diff --git a/examples/random/main.go b/examples/random/main.go
index d88e94f..39636e9 100644
--- a/examples/random/main.go
+++ b/examples/random/main.go
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ func main() {
 	zed_rpc_calls := &metrics.CounterMetric{}
 
 	metrics := registry.NewRegistry()
-	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_foo_microseconds", foo_rpc_latency)
-	metrics.Register("rpc_calls_foo_total", foo_rpc_calls)
-	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_bar_microseconds", bar_rpc_latency)
-	metrics.Register("rpc_calls_bar_total", bar_rpc_calls)
-	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_zed_microseconds", zed_rpc_latency)
-	metrics.Register("rpc_calls_zed_total", zed_rpc_calls)
+	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_foo_microseconds", "RPC latency for foo service.", foo_rpc_latency)
+	metrics.Register("rpc_calls_foo_total", "RPC calls for foo service.", foo_rpc_calls)
+	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_bar_microseconds", "RPC latency for bar service.", bar_rpc_latency)
+	metrics.Register("rpc_calls_bar_total", "RPC calls for bar service.", bar_rpc_calls)
+	metrics.Register("rpc_latency_zed_microseconds", "RPC latency for zed service.", zed_rpc_latency)
+	metrics.Register("rpc_calls_zed_total", "RPC calls for zed service.", zed_rpc_calls)
 
 	go func() {
 		for {
diff --git a/registry.go b/registry.go
index a3c617c..e29ece1 100644
--- a/registry.go
+++ b/registry.go
@@ -100,14 +100,14 @@ var DefaultRegistry = NewRegistry()
 /*
 Associate a Metric with the DefaultRegistry.
 */
-func Register(name string, metric metrics.Metric) {
-	DefaultRegistry.Register(name, metric)
+func Register(name, unusedDocstring string, metric metrics.Metric) {
+	DefaultRegistry.Register(name, unusedDocstring, metric)
 }
 
 /*
 Register a metric with a given name.  Name should be globally unique.
 */
-func (r *Registry) Register(name string, metric metrics.Metric) {
+func (r *Registry) Register(name, unusedDocstring string, metric metrics.Metric) {
 	r.mutex.Lock()
 	defer r.mutex.Unlock()
 
@@ -175,9 +175,9 @@ func (registry *Registry) YieldExporter() http.HandlerFunc {
 }
 
 func init() {
-	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_total", requestCount)
-	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_latency_logarithmic_accumulating_microseconds", requestLatencyLogarithmicAccumulating)
-	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_latency_equal_accumulating_microseconds", requestLatencyEqualAccumulating)
-	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_latency_logarithmic_tallying_microseconds", requestLatencyLogarithmicTallying)
-	DefaultRegistry.Register("request_metrics_latency_equal_tallying_microseconds", requestLatencyEqualTallying)
+	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_total", "A counter of the total requests made against the telemetry system.", requestCount)
+	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_latency_logarithmic_accumulating_microseconds", "A histogram of the response latency for requests made against the telemetry system.", requestLatencyLogarithmicAccumulating)
+	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_latency_equal_accumulating_microseconds", "A histogram of the response latency for requests made against the telemetry system.", requestLatencyEqualAccumulating)
+	DefaultRegistry.Register("requests_metrics_latency_logarithmic_tallying_microseconds", "A histogram of the response latency for requests made against the telemetry system.", requestLatencyLogarithmicTallying)
+	DefaultRegistry.Register("request_metrics_latency_equal_tallying_microseconds", "A histogram of the response latency for requests made against the telemetry system.", requestLatencyEqualTallying)
 }