diff --git a/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel.go b/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel.go
index 4afd25f69f6..a7ff6498d93 100644
--- a/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel.go
+++ b/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel.go
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ func NewOtelService() OtelService {
 
 // Init the OpenTelemetry service
 func (s *OtelService) Init(ctx context.Context, zapLog *zap.Logger, config config.Config) error {
-	// OTEL_SDK_DISABLED is not supported by the Go SDK, but is a standard env
-	// var defined by the OTel spec. We'll use it to disable the trace provider.
-	if config.OtelConfig.SDK.Disabled {
+	// Require the endpoint to be set either by the openTelemetryOtlpEndpoint
+	// config element or otel.exporter.otlp.endpoint
+	if config.OpenTelemetryOtlpEndpoint == "" && config.OtelConfig.Exporter.Otlp.Endpoint == "" {
 		otel.SetTracerProvider(noop.NewTracerProvider())
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ func (s *OtelService) Init(ctx context.Context, zapLog *zap.Logger, config confi
 		config.OtelConfig.Exporter.Otlp.Endpoint == "" {
 		config.OtelConfig.Exporter.Otlp.Endpoint = config.OpenTelemetryOtlpEndpoint
 		_ = os.Setenv("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT", config.OpenTelemetryOtlpEndpoint)
+	} else if config.OtelConfig.Exporter.Otlp.Endpoint != "" && os.Getenv("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT") == "" {
+		_ = os.Setenv("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT", config.OtelConfig.Exporter.Otlp.Endpoint)
 	}
 
 	exporter, err := autoexport.NewSpanExporter(ctx)
diff --git a/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel_test.go b/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel_test.go
index da1b99bfcfe..7e04622c6e8 100644
--- a/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel_test.go
+++ b/cmd/relayproxy/api/opentelemetry/otel_test.go
@@ -213,7 +213,12 @@ func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
 
 		expectedErr := errors.New("test error")
 
-		err := svc.Init(context.Background(), testLogger, config.Config{})
+		t.Setenv("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT", "https://example.com:4318")
+		f := pflag.NewFlagSet("config", pflag.ContinueOnError)
+		c, errC := config.New(f, zap.L(), "1.X.X")
+		require.NoError(t, errC)
+		c.OpenTelemetryOtlpEndpoint = "https://bogus.com:4317"
+		err := svc.Init(context.Background(), testLogger, *c)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		defer func() { _ = svc.Stop(context.Background()) }()
 		otel.GetErrorHandler().Handle(expectedErr)
diff --git a/cmd/relayproxy/api/server.go b/cmd/relayproxy/api/server.go
index 8054561cdd8..65185470492 100644
--- a/cmd/relayproxy/api/server.go
+++ b/cmd/relayproxy/api/server.go
@@ -120,12 +120,10 @@ func (s *Server) Start() {
 	}
 
 	// start the OpenTelemetry tracing service
-	if s.config.OpenTelemetryOtlpEndpoint != "" {
-		err := s.otelService.Init(context.Background(), s.zapLog, *s.config)
-		if err != nil {
-			s.zapLog.Error("error while initializing Otel", zap.Error(err))
-			// we can continue because otel is not mandatory to start the server
-		}
+	err := s.otelService.Init(context.Background(), s.zapLog, *s.config)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.zapLog.Error("error while initializing OTel, continuing without tracing enabled", zap.Error(err))
+		// we can continue because otel is not mandatory to start the server
 	}
 
 	// starting the main application
@@ -138,7 +136,7 @@ func (s *Server) Start() {
 		zap.String("address", address),
 		zap.String("version", s.config.Version))
 
-	err := s.apiEcho.Start(address)
+	err = s.apiEcho.Start(address)
 	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
 		s.zapLog.Fatal("Error starting relay proxy", zap.Error(err))
 	}
diff --git a/website/docs/relay_proxy/monitor_relay_proxy.md b/website/docs/relay_proxy/monitor_relay_proxy.md
index 740c3e1df0f..e4debfbe510 100644
--- a/website/docs/relay_proxy/monitor_relay_proxy.md
+++ b/website/docs/relay_proxy/monitor_relay_proxy.md
@@ -10,17 +10,18 @@ The **relay proxy** is able to trace the requests it is handling. This is done b
 
 ### Configuration
 
-By default, the relay proxy will attempt to send traces to an OpenTelemetry
-collector or compatible agent running at `http://localhost:4318` using the
-`http/protobuf` protocol.
-To override the endpoint, set the `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT` environment variable.
-To override the protocol, set the `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL` environment variable.
+The relay proxy will attempt to send traces to an OpenTelemetry collector or
+compatible agent if an OpenTelemetry exporter endpoint is configured.
+
+To set the endpoint, set the `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT` environment variable
+or set `otel.exporter.otlp.endpoint` in the configuration file.
+
+To override the protocol, set the `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL` environment variable (`http/protobuf` is the default) or set `otel.exporter.otlp.protocol` in the configuration file.
+
 See [the OpenTelemetry documentation](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/otel/configuration/sdk-environment-variables/) for more information.
 
 All your requests will be traced and sent to the collector with the service name **`go-feature-flag`**.
 
-To disable tracing, set the `OTEL_SDK_DISABLED` environment variable to `true`.
-
 :::note
 If you want to try the OpenTelemetry integration locally, follow this [README](https://github.com/thomaspoignant/go-feature-flag/tree/main/cmd/relayproxy/testdata/opentelemetry)
 to setup Jaeger and see your traces.