diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/statsworker.go b/pkg/telemetry/statsworker.go
index 075a469af..3a0c63ee0 100644
--- a/pkg/telemetry/statsworker.go
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/statsworker.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (s *StatsWorker) Close(guard *ReferenceGuard) bool {
 func (s *StatsWorker) Closed(guard *ReferenceGuard) bool {
 	s.lock.Lock()
 	defer s.lock.Unlock()
-	if !s.closedAt.IsZero() {
+	if s.closedAt.IsZero() {
 		s.refCount.Activate(guard)
 		return false
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/telemetry/statsworker_test.go b/pkg/telemetry/statsworker_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f7ae48816
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/telemetry/statsworker_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package telemetry
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestStatsWorker(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("reference counted close works", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var g0, g1 ReferenceGuard
+		w := newStatsWorker(t.Context(), nil, "", "", "", "", &g0)
+		require.False(t, w.Closed(&g1))
+		require.False(t, w.Close(&g0))
+		require.False(t, w.Closed(&g1))
+		require.True(t, w.Close(&g1))
+		require.True(t, w.Closed(&g1))
+	})
+}