diff --git a/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/main/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistry.java b/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/main/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistry.java
index 08114dc903..2a8bd71c94 100644
--- a/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/main/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistry.java
+++ b/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/main/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistry.java
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ private void applyToCollector(Meter.Id id, Consumer<MicrometerCollector> consume
                     " set of tag keys. There is already an existing meter named '" + id.getName() + "' containing tag keys [" +
                     String.join(", ", collectorMap.get(getConventionName(id)).getTagKeys()) + "]. The meter you are attempting to register" +
                     " has keys [" + getConventionTags(id).stream().map(Tag::getKey).collect(joining(", ")) + "].");
-            return null;
+            return existingCollector;
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/test/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistryTest.java b/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/test/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistryTest.java
index e4c3912a71..e36419f415 100644
--- a/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/test/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistryTest.java
+++ b/implementations/micrometer-registry-prometheus/src/test/java/io/micrometer/prometheus/PrometheusMeterRegistryTest.java
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@ void before() {
         registry.config().namingConvention(new PrometheusDurationNamingConvention());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void metersWithSameNameAndDifferentTagsContinueSilently() {
+        String meterName = "my.counter";
+        registry.counter(meterName, "k1", "v1");
+        registry.counter(meterName, "k2", "v2");
+        registry.counter(meterName, "k3", "v3");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void meterRegistrationFailedListenerCalledOnSameNameDifferentTags() throws InterruptedException {
         CountDownLatch failedLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
@@ -75,10 +83,13 @@ void meterRegistrationFailedListenerCalledOnSameNameDifferentTags() throws Inter
         assertThatThrownBy(() -> registry
                 .throwExceptionOnRegistrationFailure()
                 .counter("my.counter", "k1", "v1")
-        ).isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class);
+        )
+                .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)
+                .hasMessageStartingWith("Prometheus requires that all meters with the same name have the same set of tag keys.");
 
         assertThatThrownBy(() -> registry.counter("my.counter", "k2", "v2"))
-                .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class);
+                .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class)
+                .hasMessageStartingWith("Prometheus requires that all meters with the same name have the same set of tag keys.");
     }
 
     @Test