diff --git a/vault/activity_log.go b/vault/activity_log.go
index aad726d34..4fa0a8068 100644
--- a/vault/activity_log.go
+++ b/vault/activity_log.go
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@ func (c *Core) setupActivityLog(ctx context.Context, wg *sync.WaitGroup) error {
 		}(manager.retentionMonths)
 
 		manager.CensusReportDone = make(chan bool)
-		go c.activityLog.CensusReport(ctx, c.censusAgent)
+		go c.activityLog.CensusReport(ctx, c.censusAgent, c.billingStart)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/vault/activity_log_test.go b/vault/activity_log_test.go
index 02d11e368..4416d78be 100644
--- a/vault/activity_log_test.go
+++ b/vault/activity_log_test.go
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ func TestActivityLog_API_ConfigCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 			"enabled":                  activityLogEnabledDefaultValue,
 			"queries_available":        false,
 			"reporting_enabled":        core.censusLicensingEnabled,
-			"billing_start_timestamp":  core.GetBillingStart(),
+			"billing_start_timestamp":  core.billingStart,
 			"minimum_retention_months": core.activityLog.configOverrides.MinimumRetentionMonths,
 		}
 
@@ -923,7 +923,7 @@ func TestActivityLog_API_ConfigCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 			"enabled":                  "enable",
 			"queries_available":        false,
 			"reporting_enabled":        core.censusLicensingEnabled,
-			"billing_start_timestamp":  core.GetBillingStart(),
+			"billing_start_timestamp":  core.billingStart,
 			"minimum_retention_months": core.activityLog.configOverrides.MinimumRetentionMonths,
 		}
 
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ func TestActivityLog_API_ConfigCRUD(t *testing.T) {
 			"enabled":                  activityLogEnabledDefaultValue,
 			"queries_available":        false,
 			"reporting_enabled":        core.censusLicensingEnabled,
-			"billing_start_timestamp":  core.GetBillingStart(),
+			"billing_start_timestamp":  core.billingStart,
 			"minimum_retention_months": core.activityLog.configOverrides.MinimumRetentionMonths,
 		}
 
diff --git a/vault/activity_log_util.go b/vault/activity_log_util.go
index da19aaffa..4c1b7eda3 100644
--- a/vault/activity_log_util.go
+++ b/vault/activity_log_util.go
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 
 package vault
 
-import "context"
+import (
+	"context"
+	"time"
+)
 
 // sendCurrentFragment is a no-op on OSS
 func (a *ActivityLog) sendCurrentFragment(ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -13,4 +16,4 @@ func (a *ActivityLog) sendCurrentFragment(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 // CensusReport is a no-op on OSS
-func (a *ActivityLog) CensusReport(_ctx context.Context, _ca *CensusAgent) {}
+func (a *ActivityLog) CensusReport(context.Context, CensusReporter, time.Time) {}
diff --git a/vault/census.go b/vault/census.go
index 603fbf481..9d916dc14 100644
--- a/vault/census.go
+++ b/vault/census.go
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 
 package vault
 
-import "time"
-
 // CensusAgent is a stub for OSS
-type CensusAgent struct {
-	billingStart time.Time
-}
+type CensusReporter struct{}
+
+// setupCensusAgent is a stub for OSS.
+func (c *Core) setupCensusAgent() error { return nil }
diff --git a/vault/core.go b/vault/core.go
index 18715ece7..aca47398d 100644
--- a/vault/core.go
+++ b/vault/core.go
@@ -636,11 +636,14 @@ type Core struct {
 	activityLogConfig ActivityLogCoreConfig
 
 	// censusAgent is the mechanism used for reporting Vault's billing data.
-	censusAgent *CensusAgent
+	censusAgent CensusReporter
 
 	// censusLicensingEnabled records whether Vault is exporting census metrics
 	censusLicensingEnabled bool
 
+	// billingStart keeps track of the billing start time for exporting census metrics
+	billingStart time.Time
+
 	// activeTime is set on active nodes indicating the time at which this node
 	// became active.
 	activeTime time.Time
@@ -812,7 +815,7 @@ type CoreConfig struct {
 	LicensingConfig *LicensingConfig
 
 	// Configured Census Agent
-	censusAgent *CensusAgent
+	CensusAgent CensusReporter
 
 	DisablePerformanceStandby bool
 	DisableIndexing           bool
@@ -2362,6 +2365,11 @@ func (s standardUnsealStrategy) unseal(ctx context.Context, logger log.Logger, c
 		if err := c.setupAuditedHeadersConfig(ctx); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+
+		if err := c.setupCensusAgent(); err != nil {
+			c.logger.Error("skipping reporting for nil agent", "error", err)
+		}
+
 		// not waiting on wg to avoid changing existing behavior
 		var wg sync.WaitGroup
 		if err := c.setupActivityLog(ctx, &wg); err != nil {
@@ -4007,14 +4015,3 @@ func (c *Core) GetRaftAutopilotState(ctx context.Context) (*raft.AutopilotState,
 func (c *Core) Events() *eventbus.EventBus {
 	return c.events
 }
-
-// GetBillingStart gets the billing start timestamp from the configured Census
-// Agent, handling a nil agent.
-func (c *Core) GetBillingStart() time.Time {
-	var billingStart time.Time
-	if c.censusAgent != nil {
-		billingStart = c.censusAgent.billingStart
-	}
-
-	return billingStart
-}
diff --git a/vault/logical_system_activity.go b/vault/logical_system_activity.go
index 64f3cb693..cf06420a7 100644
--- a/vault/logical_system_activity.go
+++ b/vault/logical_system_activity.go
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ func (b *SystemBackend) handleActivityConfigRead(ctx context.Context, req *logic
 			"enabled":                  config.Enabled,
 			"queries_available":        qa,
 			"reporting_enabled":        b.Core.censusLicensingEnabled,
-			"billing_start_timestamp":  b.Core.GetBillingStart(),
+			"billing_start_timestamp":  b.Core.billingStart,
 			"minimum_retention_months": a.configOverrides.MinimumRetentionMonths,
 		},
 	}, nil
diff --git a/vault/testing.go b/vault/testing.go
index 791a5994a..6a6151a77 100644
--- a/vault/testing.go
+++ b/vault/testing.go
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func TestCoreWithSealAndUINoCleanup(t testing.T, opts *CoreConfig) *Core {
 	conf.PluginDirectory = opts.PluginDirectory
 	conf.DetectDeadlocks = opts.DetectDeadlocks
 	conf.Experiments = []string{experiments.VaultExperimentEventsAlpha1}
-	conf.censusAgent = opts.censusAgent
+	conf.CensusAgent = opts.CensusAgent
 
 	if opts.Logger != nil {
 		conf.Logger = opts.Logger