diff --git a/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.test.ts b/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.test.ts
index 6cdf9a3547d48..3e1b856de4100 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 import { tabifyAggResponse } from './tabify';
 import { IndexPattern } from '../..';
-import { AggConfigs, IAggConfig, IAggConfigs } from '../aggs';
+import { AggConfigs, BucketAggParam, IAggConfig, IAggConfigs } from '../aggs';
 import { mockAggTypesRegistry } from '../aggs/test_helpers';
 import { metricOnly, threeTermBuckets } from './fixtures/fake_hierarchical_data';
 
@@ -54,6 +54,42 @@ describe('tabifyAggResponse Integration', () => {
     expect(resp.columns[0]).toHaveProperty('name', aggConfigs.aggs[0].makeLabel());
   });
 
+  describe('scaleMetricValues performance check', () => {
+    beforeAll(() => {
+      typesRegistry.get('count').params.push({
+        name: 'scaleMetricValues',
+        default: false,
+        write: () => {},
+        advanced: true,
+      } as any as BucketAggParam<any>);
+    });
+    test('does not call write if scaleMetricValues is not set', () => {
+      const aggConfigs = createAggConfigs([{ type: 'count' } as any]);
+
+      const writeMock = jest.fn();
+      aggConfigs.getRequestAggs()[0].write = writeMock;
+
+      tabifyAggResponse(aggConfigs, metricOnly, {
+        metricsAtAllLevels: true,
+      });
+      expect(writeMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    test('does call write if scaleMetricValues is set', () => {
+      const aggConfigs = createAggConfigs([
+        { type: 'count', params: { scaleMetricValues: true } } as any,
+      ]);
+
+      const writeMock = jest.fn(() => ({}));
+      aggConfigs.getRequestAggs()[0].write = writeMock;
+
+      tabifyAggResponse(aggConfigs, metricOnly, {
+        metricsAtAllLevels: true,
+      });
+      expect(writeMock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('transforms a complex response', () => {
     let esResp: typeof threeTermBuckets;
     let aggConfigs: IAggConfigs;
diff --git a/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.ts b/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.ts
index a4d9551da75d5..9d1d6aadcb769 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/common/search/tabify/tabify.ts
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ export function tabifyAggResponse(
 
     if (column) {
       const agg = column.aggConfig;
-      const aggInfo = agg.write(aggs);
-      aggScale *= aggInfo.metricScale || 1;
+      if (agg.getParam('scaleMetricValues')) {
+        const aggInfo = agg.write(aggs);
+        aggScale *= aggInfo.metricScale || 1;
+      }
 
       switch (agg.type.type) {
         case AggGroupNames.Buckets: