diff --git a/llm_server/config.py b/llm_server/config.py
index 3df9651..775e132 100644
--- a/llm_server/config.py
+++ b/llm_server/config.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ config_default_vars = {
     'admin_token': None,
     'openai_epose_our_model': False,
     'openai_force_no_hashes': True,
+    'include_system_tokens_in_stats': True
 }
 config_required_vars = ['token_limit', 'concurrent_gens', 'mode', 'llm_middleware_name']
 
diff --git a/llm_server/database/database.py b/llm_server/database/database.py
index 2ae0835..c913fa5 100644
--- a/llm_server/database/database.py
+++ b/llm_server/database/database.py
@@ -97,12 +97,17 @@ def average_column_for_model(table_name, column_name, model_name):
         cursor.close()
 
 
-def weighted_average_column_for_model(table_name, column_name, model_name, backend_name, backend_url, exclude_zeros: bool = False):
+def weighted_average_column_for_model(table_name, column_name, model_name, backend_name, backend_url, exclude_zeros: bool = False, include_system_tokens: bool = True):
+    if include_system_tokens:
+        sql = f"SELECT {column_name}, id FROM {table_name} WHERE model = %s AND backend_mode = %s AND backend_url = %s ORDER BY id DESC"
+    else:
+        sql = f"SELECT {column_name}, id FROM {table_name} WHERE model = %s AND backend_mode = %s AND backend_url = %s AND (token NOT LIKE 'SYSTEM__%%' OR token IS NULL) ORDER BY id DESC"
+
     conn = db_pool.connection()
     cursor = conn.cursor()
     try:
         try:
-            cursor.execute(f"SELECT {column_name}, id FROM {table_name} WHERE model = %s AND backend_mode = %s AND backend_url = %s AND (token NOT LIKE 'SYSTEM__%%' OR token IS NULL) ORDER BY id DESC", (model_name, backend_name, backend_url,))
+            cursor.execute(sql, (model_name, backend_name, backend_url,))
             results = cursor.fetchall()
         except Exception:
             traceback.print_exc()
diff --git a/llm_server/opts.py b/llm_server/opts.py
index 6893f6f..fee8a0e 100644
--- a/llm_server/opts.py
+++ b/llm_server/opts.py
@@ -31,3 +31,4 @@ backend_generate_request_timeout = 95
 admin_token = None
 openai_expose_our_model = False
 openai_force_no_hashes = True
+include_system_tokens_in_stats = True
diff --git a/llm_server/threads.py b/llm_server/threads.py
index 8f796dc..be72077 100644
--- a/llm_server/threads.py
+++ b/llm_server/threads.py
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ class MainBackgroundThread(Thread):
 
             # exclude_zeros=True filters out rows where an error message was returned. Previously, if there was an error, 0
             # was entered into the column. The new code enters null instead but we need to be backwards compatible for now.
-            average_generation_elapsed_sec = weighted_average_column_for_model('prompts', 'generation_time', opts.running_model, opts.mode, opts.backend_url, exclude_zeros=True) or 0
+            average_generation_elapsed_sec = weighted_average_column_for_model('prompts', 'generation_time', opts.running_model, opts.mode, opts.backend_url, exclude_zeros=True, include_system_tokens=opts.include_system_tokens_in_stats) or 0
             if average_generation_elapsed_sec:  # returns None on exception
                 redis.set('average_generation_elapsed_sec', average_generation_elapsed_sec)
 
             # overall = average_column_for_model('prompts', 'generation_time', opts.running_model)
             # print(f'Weighted: {average_generation_elapsed_sec}, overall: {overall}')
 
-            average_output_tokens = weighted_average_column_for_model('prompts', 'response_tokens', opts.running_model, opts.mode, opts.backend_url, exclude_zeros=True) or 0
+            average_output_tokens = weighted_average_column_for_model('prompts', 'response_tokens', opts.running_model, opts.mode, opts.backend_url, exclude_zeros=True, include_system_tokens=opts.include_system_tokens_in_stats) or 0
             if average_generation_elapsed_sec:
                 redis.set('average_output_tokens', average_output_tokens)
 
diff --git a/server.py b/server.py
index c1e2e51..b3eca0a 100644
--- a/server.py
+++ b/server.py
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ openai.api_key = opts.openai_api_key
 opts.admin_token = config['admin_token']
 opts.openai_expose_our_model = config['openai_epose_our_model']
 opts.openai_force_no_hashes = config['openai_force_no_hashes']
+opts.include_system_tokens_in_stats = config['include_system_tokens_in_stats']
 
 if opts.openai_expose_our_model and not opts.openai_api_key:
     print('If you set openai_epose_our_model to false, you must set your OpenAI key in openai_api_key.')