diff --git a/pkg/cvo/metrics.go b/pkg/cvo/metrics.go
index 30d04302f..d26abe427 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/metrics.go
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ func (m *operatorMetrics) Collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 			ch <- g
 		}
 
-		if len(cv.Spec.Upstream) > 0 || len(cv.Status.AvailableUpdates) > 0 || resourcemerge.IsOperatorStatusConditionTrue(cv.Status.Conditions, configv1.RetrievedUpdates) {
+		if len(cv.Spec.Channel) > 0 {
 			upstream := "<default>"
 			if len(m.optr.updateService) > 0 {
 				upstream = string(m.optr.updateService)
diff --git a/pkg/cvo/metrics_test.go b/pkg/cvo/metrics_test.go
index f12852be3..5cefc18c0 100644
--- a/pkg/cvo/metrics_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cvo/metrics_test.go
@@ -366,6 +366,9 @@ func Test_operatorMetrics_Collect(t *testing.T) {
 								Name:              "test",
 								CreationTimestamp: metav1.Time{Time: time.Unix(2, 0)},
 							},
+							Spec: configv1.ClusterVersionSpec{
+								Channel: "test-channel",
+							},
 							Status: configv1.ClusterVersionStatus{
 								AvailableUpdates: []configv1.Release{
 									{Version: "1.0.1"},
@@ -382,7 +385,7 @@ func Test_operatorMetrics_Collect(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[0], 2, map[string]string{"type": "initial", "version": "", "image": "", "from_version": ""})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[1], 2, map[string]string{"type": "cluster", "version": "", "image": "", "from_version": ""})
-				expectMetric(t, metrics[2], 2, map[string]string{"upstream": "<default>", "channel": ""})
+				expectMetric(t, metrics[2], 2, map[string]string{"upstream": "<default>", "channel": "test-channel"})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[3], 0, map[string]string{"type": "current", "version": "", "image": "", "from_version": ""})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[4], 1, map[string]string{"type": ""})
 			},
@@ -398,6 +401,9 @@ func Test_operatorMetrics_Collect(t *testing.T) {
 								Name:              "test",
 								CreationTimestamp: metav1.Time{Time: time.Unix(2, 0)},
 							},
+							Spec: configv1.ClusterVersionSpec{
+								Channel: "test-channel",
+							},
 							Status: configv1.ClusterVersionStatus{
 								Conditions: []configv1.ClusterOperatorStatusCondition{
 									{Type: configv1.RetrievedUpdates, Status: configv1.ConditionTrue, Reason: "Because stuff"},
@@ -414,7 +420,7 @@ func Test_operatorMetrics_Collect(t *testing.T) {
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[0], 2, map[string]string{"type": "initial", "version": "", "image": "", "from_version": ""})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[1], 2, map[string]string{"type": "cluster", "version": "", "image": "", "from_version": ""})
 
-				expectMetric(t, metrics[2], 0, map[string]string{"upstream": "<default>", "channel": ""})
+				expectMetric(t, metrics[2], 0, map[string]string{"upstream": "<default>", "channel": "test-channel"})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[3], 1, map[string]string{"name": "version", "condition": "RetrievedUpdates", "reason": "Because stuff"})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[4], 0, map[string]string{"type": "current", "version": "", "image": "", "from_version": ""})
 				expectMetric(t, metrics[5], 1, map[string]string{"type": ""})