diff --git a/lading_observer/src/linux/cgroup/v2/cpu.rs b/lading_observer/src/linux/cgroup/v2/cpu.rs
index fb0e98115..f3ded61bf 100644
--- a/lading_observer/src/linux/cgroup/v2/cpu.rs
+++ b/lading_observer/src/linux/cgroup/v2/cpu.rs
@@ -23,21 +23,17 @@ struct Stats {
     last_instant: Instant,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
 pub(crate) struct Sampler {
-    prev: Stats,
+    /// Previous stats for delta calculation. None on first poll.
+    prev: Option<Stats>,
 }
 
 impl Sampler {
+    /// Create a new CPU Sampler
+    #[must_use]
     pub(crate) fn new() -> Self {
-        Self {
-            prev: Stats {
-                usage_usec: 0,
-                user_usec: 0,
-                system_usec: 0,
-                last_instant: Instant::now(),
-            },
-        }
+        Self { prev: None }
     }
 
     // Read cgroup CPU data and calculate a percentage of usage.
@@ -80,17 +76,29 @@ impl Sampler {
         }
 
         let now = Instant::now();
-        let delta_time = now.duration_since(self.prev.last_instant).as_micros();
-        let delta_usage = usage_usec.saturating_sub(self.prev.usage_usec);
-        let delta_user = user_usec.saturating_sub(self.prev.user_usec);
-        let delta_system = system_usec.saturating_sub(self.prev.system_usec);
-
-        // Update previous stats and if there's a time delta calculate the CPU
-        // usage.
-        self.prev.usage_usec = usage_usec;
-        self.prev.user_usec = user_usec;
-        self.prev.system_usec = system_usec;
-        self.prev.last_instant = now;
+        let current = Stats {
+            usage_usec,
+            user_usec,
+            system_usec,
+            last_instant: now,
+        };
+
+        // On first poll, just record baseline stats without emitting metrics.
+        // This avoids a spike where delta = (cumulative_since_container_start - 0).
+        let Some(ref prev) = self.prev else {
+            self.prev = Some(current);
+            return Ok(());
+        };
+
+        let delta_time = now.duration_since(prev.last_instant).as_micros();
+        let delta_usage = usage_usec.saturating_sub(prev.usage_usec);
+        let delta_user = user_usec.saturating_sub(prev.user_usec);
+        let delta_system = system_usec.saturating_sub(prev.system_usec);
+
+        // Update previous stats for next poll
+        self.prev = Some(current);
+
+        // Emit metrics if there's a time delta
         if delta_time > 0 {
             let delta_time = delta_time as f64;
 
diff --git a/lading_observer/src/linux/procfs/stat.rs b/lading_observer/src/linux/procfs/stat.rs
index f06913c5a..75ba9f4a7 100644
--- a/lading_observer/src/linux/procfs/stat.rs
+++ b/lading_observer/src/linux/procfs/stat.rs
@@ -38,14 +38,15 @@ struct CpuUtilization {
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct Sampler {
     ticks_per_second: f64,
-    prev: Stats,
+    /// Previous stats for delta calculation. None on first poll.
+    prev: Option<Stats>,
 }
 
 impl Sampler {
     pub(crate) fn new() -> Self {
         Self {
             ticks_per_second: unsafe { nix::libc::sysconf(nix::libc::_SC_CLK_TCK) } as f64,
-            prev: Stats::default(),
+            prev: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -78,16 +79,20 @@ impl Sampler {
         let (cur_pid, utime_ticks, stime_ticks) = parse(&stat_contents)?;
         assert!(cur_pid == pid);
 
-        // Get or initialize the previous stats. Note that the first time this is
-        // initialized we intentionally set last_instance to now to avoid scheduling
-        // shenanigans.
         let cur_stats = Stats {
             user_ticks: utime_ticks,
             system_ticks: stime_ticks,
             uptime_ticks: (uptime_secs * self.ticks_per_second).round() as u64,
         };
 
-        if let Some(util) = compute_cpu_usage(self.prev, cur_stats, allowed_cores) {
+        // On first poll, just record baseline stats without emitting metrics.
+        // This avoids a spike where delta = (cumulative_since_process_start - 0).
+        let Some(ref prev) = self.prev else {
+            self.prev = Some(cur_stats);
+            return Ok(());
+        };
+
+        if let Some(util) = compute_cpu_usage(*prev, cur_stats, allowed_cores) {
             // NOTE these metric names are paired with names in cgroup/v2/cpu.rs and
             // must remain consistent. If you change these, change those.
             gauge!("stat.total_cpu_percentage", labels).set(util.total_cpu_percentage);
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ impl Sampler {
             gauge!("stat.cpu_limit_millicores", labels).set(limit_millicores);
         }
 
-        self.prev = cur_stats;
+        self.prev = Some(cur_stats);
 
         Ok(())
     }