..7e5389144 100644
--- a/cmd/captplanet/run.go
+++ b/cmd/captplanet/run.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/alicebob/miniredis"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/zeebo/errs"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/auth/grpcauth"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/cfgstruct"
@@ -42,6 +43,10 @@ func cmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	ctx := process.Ctx(cmd)
 	defer mon.Task()(&ctx)(&err)
 
+	if err := process.InitMetrics(ctx, nil, ""); err != nil {
+		zap.S().Errorf("Failed to initialize telemetry batcher: %+v", err)
+	}
+
 	errch := make(chan error, len(runCfg.StorageNodes)+2)
 	// start mini redis
 	m := miniredis.NewMiniRedis()
diff --git a/cmd/satellite/main.go b/cmd/satellite/main.go
index 54db7b04e..31721550e 100644
--- a/cmd/satellite/main.go
+++ b/cmd/satellite/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/zeebo/errs"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"storj.io/storj/internal/fpath"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/audit"
@@ -127,6 +128,9 @@ func cmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return errs.New("Error creating tables for master database on satellite: %+v", err)
 	}
+	if err := process.InitMetricsWithCertPath(ctx, nil, runCfg.Identity.CertPath); err != nil {
+		zap.S().Errorf("Failed to initialize telemetry batcher: %+v", err)
+	}
 
 	//nolint ignoring context rules to not create cyclic dependency, will be removed later
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "masterdb", database)
diff --git a/cmd/storagenode/main.go b/cmd/storagenode/main.go
index 6001d52c1..ccac15d57 100644
--- a/cmd/storagenode/main.go
+++ b/cmd/storagenode/main.go
@@ -118,8 +118,12 @@ func cmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	} else {
 		zap.S().Info("Operator wallet: ", operatorConfig.Wallet)
 	}
+	ctx := process.Ctx(cmd)
+	if err := process.InitMetricsWithCertPath(ctx, nil, runCfg.Identity.CertPath); err != nil {
+		zap.S().Error("Failed to initialize telemetry batcher:", err)
+	}
 
-	return runCfg.Server.Run(process.Ctx(cmd), nil, runCfg.Kademlia, runCfg.Storage)
+	return runCfg.Server.Run(ctx, nil, runCfg.Kademlia, runCfg.Storage)
 }
 
 func cmdSetup(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
diff --git a/cmd/uplink/cmd/mount.go b/cmd/uplink/cmd/mount.go
index abcf8f09f..f3bf5bcd7 100644
--- a/cmd/uplink/cmd/mount.go
+++ b/cmd/uplink/cmd/mount.go
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ func mountBucket(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if err := process.InitMetricsWithCertPath(ctx, nil, cfg.Identity.CertPath); err != nil {
+		zap.S().Errorf("Failed to initialize telemetry batcher: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	src, err := fpath.New(args[0])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/cmd/uplink/cmd/run.go b/cmd/uplink/cmd/run.go
index 445ba4130..f50065be6 100644
--- a/cmd/uplink/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/uplink/cmd/run.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/process"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/storj"
@@ -51,6 +52,9 @@ func cmdRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to contact Satellite.\n"+
 			"Perhaps your configuration is invalid?\n%s", err)
 	}
+	if err := process.InitMetricsWithCertPath(ctx, nil, cfg.Identity.CertPath); err != nil {
+		zap.S().Errorf("Failed to initialize telemetry batcher: %v", err)
+	}
 
-	return cfg.Run(process.Ctx(cmd))
+	return cfg.Run(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/identity/identity.go b/pkg/identity/identity.go
index 8222647a7..97e1cb535 100644
--- a/pkg/identity/identity.go
+++ b/pkg/identity/identity.go
@@ -158,6 +158,27 @@ func PeerIdentityFromContext(ctx context.Context) (*PeerIdentity, error) {
 	return PeerIdentityFromPeer(p)
 }
 
