diff --git a/metrics.go b/metrics.go
index 4de6d5e4..b6b4ca11 100644
--- a/metrics.go
+++ b/metrics.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	StopReasonCrash = iota
 	StopReasonRestart
-	//StopReasonShutdown
+	StopReasonBootFailure // worker crashed before reaching frankenphp_handle_request
 )
 
 type StopReason int
@@ -125,10 +125,14 @@ func (m *PrometheusMetrics) StopWorker(name string, reason StopReason) {
 	}
 
 	m.totalWorkers.WithLabelValues(name).Dec()
-	m.readyWorkers.WithLabelValues(name).Dec()
+
+	// only decrement readyWorkers if the worker actually reached frankenphp_handle_request
+	if reason != StopReasonBootFailure {
+		m.readyWorkers.WithLabelValues(name).Dec()
+	}
 
 	switch reason {
-	case StopReasonCrash:
+	case StopReasonCrash, StopReasonBootFailure:
 		m.workerCrashes.WithLabelValues(name).Inc()
 	case StopReasonRestart:
 		m.workerRestarts.WithLabelValues(name).Inc()
diff --git a/threadworker.go b/threadworker.go
index ae7e4545..e309340a 100644
--- a/threadworker.go
+++ b/threadworker.go
@@ -101,10 +101,6 @@ func (handler *workerThread) name() string {
 func setupWorkerScript(handler *workerThread, worker *worker) {
 	metrics.StartWorker(worker.name)
 
-	if handler.state.Is(state.Ready) {
-		metrics.ReadyWorker(handler.worker.name)
-	}
-
 	// Create a dummy request to set up the worker
 	fc, err := newDummyContext(
 		filepath.Base(worker.fileName),
@@ -152,7 +148,11 @@ func tearDownWorkerScript(handler *workerThread, exitStatus int) {
 	}
 
 	// worker has thrown a fatal error or has not reached frankenphp_handle_request
-	metrics.StopWorker(worker.name, StopReasonCrash)
+	if handler.isBootingScript {
+		metrics.StopWorker(worker.name, StopReasonBootFailure)
+	} else {
+		metrics.StopWorker(worker.name, StopReasonCrash)
+	}
 
 	if !handler.isBootingScript {
 		// fatal error (could be due to exit(1), timeouts, etc.)
@@ -207,13 +207,12 @@ func (handler *workerThread) waitForWorkerRequest() (bool, any) {
 		if !C.frankenphp_shutdown_dummy_request() {
 			panic("Not in CGI context")
 		}
+
+		// worker is truly ready only after reaching frankenphp_handle_request()
+		metrics.ReadyWorker(handler.worker.name)
 	}
 
-	// worker threads are 'ready' after they first reach frankenphp_handle_request()
-	// 'state.TransitionComplete' is only true on the first boot of the worker script,
-	// while 'isBootingScript' is true on every boot of the worker script
 	if handler.state.Is(state.TransitionComplete) {
-		metrics.ReadyWorker(handler.worker.name)
 		handler.state.Set(state.Ready)
 	}
 
diff --git a/worker.go b/worker.go
index edba0172..d87848ba 100644
--- a/worker.go
+++ b/worker.go
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ func initWorkers(opt []workerOpt) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-
 func newWorker(o workerOpt) (*worker, error) {
 	// Order is important!
 	// This order ensures that FrankenPHP started from inside a symlinked directory will properly resolve any paths.