diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http1xClientConnection.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http1xClientConnection.java
index 9250a3b87bf..84f6de6e32c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http1xClientConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http1xClientConnection.java
@@ -238,8 +238,13 @@ private void beginRequest(Stream stream, HttpRequestHead request, boolean chunke
     synchronized (this) {
       responses.add(stream);
       this.isConnect = connect;
-      if (this.metrics != null) {
-        stream.metric = this.metrics.requestBegin(request.uri, request);
+      if (metrics != null) {
+        Object metric = stream.metric;
+        if (metric != null) {
+          metrics.requestBegin(metric, request.uri, request);
+        } else {
+          stream.metric = metrics.requestBegin(request.uri, request);
+        }
       }
       VertxTracer tracer = context.tracer();
       if (tracer != null) {
@@ -364,10 +369,11 @@ private abstract static class Stream {
     private long bytesWritten;
     private long readWindow;
 
-    Stream(Http1xClientConnection conn, ContextInternal context, int id) {
+    Stream(Http1xClientConnection conn, ContextInternal context, Object metric, int id) {
       this.conn = conn;
       this.context = context;
       this.id = id;
+      this.metric = metric;
       this.promise = context.promise();
     }
 
@@ -430,8 +436,8 @@ private static class StreamImpl extends Stream implements HttpClientStream {
     private Handler<Throwable> exceptionHandler;
     private Handler<Void> closeHandler;
 
-    StreamImpl(ContextInternal context, Http1xClientConnection conn, int id) {
-      super(conn, context, id);
+    StreamImpl(ContextInternal context, Http1xClientConnection conn, Object metric, int id) {
+      super(conn, context, metric, id);
 
       this.queue = new InboundBuffer<>(context, 5)
         .handler(item -> {
@@ -1301,7 +1307,13 @@ public void createStream(ContextInternal context, Handler<AsyncResult<HttpClient
         if (closed) {
           stream = null;
         } else {
-          stream = new StreamImpl(context, this, seq++);
+          Object metric;
+          if (metrics != null) {
+            metric = metrics.init();
+          } else {
+            metric = null;
+          }
+          stream = new StreamImpl(context, this, metric, seq++);
           requests.add(stream);
           if (requests.size() == 1) {
             stream.promise.complete(stream);
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http2ClientConnection.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http2ClientConnection.java
index 7cd01767505..666af8a1392 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http2ClientConnection.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/Http2ClientConnection.java
@@ -172,7 +172,13 @@ public Future<HttpClientRequest> createRequest(ContextInternal context) {
   }
 
   private StreamImpl createStream(ContextInternal context) {
-    return new StreamImpl(this, context, false);
+    Object metric;
+    if (metrics != null) {
+      metric = metrics.init();
+    } else {
+      metric = null;
+    }
+    return new StreamImpl(this, context, metric, false);
   }
 
   private void recycle() {
@@ -214,7 +220,7 @@ public synchronized void onPushPromiseRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, int stream
       Handler<HttpClientPush> pushHandler = stream.pushHandler;
       if (pushHandler != null) {
         Http2Stream promisedStream = handler.connection().stream(promisedStreamId);
-        StreamImpl pushStream = new StreamImpl(this, context, true);
+        StreamImpl pushStream = new StreamImpl(this, context, null, true);
         pushStream.init(promisedStream);
         HttpClientPush push = new HttpClientPush(headers, pushStream);
         if (metrics != null) {
@@ -254,10 +260,11 @@ static abstract class Stream extends VertxHttp2Stream<Http2ClientConnection> {
     protected long writeWindow;
     protected final long windowSize;
 
-    Stream(Http2ClientConnection conn, ContextInternal context, boolean push) {
+    Stream(Http2ClientConnection conn, ContextInternal context, Object metric, boolean push) {
       super(conn, context);
 
       this.push = push;
+      this.metric = metric;
       this.windowSize = conn.getWindowSize();
     }
 
@@ -411,8 +418,8 @@ void onClose() {
 
   static class StreamImpl extends Stream implements HttpClientStream {
 
-    StreamImpl(Http2ClientConnection conn, ContextInternal context, boolean push) {
-      super(conn, context, push);
+    StreamImpl(Http2ClientConnection conn, ContextInternal context, Object metric, boolean push) {
+      super(conn, context, metric, push);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -636,7 +643,12 @@ private Http2Exception createStream(HttpRequestHead head, Http2Headers headers)
       }
       init(stream);
       if (conn.metrics != null) {
-        metric = conn.metrics.requestBegin(headers.path().toString(), head);
+        Object m = metric;
+        if (m != null) {
+          conn.metrics.requestBegin(m, headers.path().toString(), head);
+        } else {
+          metric = conn.metrics.requestBegin(headers.path().toString(), head);
+        }
       }
       VertxTracer tracer = context.tracer();
       if (tracer != null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestBase.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestBase.java
index 93814449c72..33a6d2fe3a8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestBase.java
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 /**
  * @author <a href="mailto:julien@julienviet.com">Julien Viet</a>
  */
-public abstract class HttpClientRequestBase implements HttpClientRequest {
+public abstract class HttpClientRequestBase implements HttpClientRequestInternal {
 
   protected final ContextInternal context;
   protected final HttpClientStream stream;
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ protected String authority() {
     }
   }
 
+  public Object metric() {
+    return stream.metric();
+  }
+
   @Override
   public int streamId() {
     return stream.id();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestInternal.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestInternal.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f0de77f4017
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestInternal.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2025 Contributors to the Eclipse Foundation
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0 which is available at
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0, or the Apache License, Version 2.0
+ * which is available at https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0 OR Apache-2.0
+ */
+package io.vertx.core.http.impl;
+
+import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientRequest;
+import io.vertx.core.spi.metrics.ClientMetrics;
+
+/**
+ * Extends to expose internal methods that are necessary for integration.
+ *
+ * @author <a href="mailto:julien@julienviet.com">Julien Viet</a>
+ */
+public interface HttpClientRequestInternal extends HttpClientRequest {
+
+  /**
+   * @return the request metric obtained from {@link ClientMetrics} for this request
+   */
+  Object metric();
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/ClientMetrics.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/ClientMetrics.java
index ced4c133018..5f07cafc45b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/ClientMetrics.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/ClientMetrics.java
@@ -31,6 +31,31 @@ default T enqueueRequest() {
   default void dequeueRequest(T taskMetric) {
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Create a request metric instance, when the implementation
+   *
+   * <ul>
+   *   <li>returns {@code null}, {@link #requestBegin(String, Object)} is called (backward compatibility mode)</li>
+   *   <li>returns a non-null value, {@link #requestBegin(Object, String, Object)} is called with the returned request
+   *   metric instance</li>
+   * </ul>
+   *
+   * @return a newly created request metric
+   */
+  default M init() {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Called when a client request begins and {@link #init()} has returned a non-null value.
+   *
+   * @param requestMetric the request metric
+   * @param uri an arbitrary uri
+   * @param request the request object
+   */
+  default void requestBegin(M requestMetric, String uri, Req request) {
+  }
+
   /**
    * Called when a client request begins. Vert.x will invoke {@link #requestEnd} when the request
    * has ended or {@link #requestReset} if the request/response has failed before.
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpMetricsTestBase.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpMetricsTestBase.java
index 37adad1c09b..37deac62dd8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpMetricsTestBase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpMetricsTestBase.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import io.vertx.core.VertxOptions;
 import io.vertx.core.buffer.Buffer;
 import io.vertx.core.http.impl.HttpClientImpl;
+import io.vertx.core.http.impl.HttpClientRequestInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.http.impl.HttpServerRequestInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.impl.VertxInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.metrics.MetricsOptions;
@@ -191,6 +192,15 @@ public void testHttpMetricsLifecycle() throws Exception {
 
   @Test
   public void testHttpClientLifecycle() throws Exception {
+    testHttpClientLifecycle(false);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testHttpClientLifecycleWithInit() throws Exception {
+    testHttpClientLifecycle(true);
+  }
+
+  public void testHttpClientLifecycle(boolean implementInit) throws Exception {
 
     // The test cannot pass for HTTP/2 upgrade for now
     HttpClientOptions opts = createBaseClientOptions();
@@ -228,6 +238,7 @@ public void testHttpClientLifecycle() throws Exception {
     });
     startServer(testAddress);
     FakeHttpClientMetrics clientMetrics = FakeMetricsBase.getMetrics(client);
+    clientMetrics.setImplementInit(implementInit);
     CountDownLatch responseBeginLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
     CountDownLatch responseEndLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
     Future<HttpClientRequest> request = client.request(new RequestOptions()
@@ -235,6 +246,9 @@ public void testHttpClientLifecycle() throws Exception {
       .setPort(HttpTestBase.DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT)
       .setHost("localhost")
       .setURI("/somepath")).onComplete(onSuccess(req -> {
+      if (implementInit) {
+        assertNotNull(((HttpClientRequestInternal)req).metric());
+      }
       req
         .response(onSuccess(resp -> {
           responseBeginLatch.countDown();
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/EndpointMetric.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/EndpointMetric.java
index a92ca427529..b7f9449d151 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/EndpointMetric.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/EndpointMetric.java
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ public class EndpointMetric implements ClientMetrics<HttpClientMetric, Void, Htt
   public final AtomicInteger connectionCount = new AtomicInteger();
   public final AtomicInteger requestCount = new AtomicInteger();
   public final ConcurrentMap<HttpRequest, HttpClientMetric> requests = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+  private final boolean implementInit;
 