+// NodeIDFromCertPath loads a node ID from a certificate file path
+func NodeIDFromCertPath(certPath string) (storj.NodeID, error) {
+	certBytes, err := ioutil.ReadFile(certPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return storj.NodeID{}, err
+	}
+	return NodeIDFromPEM(certBytes)
+}
+
+// NodeIDFromPEM loads a node ID from certificate bytes
+func NodeIDFromPEM(pemBytes []byte) (storj.NodeID, error) {
+	chain, err := DecodeAndParseChainPEM(pemBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		return storj.NodeID{}, Error.New("invalid identity certificate")
+	}
+	if len(chain) < peertls.CAIndex+1 {
+		return storj.NodeID{}, Error.New("no CA in identity certificate")
+	}
+	return NodeIDFromKey(chain[peertls.CAIndex].PublicKey)
+}
+
 // NodeIDFromKey hashes a public key and creates a node ID from it
 func NodeIDFromKey(k crypto.PublicKey) (storj.NodeID, error) {
 	if ek, ok := k.(*ecdsa.PublicKey); ok {
diff --git a/pkg/process/exec_conf.go b/pkg/process/exec_conf.go
index d87618e2b..162d3366c 100644
--- a/pkg/process/exec_conf.go
+++ b/pkg/process/exec_conf.go
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	monkit "gopkg.in/spacemonkeygo/monkit.v2"
-
-	"storj.io/storj/pkg/telemetry"
 )
 
 // ExecuteWithConfig runs a Cobra command with the provided default config
@@ -203,12 +201,6 @@ func cleanup(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 			logger.Sugar().Infof("Invalid configuration file value for key: %s", key)
 		}
 
-		err = initMetrics(ctx, monkit.Default,
-			telemetry.DefaultInstanceID())
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Error("failed to configure telemetry", zap.Error(err))
-		}
-
 		err = initDebug(logger, monkit.Default)
 		if err != nil {
 			logger.Error("failed to start debug endpoints", zap.Error(err))
diff --git a/pkg/process/metrics.go b/pkg/process/metrics.go
index 8462b7fc2..886fcba75 100644
--- a/pkg/process/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/process/metrics.go
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import (
 
 	hw "github.com/jtolds/monkit-hw"
 	"github.com/zeebo/admission/admproto"
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
 	"gopkg.in/spacemonkeygo/monkit.v2"
 	"gopkg.in/spacemonkeygo/monkit.v2/environment"
 
+	"storj.io/storj/pkg/identity"
 	"storj.io/storj/pkg/telemetry"
 )
 
@@ -28,11 +30,19 @@ var (
 		"application suffix")
 )
 
-func initMetrics(ctx context.Context, r *monkit.Registry, instanceID string) (
+// InitMetrics initializes telemetry reporting. Makes a telemetry.Client and calls
+// its Run() method in a goroutine.
+func InitMetrics(ctx context.Context, r *monkit.Registry, instanceID string) (
 	err error) {
 	if *metricCollector == "" || *metricInterval == 0 {
 		return Error.New("telemetry disabled")
 	}
+	if r == nil {
+		r = monkit.Default
+	}
+	if instanceID == "" {
+		instanceID = telemetry.DefaultInstanceID()
+	}
 	c, err := telemetry.NewClient(*metricCollector, telemetry.ClientOpts{
 		Interval:      *metricInterval,
 		Application:   *metricApp + *metricAppSuffix,
@@ -48,3 +58,17 @@ func initMetrics(ctx context.Context, r *monkit.Registry, instanceID string) (
 	go c.Run(ctx)
 	return nil
 }
+
+// InitMetricsWithCertPath initializes telemetry reporting, using the node ID
+// corresponding to the given certificate as the telemetry instance ID.
+func InitMetricsWithCertPath(ctx context.Context, r *monkit.Registry, certPath string) error {
+	var metricsID string
+	nodeID, err := identity.NodeIDFromCertPath(certPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		zap.S().Errorf("Could not read identity for telemetry setup: %v", err)
+		metricsID = "" // InitMetrics() will fill in a default value
+	} else {
+		metricsID = nodeID.String()
+	}
+	return InitMetrics(ctx, r, metricsID)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/client.go b/pkg/telemetry/client.go
index 735a6d7b7..21dd20337 100644
--- a/pkg/telemetry/client.go
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/client.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func NewClient(remoteAddr string, opts ClientOpts) (rv *Client, err error) {
 
 // Run calls Report roughly every Interval
 func (c *Client) Run(ctx context.Context) {
+	zap.S().Debugf("Initialized telemetry batcher with id = %q", c.opts.InstanceId)
 	for {
 		time.Sleep(jitter(c.interval))
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {