diff --git a/gateway/src/main.rs b/gateway/src/main.rs
index 0de8598f7..89a7e7bb0 100644
--- a/gateway/src/main.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/main.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
-use tracing::{debug, error, field, info, info_span, trace, warn, Instrument, Span};
+use tracing::{debug, error, info, info_span, trace, warn, Instrument};
 
 #[tokio::main(flavor = "multi_thread")]
 async fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
@@ -98,11 +98,10 @@ async fn start(db: SqlitePool, fs: PathBuf, args: StartArgs) -> io::Result<()> {
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                if let Ok(projects) = gateway.iter_projects().await {
+                if let Ok(projects) = gateway.iter_projects_ready().await {
                     let span = info_span!(
                         "running health checks",
-                        healthcheck.num_projects = projects.len(),
-                        healthcheck.active_projects = field::Empty,
+                        healthcheck.active_projects = projects.len(),
                     );
 
                     let gateway = gateway.clone();
@@ -117,11 +116,6 @@ async fn start(db: SqlitePool, fs: PathBuf, args: StartArgs) -> io::Result<()> {
                                 handle.await
                             }
                         }
-
-                        let active_projects =
-                            gateway.count_ready_projects().await.unwrap_or_default();
-                        let span = Span::current();
-                        span.record("healthcheck.active_projects", active_projects);
                     }
                     .instrument(span)
                     .await;
diff --git a/gateway/src/service.rs b/gateway/src/service.rs
index 70f84a6cd..0c93664b1 100644
--- a/gateway/src/service.rs
+++ b/gateway/src/service.rs
@@ -334,6 +334,18 @@ impl GatewayService {
         Ok(iter)
     }
 
+    /// Only get an iterator for the projects that are ready
+    pub async fn iter_projects_ready(
+        &self,
+    ) -> Result<impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = (ProjectName, AccountName)>, Error> {
+        let iter = query("SELECT project_name, account_name FROM projects, JSON_EACH(project_state) WHERE key = 'ready'")
+            .fetch_all(&self.db)
+            .await?
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|row| (row.get("project_name"), row.get("account_name")));
+        Ok(iter)
+    }
+
     pub async fn iter_cch_projects(
         &self,
     ) -> Result<impl ExactSizeIterator<Item = ProjectName>, Error> {