diff --git a/src/stats/client.cpp b/src/stats/client.cpp
index ddd5b0a738..90aa940c51 100644
--- a/src/stats/client.cpp
+++ b/src/stats/client.cpp
@@ -43,26 +43,16 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <random>
 
+namespace {
+/** Threshold below which a value is considered effectively zero */
+static constexpr float EPSILON{0.0001f};
+
 /** Delimiter segmenting two fully formed Statsd messages */
 static constexpr char STATSD_MSG_DELIMITER{'\n'};
+} // anonymous namespace
 
 std::unique_ptr<StatsdClient> g_stats_client;
 
-bool StatsdClient::ShouldSend(float sample_rate)
-{
-    sample_rate = std::clamp(sample_rate, 0.f, 1.f);
-
-    constexpr float EPSILON{0.0001f};
-    /* If sample rate is 1, we should always send */
-    if (std::fabs(sample_rate - 1.f) < EPSILON) return true;
-    /* If sample rate is 0, we should never send */
-    if (std::fabs(sample_rate) < EPSILON) return false;
-
-    /* Sample rate is >0 and <1, roll the dice */
-    LOCK(cs);
-    return sample_rate > std::uniform_real_distribution<float>(0.f, 1.f)(insecure_rand);
-}
-
 StatsdClient::StatsdClient(const std::string& host, uint16_t port, uint64_t batch_size, uint64_t interval_ms,
                            const std::string& nodename, const std::string& ns, bool enabled) :
     m_nodename{nodename},
@@ -88,16 +78,6 @@ StatsdClient::StatsdClient(const std::string& host, uint16_t port, uint64_t batc
 
 StatsdClient::~StatsdClient() {}
 
-/* will change the original string */
-void StatsdClient::cleanup(std::string& key)
-{
-    auto pos = key.find_first_of(":|@");
-    while (pos != std::string::npos) {
-        key[pos] = '_';
-        pos = key.find_first_of(":|@");
-    }
-}
-
 bool StatsdClient::dec(const std::string& key, float sample_rate) { return count(key, -1, sample_rate); }
 
 bool StatsdClient::inc(const std::string& key, float sample_rate) { return count(key, 1, sample_rate); }
@@ -122,56 +102,34 @@ bool StatsdClient::timing(const std::string& key, int64_t ms, float sample_rate)
     return send(key, ms, "ms", sample_rate);
 }
 
-bool StatsdClient::send(std::string key, int64_t value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate)
+template <typename T1>
+bool StatsdClient::Send(const std::string& key, T1 value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate)
 {
+    static_assert(std::is_arithmetic<T1>::value, "Must specialize to an arithmetic type");
+
     if (!m_sender) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (!ShouldSend(sample_rate)) {
-        // Not our turn to send but report that we have
+    // Determine if we should send the message at all but claim that we did even if we don't
+    sample_rate = std::clamp(sample_rate, 0.f, 1.f);
+    bool always_send = std::fabs(sample_rate - 1.f) < EPSILON;
+    bool never_send = std::fabs(sample_rate) < EPSILON;
+    if (never_send || (!always_send &&
+                       WITH_LOCK(cs, return sample_rate < std::uniform_real_distribution<float>(0.f, 1.f)(insecure_rand)))) {
         return true;
     }
 
     // partition stats by node name if set
     if (!m_nodename.empty()) key = key + "." + m_nodename;
 
-    cleanup(key);
-
-    RawMessage msg{strprintf("%s%s:%d|%s", m_ns, key, value, type)};
-    if (sample_rate < 1.f) {
-        msg += strprintf("|@%.2f", sample_rate);
-    }
-
-    if (auto error_opt = m_sender->Send(msg); error_opt.has_value()) {
-        LogPrintf("ERROR: %s.\n", error_opt.value());
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    return true;
-}
-
-bool StatsdClient::sendDouble(std::string key, double value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate)
-{
-    if (!m_sender) {
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    if (!ShouldSend(sample_rate)) {
-        // Not our turn to send but report that we have
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    // partition stats by node name if set
-    if (!m_nodename.empty()) key = key + "." + m_nodename;
-
-    cleanup(key);
-
+    // Construct the message and if our message isn't always-send, report the sample rate
     RawMessage msg{strprintf("%s%s:%f|%s", m_ns, key, value, type)};
-    if (sample_rate < 1.f) {
+    if (!always_send) {
         msg += strprintf("|@%.2f", sample_rate);
     }
 
+    // Send it and report an error if we encounter one
     if (auto error_opt = m_sender->Send(msg); error_opt.has_value()) {
         LogPrintf("ERROR: %s.\n", error_opt.value());
         return false;
diff --git a/src/stats/client.h b/src/stats/client.h
index 40d74c2505..bfc1d67f11 100644
--- a/src/stats/client.h
+++ b/src/stats/client.h
@@ -50,12 +50,18 @@ public:
     /* (Low Level Api) manually send a message
         * type = "c", "g" or "ms"
         */
-    bool send(std::string key, int64_t value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate);
-    bool sendDouble(std::string key, double value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate);
+    bool send(const std::string& key, int64_t value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate = 1.f)
+    {
+        return Send(key, value, type, sample_rate);
+    }
+    bool sendDouble(const std::string& key, double value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate = 1.f)
+    {
+        return Send(key, value, type, sample_rate);
+    }
 
 private:
-    void cleanup(std::string& key);
-    bool ShouldSend(float sample_rate);
+    template <typename T1>
+    bool Send(const std::string& key, T1 value, const std::string& type, float sample_rate);
 
 private:
     mutable Mutex cs;