diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/EventBusImpl.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/EventBusImpl.java
index bdbe44128d7..d9194e559b2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/EventBusImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/EventBusImpl.java
@@ -258,9 +258,9 @@ public MessageImpl createMessage(boolean send, String address, MultiMap headers,
     return msg;
   }
 
-  protected <T> Consumer<Promise<Void>> addRegistration(String address, HandlerRegistration<T> registration, boolean replyHandler, boolean localOnly, Promise<Void> promise) {
+  protected <T> Consumer<Promise<Void>> addRegistration(String address, HandlerRegistration<T> registration, boolean broadcast, boolean localOnly, Promise<Void> promise) {
     HandlerHolder<T> holder = addLocalRegistration(address, registration, localOnly);
-    if (!replyHandler) {
+    if (broadcast) {
       onLocalRegistration(holder, promise);
     } else {
       if (promise != null) {
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ protected <T> Consumer<Promise<Void>> addRegistration(String address, HandlerReg
       }
     }
     return p -> {
-      removeRegistration(holder, replyHandler, p);
+      removeRegistration(holder, broadcast, p);
     };
   }
 
@@ -303,9 +303,9 @@ protected <T> HandlerHolder<T> createHandlerHolder(HandlerRegistration<T> regist
     return new HandlerHolder<>(registration, localOnly, context);
   }
 
-  protected <T> void removeRegistration(HandlerHolder<T> handlerHolder, boolean replyHandler, Promise<Void> promise) {
+  protected <T> void removeRegistration(HandlerHolder<T> handlerHolder, boolean broadcast, Promise<Void> promise) {
     removeLocalRegistration(handlerHolder);
-    if (!replyHandler) {
+    if (broadcast) {
       onLocalUnregistration(handlerHolder, promise);
     } else {
       promise.complete();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/HandlerRegistration.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/HandlerRegistration.java
index 81da3106d93..5727cc59a47 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/HandlerRegistration.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/HandlerRegistration.java
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ void receive(MessageImpl msg) {
 
   protected abstract void dispatch(Message<T> msg, ContextInternal context, Handler<Message<T>> handler);
 
-  synchronized void register(String repliedAddress, boolean localOnly, Promise<Void> promise) {
+  synchronized void register(boolean broadcast, boolean localOnly, Promise<Void> promise) {
     if (registered != null) {
       throw new IllegalStateException();
     }
-    registered = bus.addRegistration(address, this, repliedAddress != null, localOnly, promise);
+    registered = bus.addRegistration(address, this, broadcast, localOnly, promise);
     if (bus.metrics != null) {
-      metric = bus.metrics.handlerRegistered(address, repliedAddress);
+      metric = bus.metrics.handlerRegistered(address, null /* regression */);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/MessageConsumerImpl.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/MessageConsumerImpl.java
index 776cbe0800d..0c9d0429ca5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/MessageConsumerImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/MessageConsumerImpl.java
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ public synchronized MessageConsumer<T> handler(Handler<Message<T>> h) {
           registered = true;
           Promise<Void> p = result;
           Promise<Void> registration = context.promise();
-          register(null, localOnly, registration);
+          register(true, localOnly, registration);
           registration.future().onComplete(ar -> {
             if (ar.succeeded()) {
               p.tryComplete();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/ReplyHandler.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/ReplyHandler.java
index b725cef1da4..2ce310eedde 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/ReplyHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/impl/ReplyHandler.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ protected boolean doReceive(Message<T> reply) {
   }
 
   void register() {
-    register(repliedAddress, false, null);
+    register(false, false, null);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/MetricsTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/MetricsTest.java
index 43c3bd7401a..f57705b26f6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/MetricsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/spi/metrics/MetricsTest.java
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ public void testHandlerMetricReply() throws Exception {
       assertEquals(ADDRESS1, metrics.getRegistrations().get(0).address);
       assertWaitUntil(() -> metrics.getRegistrations().size() == 2);
       HandlerMetric registration = metrics.getRegistrations().get(1);
-      assertEquals(ADDRESS1, registration.repliedAddress);
+      assertEquals(null, registration.repliedAddress); // new behavior
       assertEquals(0, registration.scheduleCount.get());
       assertEquals(0, registration.deliveredCount.get());
       assertEquals(0, registration.localDeliveredCount.get());
@@ -443,13 +443,13 @@ public void testHandlerMetricReply() throws Exception {
     vertx.eventBus().request(ADDRESS1, "ping").onComplete(onSuccess(reply -> {
       assertEquals(ADDRESS1, metrics.getRegistrations().get(0).address);
       HandlerMetric registration = replyRegistration.get();
-      assertEquals(ADDRESS1, registration.repliedAddress);
+      assertEquals(null, registration.repliedAddress);
       assertEquals(1, registration.scheduleCount.get());
       assertEquals(1, registration.deliveredCount.get());
       assertEquals(1, registration.localDeliveredCount.get());
       vertx.runOnContext(v -> {
         assertEquals(ADDRESS1, metrics.getRegistrations().get(0).address);
-        assertEquals(ADDRESS1, registration.repliedAddress);
+        assertEquals(null, registration.repliedAddress);
         assertEquals(1, registration.scheduleCount.get());
         assertEquals(1, registration.deliveredCount.get());
         assertEquals(1, registration.localDeliveredCount.get());