diff --git a/src/metrics.js b/src/metrics.js
index 547b7d9c0..6d71d6329 100644
--- a/src/metrics.js
+++ b/src/metrics.js
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ async function getSystemStream(options) {
     let intervalId = null, oldMetrics = null;
 
     const metricsStream = new Readable({
+        objectMode: true,
         read(/*size*/) { /* ignored, we push via interval */ },
         destroy(error, callback) {
             clearInterval(intervalId);
@@ -410,7 +411,7 @@ async function getSystemStream(options) {
         oldMetrics = metrics;
 
         const nowSecs = Date.now() / 1000; // to match graphite return value
-        metricsStream.push(JSON.stringify({
+        metricsStream.push({
             cpu: [ cpuPercent, nowSecs ],
             memory: [ metrics.memoryUsed, nowSecs ],
             swap: [ metrics.swapUsed, nowSecs ],
@@ -424,7 +425,7 @@ async function getSystemStream(options) {
             networkWriteRate: [ networkWriteRate, nowSecs ],
             networkReadTotal: metrics.networkRead,
             networkWriteTotal: metrics.networkWrite,
-        }));
+        });
     }, intervalMsecs);
 
     return metricsStream;
@@ -437,6 +438,7 @@ async function getContainerStream(name, options) {
     let oldMetrics = null;
 
     const metricsStream = new Readable({
+        objectMode: true,
         read(/*size*/) { /* ignored, we push via interval */ },
         destroy(error, callback) {
             statsStream.destroy(); // double destroy is a no-op
@@ -467,7 +469,7 @@ async function getContainerStream(name, options) {
         oldMetrics = metrics;
 
         const nowSecs = ts.getTime() / 1000; // conver to secs to match graphite return value
-        metricsStream.push(JSON.stringify({
+        metricsStream.push({
             cpu: [ cpuPercent, nowSecs ],
             memory: [ memoryUsed, nowSecs ],
 
@@ -480,7 +482,7 @@ async function getContainerStream(name, options) {
             networkWriteRate: [ networkWriteRate, nowSecs ],
             networkReadTotal: metrics.networkRead,
             networkWriteTotal: metrics.networkWrite,
-        }));
+        });
     });
 
     return metricsStream;
diff --git a/src/routes/apps.js b/src/routes/apps.js
index e77845044..7037f18eb 100644
--- a/src/routes/apps.js
+++ b/src/routes/apps.js
@@ -1097,8 +1097,7 @@ async function getMetricStream(req, res, next) {
     });
     res.write('retry: 3000\n');
     res.on('close', () => metricStream.destroy());
-    metricStream.on('data', function (data) {
-        const obj = JSON.parse(data);
+    metricStream.on('data', function (obj) { // objectMode stream
         const sse = `data: ${JSON.stringify(obj)}\n\n`;
         res.write(sse);
     });
diff --git a/src/routes/system.js b/src/routes/system.js
index 4e3b9e52a..85f7d6b46 100644
--- a/src/routes/system.js
+++ b/src/routes/system.js
@@ -149,8 +149,7 @@ async function getMetricStream(req, res, next) {
     });
     res.write('retry: 3000\n');
     res.on('close', () => metricStream.destroy());
-    metricStream.on('data', function (data) {
-        const obj = JSON.parse(data);
+    metricStream.on('data', function (obj) { // objectMode stream
         const sse = `data: ${JSON.stringify(obj)}\n\n`;
         res.write(sse);
     });