diff --git a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/metrics/mod.rs b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/metrics/mod.rs
index 96e35aeba4..7d41cdf18d 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-sdk/src/metrics/mod.rs
+++ b/opentelemetry-sdk/src/metrics/mod.rs
@@ -590,6 +590,115 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    // "multi_thread" tokio flavor must be used else flush won't
+    // be able to make progress!
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 1)]
+    #[ignore = "Known bug: https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-rust/issues/1598"]
+    async fn delta_memory_efficiency_test() {
+        // Run this test with stdout enabled to see output.
+        // cargo test delta_memory_efficiency_test --features=metrics,testing -- --nocapture
+
+        // Arrange
+        let exporter = InMemoryMetricsExporterBuilder::new()
+            .with_temporality_selector(DeltaTemporalitySelector())
+            .build();
+        let reader = PeriodicReader::builder(exporter.clone(), runtime::Tokio).build();
+        let meter_provider = SdkMeterProvider::builder().with_reader(reader).build();
+
+        // Act
+        let meter = meter_provider.meter("test");
+        let counter = meter
+            .u64_counter("my_counter")
+            .with_unit(Unit::new("my_unit"))
+            .init();
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value1")]);
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value1")]);
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value1")]);
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value1")]);
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value1")]);
+
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value2")]);
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value2")]);
+        counter.add(1, &[KeyValue::new("key1", "value2")]);
+
+        meter_provider.force_flush().unwrap();
+
+        // Assert
+        let resource_metrics = exporter
+            .get_finished_metrics()
+            .expect("metrics are expected to be exported.");
+        assert!(!resource_metrics.is_empty());
+        let metric = &resource_metrics[0].scope_metrics[0].metrics[0];
+        assert_eq!(metric.name, "my_counter");
+        assert_eq!(metric.unit.as_str(), "my_unit");
+        let sum = metric
+            .data
+            .as_any()
+            .downcast_ref::<data::Sum<u64>>()
+            .expect("Sum aggregation expected for Counter instruments by default");
+
+        // Expecting 2 time-series.
+        assert_eq!(sum.data_points.len(), 2);
+        assert!(sum.is_monotonic, "Counter should produce monotonic.");
+        assert_eq!(
+            sum.temporality,
+            data::Temporality::Delta,
+            "Should produce Delta as configured"
+        );
+
+        // find and validate key1=value1 datapoint
+        let mut data_point1 = None;
+        for datapoint in &sum.data_points {
+            if datapoint
+                .attributes
+                .iter()
+                .any(|(k, v)| k.as_str() == "key1" && v.as_str() == "value1")
+            {
+                data_point1 = Some(datapoint);
+            }
+        }
+        assert_eq!(
+            data_point1
+                .expect("datapoint with key1=value1 expected")
+                .value,
+            5
+        );
+
+        // find and validate key1=value2 datapoint
+        let mut data_point1 = None;
+        for datapoint in &sum.data_points {
+            if datapoint
+                .attributes
+                .iter()
+                .any(|(k, v)| k.as_str() == "key1" && v.as_str() == "value2")
+            {
+                data_point1 = Some(datapoint);
+            }
+        }
+        assert_eq!(
+            data_point1
+                .expect("datapoint with key1=value2 expected")
+                .value,
+            3
+        );
+
+        // flush again, and validate that nothing is flushed
+        // as delta temporality.
+        meter_provider.force_flush().unwrap();
+        let resource_metrics = exporter
+            .get_finished_metrics()
+            .expect("metrics are expected to be exported.");
+        println!("resource_metrics: {:?}", resource_metrics);
+        assert!(resource_metrics.is_empty(), "No metrics should be exported as no new measurements were recorded since last collect.");
+    }
+
+    struct DeltaTemporalitySelector();
+    impl TemporalitySelector for DeltaTemporalitySelector {
+        fn temporality(&self, _kind: InstrumentKind) -> Temporality {
+            Temporality::Delta
+        }
+    }
+
     struct TestContext {
         exporter: InMemoryMetricsExporter,
         meter_provider: SdkMeterProvider,