diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
-## [_Unreleased_](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.7.1.0...main)
+## [_Unreleased_](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.8.0.0...main)
+
+## [v1.8.0.0](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.7.1.0...v1.8.0.0)
+
+- Fix bug: gauges not being published.
+- Add HasVaultData type class to remove the dependency on Yesod's MonadHandler
 
 ## [v1.7.1.0](https://github.com/freckle/freckle-app/compare/v1.7.0.0...v1.7.1.0)
 
diff --git a/freckle-app.cabal b/freckle-app.cabal
--- a/freckle-app.cabal
+++ b/freckle-app.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:      1.18
 name:               freckle-app
-version:            1.7.1.0
+version:            1.8.0.0
 license:            MIT
 license-file:       LICENSE
 maintainer:         Freckle Education
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Database.hs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 -- | Database access for your @App@
 module Freckle.App.Database
   ( HasSqlPool(..)
+  , HasVaultData(..)
   , SqlPool
   , makePostgresPool
   , makePostgresPoolWith
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@
 import UnliftIO.Concurrent (threadDelay)
 import UnliftIO.Exception (displayException)
 import UnliftIO.IORef
-import Yesod.Core (MonadHandler, MonadUnliftIO(withRunInIO), waiRequest)
+import Yesod.Core (MonadUnliftIO(withRunInIO), YesodRequest(reqWaiRequest))
+import Yesod.Core.Types (HandlerData(handlerRequest))
 
 type SqlPool = Pool SqlBackend
 
@@ -64,6 +66,12 @@
 instance HasSqlPool SqlPool where
   getSqlPool = id
 
+class HasVaultData env where
+  getVaultData :: env -> Maybe XRayVaultData
+
+instance HasVaultData (HandlerData child site) where
+  getVaultData = vaultDataFromRequest . reqWaiRequest . handlerRequest
+
 makePostgresPool :: (MonadUnliftIO m, MonadLoggerIO m) => m SqlPool
 makePostgresPool = do
   conf <- liftIO $ do
@@ -74,7 +82,7 @@
 runDB
   :: ( HasSqlPool app
      , HasStatsClient app
-     , MonadHandler m
+     , HasVaultData app
      , MonadUnliftIO m
      , MonadReader app m
      )
@@ -82,7 +90,7 @@
   -> m a
 runDB action = do
   pool <- asks getSqlPool
-  mVaultData <- vaultDataFromRequest <$> waiRequest
+  mVaultData <- asks getVaultData
   Stats.withGauge Stats.dbConnections $
     maybe
       runSqlPool
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Stats.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Stats.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Stats.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Stats.hs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
   -- * Gauges
   , Gauges
-  , GaugeName
+  , Gauge
   , dbConnections
   , withGauge
 
@@ -93,19 +93,18 @@
         ]
       <> tags
 
--- should be data but newtype for now because there's only one and only one planned
 newtype Gauges = Gauges
-  { gdbConnections :: EKG.Gauge
+  { gdbConnections :: Gauge
   -- ^ Track open db connections
   }
 
--- Opaque wrapper to hide EKG.Gauge
-newtype GaugeName = GaugeName
-  { unGaugeName :: Gauges -> EKG.Gauge
+data Gauge = Gauge
+  { gName :: Text
+  , gGauge :: EKG.Gauge
   }
 
-dbConnections :: GaugeName
-dbConnections = GaugeName gdbConnections
+dbConnections :: Gauges -> Gauge
+dbConnections = gdbConnections
 
 data StatsClient = StatsClient
   { scClient :: Datadog.StatsClient
@@ -134,25 +133,48 @@
   -> (StatsClient -> m a)
   -> m a
 withStatsClient StatsSettings {..} f = do
-  gauges <- liftIO $ fmap Gauges EKG.new
+  gauges <- liftIO $ do
+    gdbConnections <- Gauge "active_pool_connections" <$> EKG.new
+    pure Gauges { .. }
+
   if amsEnabled
     then do
       tags <- (amsTags <>) <$> getEcsMetadataTags
       Datadog.withDogStatsD amsSettings $ \client ->
         -- Add the tags to the thread context so they're present in all logs
-        withThreadContext (map toPair tags)
-          $ f StatsClient { scClient = client, scTags = tags, scGauges = gauges }
+        withThreadContext (map toPair tags) $ f StatsClient
+          { scClient = client
+          , scTags = tags
+          , scGauges = gauges
+          }
     else do
-      f $ StatsClient { scClient = Datadog.Dummy, scTags = amsTags, scGauges = gauges }
+      f $ StatsClient
+        { scClient = Datadog.Dummy
+        , scTags = amsTags
+        , scGauges = gauges
+        }
   where toPair = bimap (fromString . unpack) String
 
-withGauge :: (MonadReader app m, HasStatsClient app, MonadUnliftIO m) => GaugeName -> m a -> m a
-withGauge gaugeName f = do
-  gauge' <- view $ statsClientL . gaugesL . to (unGaugeName gaugeName)
-  bracket_ (plus1 gauge') (minus1 gauge') f
-  where
-    plus1 g = liftIO $ EKG.add g 1
-    minus1 g = liftIO $ EKG.subtract g 1
+withGauge
+  :: (MonadReader app m, HasStatsClient app, MonadUnliftIO m)
+  => (Gauges -> Gauge)
+  -> m a
+  -> m a
+withGauge getGauge f = do
+  gauge' <- view $ statsClientL . gaugesL . to getGauge
+  bracket_ (inc gauge') (dec gauge') f
+ where
+  inc g@Gauge {..} = do
+    liftIO $ EKG.inc gGauge
+    publish g
+
+  dec g@Gauge {..} = do
+    liftIO $ EKG.dec gGauge
+    publish g
+
+  publish Gauge {..} = do
+    n <- liftIO $ EKG.read gGauge
+    gauge gName $ fromIntegral n
 
 -- | Include the given tags on all metrics emitted from a block
 tagged
diff --git a/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs b/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
--- a/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
+++ b/library/Freckle/App/Test.hs
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@
     params
     ($ ())
 
+instance HasVaultData app => HasVaultData (AppExample app a) where
+  getVaultData = asks getVaultData
+
 -- | A type restricted version of id
 --
 -- Like 'example', which forces the expectation to 'IO', this can be used to
diff --git a/package.yaml b/package.yaml
--- a/package.yaml
+++ b/package.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: freckle-app
-version: 1.7.1.0
+version: 1.8.0.0
 maintainer: Freckle Education
 category: Utils
 github: freckle/freckle-app