diff --git a/cmd/metrics/metadata.go b/cmd/metrics/metadata.go
index b0480b1c..806ebf15 100644
--- a/cmd/metrics/metadata.go
+++ b/cmd/metrics/metadata.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ type Metadata struct {
 	// below are not loaded by LoadMetadata, but are set by the caller (should these be here at all?)
 	CollectionStartTime time.Time
 	PerfSpectVersion    string
+	WithWorkload        bool // true if metrics were collected with a user-provided workload application
 }
 
 // LoadMetadata - populates and returns a Metadata structure containing state of the
diff --git a/cmd/metrics/metrics.go b/cmd/metrics/metrics.go
index 57c4ac9d..f1ef1c6e 100644
--- a/cmd/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/cmd/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -1320,6 +1320,7 @@ func collectOnTarget(targetContext *targetContext, localTempDir string, localOut
 	printCompleteChannel := make(chan []string)
 	// get current time for use in setting timestamps on output
 	targetContext.metadata.CollectionStartTime = time.Now() // save the start time in the metadata for use when using the --input option to process raw data
+	targetContext.metadata.WithWorkload = len(argsApplication) > 0
 	go printMetricsAsync(targetContext, localOutputDir, frameChannel, printCompleteChannel)
 	var err error
 	for !signalMgr.shouldStop() {
diff --git a/cmd/metrics/summary.go b/cmd/metrics/summary.go
index 4573f59d..20a9dd84 100644
--- a/cmd/metrics/summary.go
+++ b/cmd/metrics/summary.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ func summarizeMetrics(localOutputDir string, targetName string, metadata Metadat
 	if err != nil {
 		return filesCreated, fmt.Errorf("failed to read metrics from %s: %w", csvMetricsFile, err)
 	}
+	// exclude the final sample if metrics were collected with a workload
+	if metadata.WithWorkload {
+		metrics.excludeFinalSample()
+	}
 	// csv summary
 	out, err := metrics.getCSV()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -214,6 +218,40 @@ func newMetricCollection(csvPath string) (metrics MetricCollection, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
+// excludeFinalSample removes the final timestamp's rows from all metric groups.
+// This is used when collecting metrics with a workload to avoid including
+// post-workload data that can skew the summary statistics.
+func (mc MetricCollection) excludeFinalSample() {
+	if len(mc) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	// All metric groups should have the same number of rows since they come from the same CSV
+	// Check the first group to avoid redundant checking
+	if len(mc[0].rows) <= 1 {
+		// Don't exclude if there's only one sample or no samples
+		slog.Warn("metric collection has only one sample, not excluding final sample")
+		return
+	}
+	for i := range mc {
+		// Find the maximum timestamp in this group
+		maxTimestamp := mc[i].rows[0].timestamp
+		for _, row := range mc[i].rows {
+			if row.timestamp > maxTimestamp {
+				maxTimestamp = row.timestamp
+			}
+		}
+		// Remove all rows with the maximum timestamp
+		var filteredRows []row
+		for _, row := range mc[i].rows {
+			if row.timestamp != maxTimestamp {
+				filteredRows = append(filteredRows, row)
+			}
+		}
+		mc[i].rows = filteredRows
+	}
+	slog.Debug("excluded final sample from metric collection", slog.Int("num_groups", len(mc)))
+}
+
 // getStats - calculate summary stats (min, max, mean, stddev) for each metric
 func (mg *MetricGroup) getStats() (stats map[string]metricStats, err error) {
 	stats = make(map[string]metricStats)
diff --git a/cmd/metrics/summary_test.go b/cmd/metrics/summary_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f15fd0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/metrics/summary_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+package metrics
+
+// Copyright (C) 2021-2025 Intel Corporation
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestExcludeFinalSample(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		inputRows     []row
+		expectedCount int
+		expectedMaxTS float64
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "exclude single final timestamp",
+			inputRows: []row{
+				{timestamp: 5.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 100.0}},
+				{timestamp: 10.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 200.0}},
+				{timestamp: 15.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 150.0}},
