diff --git a/.github/scripts/metrics_checker.sh b/.github/scripts/metrics_checker.sh
index e9924b1c2..f68c85ed1 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/metrics_checker.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/metrics_checker.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ set -uo pipefail
 ### It is still up to the reviewer to make sure that any tests added are needed and meaningful.
 
 # search for any "new" or modified metric emissions
-metrics_modified=$(git --no-pager diff origin/main...HEAD | grep -i "SetGauge\|EmitKey\|IncrCounter\|AddSample\|MeasureSince\|UpdateFilter")
+metrics_modified=$(git --no-pager diff origin/main...HEAD | grep -i "SetGauge\|EmitKey\|IncrCounter\|AddSample\|MeasureSince\|UpdateFilter" | grep "^[+-]")
 # search for PR body or title metric references
 metrics_in_pr_body=$(echo "${PR_BODY-""}" | grep -i "metric")
 metrics_in_pr_title=$(echo "${PR_TITLE-""}" | grep -i "metric")
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ metrics_in_pr_title=$(echo "${PR_TITLE-""}" | grep -i "metric")
 if [ "$metrics_modified" ] || [ "$metrics_in_pr_body" ] || [ "$metrics_in_pr_title" ]; then
   # need to check if there are modifications to metrics_test
   test_files_regex="*_test.go"
-  modified_metrics_test_files=$(git --no-pager diff HEAD "$(git merge-base HEAD "origin/main")" -- "$test_files_regex" | grep -i "metric")
+  modified_metrics_test_files=$(git --no-pager diff HEAD "$(git merge-base HEAD "origin/main")" -- "$test_files_regex" | grep -i "metric" | grep "^[+-]")
   if [ "$modified_metrics_test_files" ]; then
     # 1 happy path: metrics_test has been modified bc we modified metrics behavior
     echo "PR seems to modify metrics behavior. It seems it may have added tests to the metrics as well."