diff --git a/collector/lib/collector.rb b/collector/lib/collector.rb
index 92fe8c8..216d0d2 100644
--- a/collector/lib/collector.rb
+++ b/collector/lib/collector.rb
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ def prune_components
 
     # Generates metrics that don't require any interactions with varz or healthz
     def send_local_metrics
-      handler = Handler.handler(@historian, "collector", Config.index, Time.now.to_i)
+      # TODO: we're using an empty hash for the handler's varz, so this may cause problems if the varz
+      # provides information required for any tags (e.g. in the DEA handler).
+      handler = Handler.handler(@historian, "collector", Config.index, Time.now.to_i, {})
       handler.send_latency_metric("nats.latency.1m", @nats_latency.value)
     end
 
diff --git a/collector/spec/unit/collector_spec.rb b/collector/spec/unit/collector_spec.rb
index 5682aeb..0cb8bbd 100644
--- a/collector/spec/unit/collector_spec.rb
+++ b/collector/spec/unit/collector_spec.rb
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ def send_local_metrics
         yield handler
 
         Collector::Handler.should_receive(:handler).
-          with(kind_of(Collector::Historian), "collector", 0, 1000).
+          with(kind_of(Collector::Historian), "collector", 0, 1000, {}).
           and_return(handler)
 
         collector.send_local_metrics