diff --git a/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
index 3383b7e96..4b53cc626 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ See also [LTS releases](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/lts-releases/).
 
 * FEATURE: [vmalert](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert): revert the default value of `-remoteWrite.maxQueueSize` from `1_000_000` to `100_000`. It was bumped in [v1.104.0](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/releases/tag/v1.104.0), which increases memory usage and is not needed for most setups. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/7471).
 * FEATURE: [vmui](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#vmui): add `Raw Query` tab for displaying raw data. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/7024).
+* FEATURE: [stream aggregation](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/stream-aggregation/): add `ignore_first_sample_interval` param to [aggregation config](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/stream-aggregation/#stream-aggregation-config). It allows users to control the time interval when aggregation skips sending aggregated samples to avoid unexpected spikes in values. By default, this interval is set to x2 of `staleness_interval`. The new setting is applicable only to `total`, `total_prometheus`, `increase`, `increase_prometheus` and `histogram_bucket` outputs. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/7116) for details. Thanks to @iyuroch for the [pull request](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/pull/7313).
 
 * BUGFIX: [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmagent): Properly return `200 OK` HTTP status code when importing data via [Pushgateway protocol](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/#how-to-import-data-in-prometheus-exposition-format) using [multitenant URL format](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/cluster-victoriametrics/#url-format). See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/3636) and [this pull request](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/pull/7571).
 * BUGFIX: [vmsingle](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/single-server-victoriametrics/), `vmselect` in [VictoriaMetrics cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/cluster-victoriametrics/): properly return result for binary operation `^` aka pow at query requests for `NaN` values. See [this issue](https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/7359) for details.
diff --git a/docs/operator/api.md b/docs/operator/api.md
index 4b7e9c4d2..868c6f79d 100644
--- a/docs/operator/api.md
+++ b/docs/operator/api.md
@@ -2061,6 +2061,7 @@ _Appears in:_
 | `output_relabel_configs` | OutputRelabelConfigs is an optional relabeling rules, which are applied<br />on the aggregated output before being sent to remote storage. | _[RelabelConfig](#relabelconfig) array_ | false |
 | `outputs` | Outputs is a list of output aggregate functions to produce.<br /><br />The following names are allowed:<br /><br />- total - aggregates input counters<br />- increase - counts the increase over input counters<br />- count_series - counts the input series<br />- count_samples - counts the input samples<br />- sum_samples - sums the input samples<br />- last - the last biggest sample value<br />- min - the minimum sample value<br />- max - the maximum sample value<br />- avg - the average value across all the samples<br />- stddev - standard deviation across all the samples<br />- stdvar - standard variance across all the samples<br />- histogram_bucket - creates VictoriaMetrics histogram for input samples<br />- quantiles(phi1, ..., phiN) - quantiles' estimation for phi in the range [0..1]<br /><br />The output time series will have the following names:<br /><br />  input_name:aggr_<interval>_<output> | _string array_ | true |
 | `staleness_interval` | Staleness interval is interval after which the series state will be reset if no samples have been sent during it.<br />The parameter is only relevant for outputs: total, total_prometheus, increase, increase_prometheus and histogram_bucket. | _string_ | false |
+| `ignore_first_sample_interval` | IgnoreFirstSampleInterval specifies the interval after which the agent begins sending samples.<br />By default, it is set to the `staleness_interval`. It helps reducing the initial sample load after the agent restart.<br />This parameter is relevant only for the following outputs: total, total_prometheus, increase, increase_prometheus, and histogram_bucket. We recommend setting it to 0s unless you observe unexpected spikes in produced values. | _string_ | false |
 | `without` | Without is an optional list of labels, which must be excluded when grouping input series.<br /><br />See also By.<br /><br />If neither By nor Without are set, then the Outputs are calculated<br />individually per each input time series. | _string array_ | false |
 
 
diff --git a/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr.go b/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr.go
index 6188f8b80..f16f9a10a 100644
--- a/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr.go
+++ b/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr.go
@@ -174,6 +174,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	// The parameter is only relevant for outputs: total, total_prometheus, increase, increase_prometheus and histogram_bucket.
 	StalenessInterval string `yaml:"staleness_interval,omitempty"`
 
+	// IgnoreFirstSampleInterval specifies the interval after which the agent begins sending samples.
+	// By default, it is set to the staleness interval, and it helps reduce the initial sample load after an agent restart.
+	// This parameter is relevant only for the following outputs: total, total_prometheus, increase, increase_prometheus, and histogram_bucket.
+	IgnoreFirstSampleInterval string `yaml:"ignore_first_sample_interval,omitempty"`
+
 	// Outputs is a list of output aggregate functions to produce.
 	//
 	// The following names are allowed:
@@ -483,6 +488,16 @@ func newAggregator(cfg *Config, path string, pushFunc PushFunc, ms *metrics.Set,
 		}
 	}
 