-  public EndpointMetric() {
+  public EndpointMetric(boolean implementInit) {
+    this.implementInit = implementInit;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -45,12 +47,36 @@ public void dequeueRequest(Void taskMetric) {
     queueSize.decrementAndGet();
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public HttpClientMetric init() {
+    if (implementInit) {
+      return new HttpClientMetric(this);
+    } else {
+      return ClientMetrics.super.init();
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void requestBegin(HttpClientMetric requestMetric, String uri, HttpRequest request) {
+    if (implementInit) {
+      requestCount.incrementAndGet();
+      requestMetric.request.set(request);
+      requests.put(request, requestMetric);
+    } else {
+      ClientMetrics.super.requestBegin(requestMetric, uri, request);
+    }
+  }
+
   @Override
   public HttpClientMetric requestBegin(String uri, HttpRequest request) {
-    requestCount.incrementAndGet();
-    HttpClientMetric metric = new HttpClientMetric(this, request);
-    requests.put(request, metric);
-    return metric;
+    if (implementInit) {
+      return null;
+    } else {
+      requestCount.incrementAndGet();
+      HttpClientMetric metric = new HttpClientMetric(this, request);
+      requests.put(request, metric);
+      return metric;
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -84,13 +110,13 @@ public void requestReset(HttpClientMetric requestMetric) {
     }
     requestCount.decrementAndGet();
     requestMetric.failed.set(true);
-    requests.remove(requestMetric.request);
+    requests.remove(requestMetric.request.get());
   }
 
   @Override
   public void responseEnd(HttpClientMetric requestMetric, long bytesRead) {
     requestMetric.bytesRead.set(bytesRead);
     requestCount.decrementAndGet();
-    requests.remove(requestMetric.request);
+    requests.remove(requestMetric.request.get());
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/FakeHttpClientMetrics.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/FakeHttpClientMetrics.java
index ae9fbbb9c9b..0245d184053 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/FakeHttpClientMetrics.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/FakeHttpClientMetrics.java
@@ -34,11 +34,16 @@ public class FakeHttpClientMetrics extends FakeTCPMetrics implements HttpClientM
   private final String name;
   private final ConcurrentMap<WebSocketBase, WebSocketMetric> webSockets = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
   private final ConcurrentMap<SocketAddress, EndpointMetric> endpoints = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+  private volatile boolean implementInit = false;
 
   public FakeHttpClientMetrics(String name) {
     this.name = name;
   }
 
+  public void setImplementInit(boolean implementInit) {
+    this.implementInit = implementInit;
+  }
+
   public WebSocketMetric getMetric(WebSocket ws) {
     return webSockets.get(ws);
   }
@@ -83,7 +88,7 @@ public Integer connectionCount(String name) {
 
   @Override
   public ClientMetrics<HttpClientMetric, Void, HttpRequest, HttpResponse> createEndpointMetrics(SocketAddress remoteAddress, int maxPoolSize) {
-    EndpointMetric metric = new EndpointMetric() {
+    EndpointMetric metric = new EndpointMetric(implementInit) {
       @Override
       public void close() {
         endpoints.remove(remoteAddress);
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/HttpClientMetric.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/HttpClientMetric.java
index 75ff5187b90..23efce44f98 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/HttpClientMetric.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/test/fakemetrics/HttpClientMetric.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 /**
  * @author <a href="mailto:julien@julienviet.com">Julien Viet</a>
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@
 public class HttpClientMetric {
 
   public final EndpointMetric endpoint;
-  public final HttpRequest request;
+  public final AtomicReference<HttpRequest> request;
   public final AtomicInteger requestEnded = new AtomicInteger();
   public final AtomicInteger responseBegin = new AtomicInteger();
   public final AtomicLong bytesRead = new AtomicLong();
@@ -32,6 +33,11 @@ public class HttpClientMetric {
 
   public HttpClientMetric(EndpointMetric endpoint, HttpRequest request) {
     this.endpoint = endpoint;
-    this.request = request;
+    this.request = new AtomicReference<>(request);
+  }
+
+  public HttpClientMetric(EndpointMetric endpoint) {
+    this.endpoint = endpoint;
+    this.request = new AtomicReference<>();
   }
 }