+				{timestamp: 20.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 50.0}}, // this should be excluded
+			},
+			expectedCount: 3,
+			expectedMaxTS: 15.0,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "exclude multiple rows with same final timestamp",
+			inputRows: []row{
+				{timestamp: 5.0, socket: "0", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 100.0}},
+				{timestamp: 10.0, socket: "0", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 200.0}},
+				{timestamp: 15.0, socket: "0", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 150.0}},
+				{timestamp: 15.0, socket: "1", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 160.0}}, // same timestamp, different socket
+			},
+			expectedCount: 2,
+			expectedMaxTS: 10.0,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "single sample - should not exclude",
+			inputRows: []row{
+				{timestamp: 5.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 100.0}},
+			},
+			expectedCount: 1,
+			expectedMaxTS: 5.0,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "two samples - exclude last one",
+			inputRows: []row{
+				{timestamp: 5.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 100.0}},
+				{timestamp: 10.0, metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 50.0}},
+			},
+			expectedCount: 1,
+			expectedMaxTS: 5.0,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			// Create a MetricCollection with a single MetricGroup
+			mc := MetricCollection{
+				MetricGroup{
+					names:        []string{"metric1"},
+					rows:         tt.inputRows,
+					groupByField: "",
+					groupByValue: "",
+				},
+			}
+
+			// Call excludeFinalSample
+			mc.excludeFinalSample()
+
+			// Verify the number of remaining rows
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.expectedCount, len(mc[0].rows), "unexpected number of rows after exclusion")
+
+			// Verify that no row has a timestamp greater than expectedMaxTS
+			if len(mc[0].rows) > 0 {
+				for _, row := range mc[0].rows {
+					assert.LessOrEqual(t, row.timestamp, tt.expectedMaxTS, "found row with timestamp greater than expected maximum")
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExcludeFinalSampleMultipleGroups(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test with multiple metric groups (e.g., multiple sockets)
+	mc := MetricCollection{
+		MetricGroup{
+			names:        []string{"metric1"},
+			groupByField: "SKT",
+			groupByValue: "0",
+			rows: []row{
+				{timestamp: 5.0, socket: "0", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 100.0}},
+				{timestamp: 10.0, socket: "0", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 200.0}},
+				{timestamp: 15.0, socket: "0", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 50.0}}, // should be excluded
+			},
+		},
+		MetricGroup{
+			names:        []string{"metric1"},
+			groupByField: "SKT",
+			groupByValue: "1",
+			rows: []row{
+				{timestamp: 5.0, socket: "1", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 110.0}},
+				{timestamp: 10.0, socket: "1", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 210.0}},
+				{timestamp: 15.0, socket: "1", metrics: map[string]float64{"metric1": 60.0}}, // should be excluded
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	mc.excludeFinalSample()
+
+	// Both groups should have 2 rows remaining
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(mc[0].rows), "socket 0 should have 2 rows")
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, len(mc[1].rows), "socket 1 should have 2 rows")
+
+	// Verify max timestamps
+	assert.Equal(t, 10.0, mc[0].rows[1].timestamp, "socket 0 max timestamp should be 10.0")
+	assert.Equal(t, 10.0, mc[1].rows[1].timestamp, "socket 1 max timestamp should be 10.0")
+}
+
+func TestExcludeFinalSampleEmptyCollection(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test with empty MetricCollection
+	mc := MetricCollection{}
+	mc.excludeFinalSample() // should not panic
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(mc), "empty collection should remain empty")
+}
+
+func TestExcludeFinalSampleEmptyRows(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test with MetricGroup that has no rows
+	mc := MetricCollection{
+		MetricGroup{
+			names:        []string{"metric1"},
+			groupByField: "",
+			groupByValue: "",
+			rows:         []row{},
+		},
+	}
+	mc.excludeFinalSample() // should not panic
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(mc[0].rows), "empty rows should remain empty")
+}