diff --git a/cmd/run.go b/cmd/run.go
index ea0bfaf3..7dc4fcce 100644
--- a/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/run.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ var (
 	globalConfigFile  string
 	conf              *config.Config
 	pluginRegistry    *plugin.Registry
+	metricsServer     *http.Server
 
 	UsageReportURL = "localhost:59091"
 
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ func StopGracefully(
 	pluginTimeoutCtx context.Context,
 	sig os.Signal,
 	metricsMerger *metrics.Merger,
+	metricsServer *http.Server,
 	pluginRegistry *plugin.Registry,
 	logger zerolog.Logger,
 	servers map[string]*network.Server,
@@ -110,6 +113,16 @@ func StopGracefully(
 		logger.Info().Msg("Stopped metrics merger")
 		span.AddEvent("Stopped metrics merger")
 	}
+	if metricsServer != nil {
+		//nolint:contextcheck
+		if err := metricsServer.Shutdown(context.Background()); err != nil {
+			logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("Failed to stop metrics server")
+			span.RecordError(err)
+		} else {
+			logger.Info().Msg("Stopped metrics server")
+			span.AddEvent("Stopped metrics server")
+		}
+	}
 	for name, server := range servers {
 		logger.Info().Str("name", name).Msg("Stopping server")
 		server.Shutdown() //nolint:contextcheck
@@ -352,7 +365,14 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 						span.RecordError(err)
 						sentry.CaptureException(err)
 					}
-					next.ServeHTTP(responseWriter, request)
+					// The WriteHeader method intentionally does nothing, to prevent a bug
+					// in the merging metrics that causes the headers to be written twice,
+					// which results in an error: "http: superfluous response.WriteHeader call".
+					next.ServeHTTP(
+						&metrics.HeaderBypassResponseWriter{
+							ResponseWriter: responseWriter,
+						},
+						request)
 				}
 				return http.HandlerFunc(handler)
 			}
@@ -371,6 +391,7 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			if conf.Plugin.EnableMetricsMerger && metricsMerger != nil {
 				handler = mergedMetricsHandler(handler)
 			}
+
 			// Check if the metrics server is already running before registering the handler.
 			if _, err = http.Get(address); err != nil { //nolint:gosec
 				http.Handle(metricsConfig.Path, gziphandler.GzipHandler(handler))
@@ -379,16 +400,21 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 				span.RecordError(err)
 			}
 
-			//nolint:gosec
-			if err = http.ListenAndServe(
-				metricsConfig.Address, nil); err != nil {
+			// Create a new metrics server.
+			metricsServer = &http.Server{
+				Addr:              metricsConfig.Address,
+				Handler:           handler,
+				ReadHeaderTimeout: metricsConfig.GetReadHeaderTimeout(),
+			}
+
+			// Start the metrics server.
+			if err = metricsServer.ListenAndServe(); !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
 				logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("Failed to start metrics server")
 				span.RecordError(err)
 			}
 		}(conf.Global.Metrics[config.Default], logger)
 
 		// This is a notification hook, so we don't care about the result.
-		// TODO: Use a context with a timeout
 		if data, ok := conf.GlobalKoanf.Get("loggers").(map[string]interface{}); ok {
 			_, err = pluginRegistry.Run(
 				pluginTimeoutCtx, data, v1.HookName_HOOK_NAME_ON_NEW_LOGGER)
@@ -723,6 +749,7 @@ var runCmd = &cobra.Command{
 							pluginTimeoutCtx,
 							sig,
 							metricsMerger,
+							metricsServer,
 							pluginRegistry,
 							logger,
 							servers,
diff --git a/cmd/run_test.go b/cmd/run_test.go
index fd7ef8f0..643ac2f2 100644
--- a/cmd/run_test.go
+++ b/cmd/run_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ func Test_runCmd(t *testing.T) {
 			nil,
 			nil,
 			nil,
+			nil,
 			loggers[config.Default],
 			servers,
 			stopChan,
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ func Test_runCmdWithCachePlugin(t *testing.T) {
 			nil,
 			nil,
 			nil,
+			nil,
 			loggers[config.Default],
 			servers,
 			stopChan,
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index c1abc8d1..e2d38f9b 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -101,9 +101,10 @@ func (c *Config) LoadDefaults(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 
 	defaultMetric := Metrics{
-		Enabled: true,
-		Address: DefaultMetricsAddress,
-		Path:    DefaultMetricsPath,
+		Enabled:           true,
+		Address:           DefaultMetricsAddress,
+		Path:              DefaultMetricsPath,
+		ReadHeaderTimeout: DefaultReadHeaderTimeout,
 	}
 
