diff --git a/lib/instana/backend/gc_snapshot.rb b/lib/instana/backend/gc_snapshot.rb
index 14e288e1..497b1b9d 100644
--- a/lib/instana/backend/gc_snapshot.rb
+++ b/lib/instana/backend/gc_snapshot.rb
@@ -17,18 +17,18 @@ def initialize
         @last_minor_count = 0
       end
 
-      def report
+      def report(poll_rate = 1)
         stats = ::GC.stat
         total_time = ::GC::Profiler.total_time * 1000
 
         ::GC::Profiler.clear
 
         payload = {
-          totalTime: total_time,
+          totalTime: total_time / poll_rate,
           heap_live: stats[:heap_live_slots] || stats[:heap_live_num],
           heap_free: stats[:heap_free_slots] || stats[:heap_free_num],
-          minorGcs: stats[:minor_gc_count] - @last_minor_count,
-          majorGcs: stats[:major_gc_count] - @last_major_count
+          minorGcs: (stats[:minor_gc_count] - @last_minor_count) / poll_rate.to_f,
+          majorGcs: (stats[:major_gc_count] - @last_major_count) / poll_rate.to_f
         }
 
         @last_major_count = stats[:major_gc_count]
diff --git a/lib/instana/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer.rb b/lib/instana/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer.rb
index beb55252..fbab3608 100644
--- a/lib/instana/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer.rb
+++ b/lib/instana/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer.rb
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ def metrics_payload(discovery)
         end
 
         if ::Instana.config[:metrics][:gc][:enabled]
-          payload[:gc] = GCSnapshot.instance.report
+          poll_rate = discovery&.dig('plugin', 'ruby', 'poll_rate') || 1
+          payload[:gc] = GCSnapshot.instance.report(poll_rate)
         end
 
         if ::Instana.config[:metrics][:thread][:enabled]
diff --git a/test/backend/gc_snapshot_test.rb b/test/backend/gc_snapshot_test.rb
index b446f7b7..eb14357b 100644
--- a/test/backend/gc_snapshot_test.rb
+++ b/test/backend/gc_snapshot_test.rb
@@ -4,8 +4,108 @@
 require 'test_helper'
 
 class GcSnapshotTest < Minitest::Test
-  def test_report
+  def test_report_returns_hash
     subject = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
-    assert subject.report.is_a?(Hash)
+    assert subject.report(1).is_a?(Hash)
+  end
+
+  def test_report_contains_expected_keys
+    subject = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+    result = subject.report(1)
+    assert result.key?(:totalTime)
+    assert result.key?(:heap_live)
+    assert result.key?(:heap_free)
+    assert result.key?(:minorGcs)
+    assert result.key?(:majorGcs)
+  end
+
+  def test_report_normalizes_gc_counts_by_poll_rate
+    # Force some GC activity so minor/major counts may differ; we stub GC.stat to control values
+    subject = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+
+    # Reset baseline counts via a first report
+    subject.report(1)
+
+    # Stub GC.stat to return predictable delta values relative to the baseline
+    fake_stats = {
+      heap_live_slots: 100_000,
+      heap_free_slots: 20_000,
+      minor_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_minor_count) + 10,
+      major_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_major_count) + 2
+    }
+
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 0.5) do
+        result = subject.report(5)
+        assert_in_delta 2.0, result[:minorGcs], 0.001   # 10 / 5.0
+        assert_in_delta 0.4, result[:majorGcs], 0.001   # 2 / 5.0
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_report_normalizes_total_time_by_poll_rate
+    subject = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+    subject.report(1) # establish baseline
+
+    fake_stats = {
+      heap_live_slots: 50_000,
+      heap_free_slots: 10_000,
+      minor_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_minor_count),
+      major_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_major_count)
+    }
+
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      # total_time is in seconds; report multiplies by 1000 then divides by poll_rate
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 1.0) do
+        result_poll1 = subject.report(1)
+        assert_in_delta 1000.0, result_poll1[:totalTime], 0.001  # 1.0 * 1000 / 1
+      end
+    end
+
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 1.0) do
+        result_poll5 = subject.report(5)
+        assert_in_delta 200.0, result_poll5[:totalTime], 0.001   # 1.0 * 1000 / 5
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_report_poll_rate_1_returns_raw_gc_counts
+    subject = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+    subject.report(1) # establish baseline
+
+    fake_stats = {
+      heap_live_slots: 80_000,
+      heap_free_slots: 15_000,
+      minor_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_minor_count) + 3,
+      major_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_major_count) + 1
+    }
+
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 0.0) do
+        result = subject.report(1)
+        assert_in_delta 3.0, result[:minorGcs], 0.001  # 3 / 1.0
+        assert_in_delta 1.0, result[:majorGcs], 0.001  # 1 / 1.0
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_report_heap_slots_are_not_normalized
+    subject = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+
+    fake_stats = {
+      heap_live_slots: 42_000,
+      heap_free_slots: 8_000,
+      minor_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_minor_count),
+      major_gc_count: subject.instance_variable_get(:@last_major_count)
+    }
+
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 0.0) do
+        result = subject.report(10)
+        assert_equal 42_000, result[:heap_live]
+        assert_equal 8_000, result[:heap_free]
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer_test.rb b/test/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer_test.rb
index 0ebcd650..39576bf8 100644
--- a/test/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer_test.rb
+++ b/test/backend/host_agent_reporting_observer_test.rb
@@ -319,6 +319,82 @@ def test_poll_rate_changes_metrics_timer_interval
     assert_equal 1, subject.traces_timer.opts[:execution_interval]
   end
 
