diff --git a/pkg/util/mempool/metrics.go b/pkg/util/mempool/metrics.go
index af712ce737..90d48cef24 100644
--- a/pkg/util/mempool/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/util/mempool/metrics.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ type metrics struct {
 	availableBuffersPerSlab *prometheus.GaugeVec
 	errorsCounter           *prometheus.CounterVec
 	accesses                *prometheus.CounterVec
+	waitDuration            *prometheus.HistogramVec
 }
 
 const (
@@ -41,5 +42,12 @@ func newMetrics(r prometheus.Registerer, name string) *metrics {
 			Help:        "The total amount of accesses to the pool.",
 			ConstLabels: prometheus.Labels{"pool": name},
 		}, []string{"slab", "op"}),
+		waitDuration: promauto.With(r).NewHistogramVec(prometheus.HistogramOpts{
+			Namespace:   constants.Loki,
+			Subsystem:   "mempool",
+			Name:        "wait_duration_seconds",
+			Help:        "Time spent waiting for obtaining buffer from slab.",
+			ConstLabels: prometheus.Labels{"pool": name},
+		}, []string{"slab"}),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/util/mempool/pool.go b/pkg/util/mempool/pool.go
index 4ac5b96062..e02bc62888 100644
--- a/pkg/util/mempool/pool.go
+++ b/pkg/util/mempool/pool.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
@@ -51,15 +52,11 @@ func (s *slab) get(size int) ([]byte, error) {
 	s.metrics.accesses.WithLabelValues(s.name, opTypeGet).Inc()
 	s.once.Do(s.init)
 
+	waitStart := time.Now()
 	// wait for available buffer on channel
-	var buf []byte
-	select {
-	case ptr := <-s.buffer:
-		buf = unsafe.Slice((*byte)(ptr), s.size)
-	default:
-		s.metrics.errorsCounter.WithLabelValues(s.name, reasonSlabExhausted).Inc()
-		return nil, errSlabExhausted
-	}
+	ptr := <-s.buffer
+	buf := unsafe.Slice((*byte)(ptr), s.size)
+	s.metrics.waitDuration.WithLabelValues(s.name).Observe(time.Since(waitStart).Seconds())
 
 	return buf[:size], nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/util/mempool/pool_test.go b/pkg/util/mempool/pool_test.go
index 289479078d..955d5e5dfd 100644
--- a/pkg/util/mempool/pool_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/mempool/pool_test.go
@@ -45,15 +45,26 @@ func TestMemPool(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Equal(t, 512, cap(res))
 	})
 
-	t.Run("pool returns error when no buffer is available", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("pool blocks when no buffer is available", func(t *testing.T) {
 		pool := New("test", []Bucket{
 			{Size: 1, Capacity: 64},
 		}, nil)
 		buf1, _ := pool.Get(32)
 		require.Equal(t, 32, len(buf1))
 
+		delay := 20 * time.Millisecond
+		start := time.Now()
+
+		go func(p *MemPool) {
+			time.Sleep(delay)
+			p.Put(make([]byte, 16))
+		}(pool)
+
 		_, err := pool.Get(16)
-		require.ErrorContains(t, err, errSlabExhausted.Error())
+		duration := time.Since(start)
+
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Greater(t, duration, delay)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("test ring buffer returns same backing array", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -80,16 +91,17 @@ func TestMemPool(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	t.Run("concurrent access", func(t *testing.T) {
+		numWorkers := 256
+
 		pool := New("test", []Bucket{
-			{Size: 32, Capacity: 2 << 10},
-			{Size: 16, Capacity: 4 << 10},
-			{Size: 8, Capacity: 8 << 10},
-			{Size: 4, Capacity: 16 << 10},
-			{Size: 2, Capacity: 32 << 10},
+			{Size: numWorkers, Capacity: 2 << 10},
+			{Size: numWorkers, Capacity: 4 << 10},
+			{Size: numWorkers, Capacity: 8 << 10},
+			{Size: numWorkers, Capacity: 16 << 10},
+			{Size: numWorkers, Capacity: 32 << 10},
 		}, nil)
 
 		var wg sync.WaitGroup
-		numWorkers := 256
 		n := 10
 
 		for i := 0; i < numWorkers; i++ {