+	// check cfg.IgnoreFirstSampleInterval
+	// by default, it equals to the staleness interval to have backward compatibility, see https://github.com/VictoriaMetrics/VictoriaMetrics/issues/7116
+	ignoreFirstSampleInterval := stalenessInterval
+	if cfg.IgnoreFirstSampleInterval != "" {
+		ignoreFirstSampleInterval, err = time.ParseDuration(cfg.IgnoreFirstSampleInterval)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse `ignore_first_sample_interval: %q`: %w", cfg.IgnoreFirstSampleInterval, err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Check cfg.DropInputLabels
 	dropInputLabels := opts.DropInputLabels
 	if v := cfg.DropInputLabels; v != nil {
@@ -557,7 +572,7 @@ func newAggregator(cfg *Config, path string, pushFunc PushFunc, ms *metrics.Set,
 	aggrOutputs := make([]aggrOutput, len(cfg.Outputs))
 	outputsSeen := make(map[string]struct{}, len(cfg.Outputs))
 	for i, output := range cfg.Outputs {
-		as, err := newAggrState(output, outputsSeen, stalenessInterval)
+		as, err := newAggrState(output, outputsSeen, stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -645,7 +660,7 @@ func newAggregator(cfg *Config, path string, pushFunc PushFunc, ms *metrics.Set,
 	return a, nil
 }
 
-func newAggrState(output string, outputsSeen map[string]struct{}, stalenessInterval time.Duration) (aggrState, error) {
+func newAggrState(output string, outputsSeen map[string]struct{}, stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval time.Duration) (aggrState, error) {
 	// check for duplicated output
 	if _, ok := outputsSeen[output]; ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("`outputs` list contains duplicate aggregation function: %s", output)
@@ -690,9 +705,9 @@ func newAggrState(output string, outputsSeen map[string]struct{}, stalenessInter
 	case "histogram_bucket":
 		return newHistogramBucketAggrState(stalenessInterval), nil
 	case "increase":
-		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, true, true), nil
+		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval, true, true), nil
 	case "increase_prometheus":
-		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, true, false), nil
+		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval, true, false), nil
 	case "last":
 		return newLastAggrState(), nil
 	case "max":
@@ -710,9 +725,9 @@ func newAggrState(output string, outputsSeen map[string]struct{}, stalenessInter
 	case "sum_samples":
 		return newSumSamplesAggrState(), nil
 	case "total":
-		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, false, true), nil
+		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval, false, true), nil
 	case "total_prometheus":
-		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, false, false), nil
+		return newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval, false, false), nil
 	case "unique_samples":
 		return newUniqueSamplesAggrState(), nil
 	default:
diff --git a/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr_test.go b/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr_test.go
index ae64a6ac7..8338be12c 100644
--- a/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr_test.go
+++ b/lib/streamaggr/streamaggr_test.go
@@ -554,6 +554,18 @@ foo 123
 bar{baz="qwe"} 4.34
 `, `bar:1m_total{baz="qwe"} 0
 foo:1m_total 0
+`, "11")
+
+	// total output for non-repeated series, ignore first sample 0s
+	f(`
+- interval: 1m
+  outputs: [total]
+  ignore_first_sample_interval: 0s
+`, `
+foo 123
+bar{baz="qwe"} 4.34
+`, `bar:1m_total{baz="qwe"} 4.34
+foo:1m_total 123
 `, "11")
 
 	// total_prometheus output for non-repeated series
diff --git a/lib/streamaggr/total.go b/lib/streamaggr/total.go
index e905e4531..53dbcdc47 100644
--- a/lib/streamaggr/total.go
+++ b/lib/streamaggr/total.go
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ type totalLastValueState struct {
 	deleteDeadline uint64
 }
 
-func newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval time.Duration, resetTotalOnFlush, keepFirstSample bool) *totalAggrState {
+func newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval, ignoreFirstSampleInterval time.Duration, resetTotalOnFlush, keepFirstSample bool) *totalAggrState {
 	stalenessSecs := roundDurationToSecs(stalenessInterval)
-	ignoreFirstSampleDeadline := fasttime.UnixTimestamp() + stalenessSecs
+	ignoreFirstSampleDeadline := fasttime.UnixTimestamp() + roundDurationToSecs(ignoreFirstSampleInterval)
 
 	return &totalAggrState{
 		resetTotalOnFlush:         resetTotalOnFlush,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func newTotalAggrState(stalenessInterval time.Duration, resetTotalOnFlush, keepF
 func (as *totalAggrState) pushSamples(samples []pushSample) {
 	currentTime := fasttime.UnixTimestamp()
 	deleteDeadline := currentTime + as.stalenessSecs
-	keepFirstSample := as.keepFirstSample && currentTime > as.ignoreFirstSampleDeadline
+	keepFirstSample := as.keepFirstSample && currentTime >= as.ignoreFirstSampleDeadline
 	for i := range samples {
 		s := &samples[i]
 		inputKey, outputKey := getInputOutputKey(s.key)