diff --git a/applications/baremetal/main.cpp b/applications/baremetal/main.cpp
index 6ed7cbe..d27e4a4 100644
--- a/applications/baremetal/main.cpp
+++ b/applications/baremetal/main.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
                                                   ethosu_pmu_event_type(ETHOSU_PMU_EVENT_2),
                                                   ethosu_pmu_event_type(ETHOSU_PMU_EVENT_3)};
 
-const uint32_t delayMs = SystemCoreClock / 1000ul;
+const uint32_t delay = 250ul;
 struct ethosu_driver *ethosuDrv;
 EthosUMonitor ethosuMonitor(EthosUMonitor::Backend::EVENT_RECORDER);
 } // namespace
@@ -86,15 +86,19 @@
 extern "C" {
 
 void SysTick_Handler(void) {
+    // Disable systick, preventing new systick interrupt to fire while we call the Ethos-U monitor
+    SysTick->CTRL = 0;
+
     ethosuMonitor.monitorSample(ethosuDrv);
+
+    // Restart the systick timer
+    SysTick_Config(delay);
 }
 
 void ethosu_inference_begin(struct ethosu_driver *drv, void *) {
     ethosuDrv = drv;
     ethosuMonitor.configure(drv, pmuEventConfig);
-
-    // Enable polling
-    SysTick_Config(delayMs);
+    SysTick_Config(delay);
 }
 
 void ethosu_inference_end(struct ethosu_driver *drv, void *) {
@@ -121,6 +125,7 @@
     bool failed = inferenceProcess.runJob(job);
     printf("Status of executed job: ");
     printf(failed ? "Failed\n" : "Success\n");
+    printf("Performance monitor merge count %zu\n", ethosuMonitor.getMergeCount());
 
     return failed;
 }