diff --git a/src/server/communication/request_handler.py b/src/server/communication/request_handler.py
index aaff010..84a2cd3 100644
--- a/src/server/communication/request_handler.py
+++ b/src/server/communication/request_handler.py
@@ -102,8 +102,29 @@ def _cpu_frequency_values() -> list[float]:
     return values
 
 
+_CPU_TIMES_FIELDS = (
+    "idle",
+    "user",
+    "system",
+    "nice",
+    "iowait",
+    "irq",
+    "softirq",
+    "steal",
+    "guest",
+    "guest_nice",
+)
+_previous_cpu_times: dict[str, float] | None = None
+_previous_cpu_times_lock = threading.Lock()
+
+
 def get_edge_system_metrics() -> dict:
-    """Return edge host system metrics used in offloading decision telemetry."""
+    """Return edge host system metrics used in offloading decision telemetry.
+
+    ``cpu_idle``/``cpu_user``/``cpu_system`` are the fraction of CPU time spent
+    in each state since the previous call, not the cumulative time since boot
+    that ``psutil.cpu_times()`` reports.
+    """
     metrics = {
         "cpu_idle": 0.0,
         "cpu_user": 0.0,
@@ -121,9 +142,25 @@ def get_edge_system_metrics() -> dict:
 
     try:
         cpu_times = psutil.cpu_times()
-        metrics["cpu_idle"] = _finite_metric(getattr(cpu_times, "idle", 0.0))
-        metrics["cpu_user"] = _finite_metric(getattr(cpu_times, "user", 0.0))
-        metrics["cpu_system"] = _finite_metric(getattr(cpu_times, "system", 0.0))
+        current = {
+            field: getattr(cpu_times, field)
+            for field in _CPU_TIMES_FIELDS
+            if hasattr(cpu_times, field)
+        }
+        with _previous_cpu_times_lock:
+            global _previous_cpu_times
+            previous = _previous_cpu_times
+            _previous_cpu_times = current
+        if previous is not None:
+            delta = {
+                field: current[field] - previous.get(field, current[field])
+                for field in current
+            }
+            total = sum(value for value in delta.values() if value > 0)
+            if total > 0:
+                metrics["cpu_idle"] = _finite_metric(delta.get("idle", 0.0) / total)
+                metrics["cpu_user"] = _finite_metric(delta.get("user", 0.0) / total)
+                metrics["cpu_system"] = _finite_metric(delta.get("system", 0.0) / total)
     except Exception:
         pass
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_request_handler_helpers.py b/tests/unit/test_request_handler_helpers.py
index d97f8a4..ae78ac6 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_request_handler_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_request_handler_helpers.py
@@ -101,15 +101,16 @@ def cpu_percent(interval=None):
     assert get_edge_cpu_percent() == 0.0
 
 
-def test_get_edge_system_metrics_collects_psutil_fields(monkeypatch):
-    class Obj:
-        def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-            self.__dict__.update(kwargs)
+class _Obj:
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        self.__dict__.update(kwargs)
 
+
+def _make_fake_psutil(monkeypatch, cpu_times_obj):
     class FakePsutil:
         @staticmethod
         def cpu_times():
-            return Obj(idle=100.1234, user=20.5678, system=7.8912)
+            return cpu_times_obj
 
         @staticmethod
         def cpu_count():
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ def cpu_count():
         @staticmethod
         def cpu_freq(percpu=True):
             assert percpu is True
-            return [Obj(current=2400.1234), Obj(current=2399.9876)]
+            return [_Obj(current=2400.1234), _Obj(current=2399.9876)]
 
         @staticmethod
         def getloadavg():
@@ -126,14 +127,23 @@ def getloadavg():
 
         @staticmethod
         def virtual_memory():
-            return Obj(total=16_000, available=4_000)
+            return _Obj(total=16_000, available=4_000)
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(rh, "psutil", FakePsutil)
 
-    assert get_edge_system_metrics() == {
-        "cpu_idle": 100.123,
-        "cpu_user": 20.568,
-        "cpu_system": 7.891,
+
+def test_get_edge_system_metrics_reports_zero_cpu_ratios_on_first_call(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(rh, "_previous_cpu_times", None)
+    _make_fake_psutil(monkeypatch, _Obj(idle=100.0, user=20.0, system=7.0))
+
+    result = get_edge_system_metrics()
+
+    # No prior sample yet: cpu ratios can't be computed, only the other
+    # (non-cumulative) fields are meaningful on the first call.
+    assert result == {
+        "cpu_idle": 0.0,
+        "cpu_user": 0.0,
+        "cpu_system": 0.0,
         "cpu_count": 8,
         "cpu_freq": [2400.123, 2399.988],
         "load_avg_1_min": 1.234,
@@ -144,6 +154,21 @@ def virtual_memory():
     }
 
 
+def test_get_edge_system_metrics_reports_delta_ratio_on_subsequent_call(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(rh, "_previous_cpu_times", None)
+    _make_fake_psutil(monkeypatch, _Obj(idle=100.0, user=20.0, system=7.0))
+    get_edge_system_metrics()
+
+    # Second call, 10s later: idle +8, user +1, system +1 -> total delta 10.
+    _make_fake_psutil(monkeypatch, _Obj(idle=108.0, user=21.0, system=8.0))
+
+    result = get_edge_system_metrics()
+
+    assert result["cpu_idle"] == pytest.approx(0.8)
+    assert result["cpu_user"] == pytest.approx(0.1)
+    assert result["cpu_system"] == pytest.approx(0.1)
+
+
 def test_get_edge_system_metrics_returns_defaults_without_psutil(monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(rh, "psutil", None)