diff --git a/runners/core-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/core/metrics/MetricsContainerStepMapTest.java b/runners/core-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/core/metrics/MetricsContainerStepMapTest.java
index d0fc61b1eecc..f5f7cafedbeb 100644
--- a/runners/core-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/core/metrics/MetricsContainerStepMapTest.java
+++ b/runners/core-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/core/metrics/MetricsContainerStepMapTest.java
@@ -154,7 +154,8 @@ public void testDistributionCommittedUnsupportedInAttemptedAccumulatedMetricResu
     thrown.expect(UnsupportedOperationException.class);
     thrown.expectMessage("This runner does not currently support committed metrics results.");
 
-    assertDistribution(DISTRIBUTION_NAME, step1res, STEP1, DistributionResult.ZERO, true);
+    assertDistribution(
+        DISTRIBUTION_NAME, step1res, STEP1, DistributionResult.IDENTITY_ELEMENT, true);
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/runners/direct-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/direct/DirectMetricsTest.java b/runners/direct-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/direct/DirectMetricsTest.java
index c23b0f03778b..f34bb0c34b68 100644
--- a/runners/direct-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/direct/DirectMetricsTest.java
+++ b/runners/direct-java/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/runners/direct/DirectMetricsTest.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public void testApplyCommittedNoFilter() {
         committedMetricsResult("ns1", "name2", "step1", 12L),
         committedMetricsResult("ns1", "name1", "step2", 7L)));
     assertThat(results.distributions(), contains(
-        attemptedMetricsResult("ns1", "name1", "step1", DistributionResult.ZERO)));
+        attemptedMetricsResult("ns1", "name1", "step1", DistributionResult.IDENTITY_ELEMENT)));
     assertThat(results.distributions(), contains(
         committedMetricsResult("ns1", "name1", "step1", DistributionResult.create(12, 3, 3, 5))));
     assertThat(results.gauges(), contains(
diff --git a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/DataflowMetrics.java b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/DataflowMetrics.java
index b5ad6b396cb6..0983674b9831 100644
--- a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/DataflowMetrics.java
+++ b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/runners/dataflow/DataflowMetrics.java
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ private Long getCounterValue(com.google.api.services.dataflow.model.MetricUpdate
     private DistributionResult getDistributionValue(
         com.google.api.services.dataflow.model.MetricUpdate metricUpdate) {
       if (metricUpdate.getDistribution() == null) {
-        return DistributionResult.ZERO;
+        return DistributionResult.IDENTITY_ELEMENT;
       }
       ArrayMap distributionMap = (ArrayMap) metricUpdate.getDistribution();
       Long count = ((Number) distributionMap.get("count")).longValue();
diff --git a/sdks/java/core/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/metrics/DistributionResult.java b/sdks/java/core/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/metrics/DistributionResult.java
index b01ae4646b35..6da721068fb7 100644
--- a/sdks/java/core/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/metrics/DistributionResult.java
+++ b/sdks/java/core/src/main/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/metrics/DistributionResult.java
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ public double mean() {
     return (1.0 * sum()) / count();
   }
 
-  public static final DistributionResult ZERO = create(0, 0, Long.MAX_VALUE, Long.MIN_VALUE);
+  /** The IDENTITY_ELEMENT is used to start accumulating distributions. */
+  public static final DistributionResult IDENTITY_ELEMENT =
+      create(0, 0, Long.MAX_VALUE, Long.MIN_VALUE);
 
   public static DistributionResult create(long sum, long count, long min, long max) {
     return new AutoValue_DistributionResult(sum, count, min, max);