diff --git a/src/detect-engine-alert.c b/src/detect-engine-alert.c
index 64a38fea47..0fdeeb5f0d 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-alert.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-alert.c
@@ -129,8 +129,6 @@ int PacketAlertAppend(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx, Signature *s, Packet *p)
     /* Update the count */
     p->alerts.cnt++;
 
-    SCPerfCounterIncr(det_ctx->counter_alerts, det_ctx->tv->sc_perf_pca);
-
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/detect.c b/src/detect.c
index caf62f29cf..017ba6f15e 100644
--- a/src/detect.c
+++ b/src/detect.c
@@ -920,6 +920,9 @@ end:
     /* so now let's iterate the alerts and remove the ones after a pass rule
      * matched (if any). This is done inside PacketAlertFinalize() */
     PacketAlertFinalize(de_ctx, det_ctx, p);
+    if (p->alerts.cnt > 0) {
+        SCPerfCounterAddUI64(det_ctx->counter_alerts, det_ctx->tv->sc_perf_pca, (uint64_t)p->alerts.cnt);
+    }
 
     /* cleanup pkt specific part of the patternmatcher */
     PacketPatternCleanup(th_v, det_ctx);