+  def test_gc_metrics_normalized_by_poll_rate
+    # Verify that poll_rate from discovery is forwarded to GCSnapshot.report
+    # and the resulting payload reflects per-second normalization
+    gc_snapshot = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+    gc_snapshot.report(1) # establish baseline
+
+    fake_stats = {
+      heap_live_slots: 60_000,
+      heap_free_slots: 12_000,
+      minor_gc_count: gc_snapshot.instance_variable_get(:@last_minor_count) + 10,
+      major_gc_count: gc_snapshot.instance_variable_get(:@last_major_count) + 4
+    }
+
+    reported_poll_rate = nil
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 0.0) do
+        stub_request(:post, "http://10.10.10.10:9292/tracermetrics").to_return(status: 200)
+        stub_request(:post, "http://10.10.10.10:9292/com.instana.plugin.ruby.0")
+          .with(body: lambda { |raw|
+            data = JSON.parse(raw)
+            if data['gc']
+              reported_poll_rate = data['gc']
+            end
+            true
+          })
+          .to_return(status: 200)
+
+        client = Instana::Backend::RequestClient.new('10.10.10.10', 9292)
+        discovery = Concurrent::Atom.new({'pid' => 0, 'plugin' => {'ruby' => {'poll_rate' => 5}}})
+
+        subject = Instana::Backend::HostAgentReportingObserver.new(client, discovery, timer_class: MockTimer)
+        subject.metrics_timer.block.call
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Confirm the GC counts in the payload are normalized by poll_rate=5
+    assert_in_delta 2.0, reported_poll_rate['minorGcs'], 0.001  # 10 / 5
+    assert_in_delta 0.8, reported_poll_rate['majorGcs'], 0.001  # 4 / 5
+  end
+
+  def test_gc_metrics_default_poll_rate_when_missing
+    # When discovery payload has no poll_rate, defaults to 1 (no normalization)
+    gc_snapshot = Instana::Backend::GCSnapshot.instance
+    gc_snapshot.report(1) # establish baseline
+
+    fake_stats = {
+      heap_live_slots: 70_000,
+      heap_free_slots: 5_000,
+      minor_gc_count: gc_snapshot.instance_variable_get(:@last_minor_count) + 6,
+      major_gc_count: gc_snapshot.instance_variable_get(:@last_major_count) + 2
+    }
+
+    reported_gc = nil
+    ::GC.stub(:stat, fake_stats) do
+      ::GC::Profiler.stub(:total_time, 0.0) do
+        stub_request(:post, "http://10.10.10.10:9292/tracermetrics").to_return(status: 200)
+        stub_request(:post, "http://10.10.10.10:9292/com.instana.plugin.ruby.0")
+          .with(body: lambda { |raw|
+            data = JSON.parse(raw)
+            reported_gc = data['gc'] if data['gc']
+            true
+          })
+          .to_return(status: 200)
+
+        client = Instana::Backend::RequestClient.new('10.10.10.10', 9292)
+        # No poll_rate key in discovery
+        discovery = Concurrent::Atom.new({'pid' => 0})
+
+        subject = Instana::Backend::HostAgentReportingObserver.new(client, discovery, timer_class: MockTimer)
+        subject.metrics_timer.block.call
+      end
+    end
+
+    # With poll_rate defaulting to 1, counts should be unscaled
+    assert_in_delta 6.0, reported_gc['minorGcs'], 0.001
+    assert_in_delta 2.0, reported_gc['majorGcs'], 0.001
   # ============================================================================
   # OTLP EXPORT TESTS (driven by ::Instana.config[:otlp])
   # ============================================================================