 	defaultClient := Client{
diff --git a/config/constants.go b/config/constants.go
index 6c6709b7..bb7445c7 100644
--- a/config/constants.go
+++ b/config/constants.go
@@ -123,8 +123,9 @@ const (
 	ChecksumBufferSize = 65536
 
 	// Metrics constants.
-	DefaultMetricsAddress = "localhost:9090"
-	DefaultMetricsPath    = "/metrics"
+	DefaultMetricsAddress    = "localhost:9090"
+	DefaultMetricsPath       = "/metrics"
+	DefaultReadHeaderTimeout = 10 * time.Second
 
 	// Sentry constants.
 	DefaultTraceSampleRate  = 0.2
diff --git a/config/getters.go b/config/getters.go
index 2b2f6950..47900ff1 100644
--- a/config/getters.go
+++ b/config/getters.go
@@ -269,3 +269,10 @@ func GetDefaultConfigFilePath(filename string) string {
 	// The fallback is the current directory.
 	return filepath.Join("./", filename)
 }
+
+func (m Metrics) GetReadHeaderTimeout() time.Duration {
+	if m.ReadHeaderTimeout <= 0 {
+		return DefaultReadHeaderTimeout
+	}
+	return m.ReadHeaderTimeout
+}
diff --git a/config/getters_test.go b/config/getters_test.go
index 3ec6bf09..2d485c39 100644
--- a/config/getters_test.go
+++ b/config/getters_test.go
@@ -128,3 +128,9 @@ func TestGetPlugins(t *testing.T) {
 func TestGetDefaultConfigFilePath(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, GlobalConfigFilename, GetDefaultConfigFilePath(GlobalConfigFilename))
 }
+
+// TestGetReadTimeout tests the GetReadTimeout function.
+func TestGetReadHeaderTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	metrics := Metrics{}
+	assert.Equal(t, DefaultReadHeaderTimeout, metrics.GetReadHeaderTimeout())
+}
diff --git a/config/types.go b/config/types.go
index a4785e37..17bb1ae7 100644
--- a/config/types.go
+++ b/config/types.go
@@ -68,9 +68,10 @@ type Logger struct {
 }
 
 type Metrics struct {
-	Enabled bool   `json:"enabled"`
-	Address string `json:"address"`
-	Path    string `json:"path"`
+	Enabled           bool          `json:"enabled"`
+	Address           string        `json:"address"`
+	Path              string        `json:"path"`
+	ReadHeaderTimeout time.Duration `json:"readHeaderTimeout" jsonschema:"oneof_type=string;integer"`
 }
 
 type Pool struct {
diff --git a/gatewayd.yaml b/gatewayd.yaml
index 174343c2..77d5eb76 100644
--- a/gatewayd.yaml
+++ b/gatewayd.yaml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ metrics:
     enabled: True
     address: localhost:9090
     path: /metrics
+    readHeaderTimeout: 10s # duration, prevents Slowloris attacks
 
 clients:
   default:
diff --git a/metrics/utils.go b/metrics/utils.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1049c8d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metrics/utils.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package metrics
+
+import "net/http"
+
+// HeaderBypassResponseWriter implements the http.ResponseWriter interface
+// and allows us to bypass the response header when writing to the response.
+// This is useful for merging metrics from multiple sources.
+type HeaderBypassResponseWriter struct {
+	http.ResponseWriter
+}
+
+// WriteHeader intentionally does nothing, but is required to
+// implement the http.ResponseWriter.
+func (w *HeaderBypassResponseWriter) WriteHeader(int) {}
+
+// Write writes the data to the response.
+func (w *HeaderBypassResponseWriter) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
+	return w.ResponseWriter.Write(data) //nolint:wrapcheck
+}