diff --git a/test-collector-ruby/CHANGELOG.md b/test-collector-ruby/CHANGELOG.md
index 70a98883..68aa65c9 100644
--- a/test-collector-ruby/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/test-collector-ruby/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+* Honor standard `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS` and
+  `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS` in both OpenTelemetry modes. These headers take
+  precedence over collector-generated headers, allowing bktec's local OTLP
+  relay to authenticate exports without replacing the normal JSON upload token.
+  Empty header environment variables are treated as unset.
+
 * Align `otel_enabled` and `otel_only` on the same execution spans and run
   resources. `otel_only` now differs by adding `buildkite.execution.via=otlp`
   while skipping legacy trace capture and JSON result uploads.
diff --git a/test-collector-ruby/README.md b/test-collector-ruby/README.md
index 68e5ba01..99a8276a 100644
--- a/test-collector-ruby/README.md
+++ b/test-collector-ruby/README.md
@@ -131,9 +131,14 @@ regardless of who owns the provider. In suite-owned mode, a supported
 Export needs Ruby 3.3 or newer, which is what the OpenTelemetry gems require. On
 older Rubies the option is accepted and does nothing.
 
-Spans need `BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN` to be an agent OIDC token with the
-`write_uploads` scope, from `buildkite-agent oidc request-token`. A suite API
-token still uploads executions, but its spans are rejected.
+The collector honors standard `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS` (or the
+generic `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS`) and gives them precedence over its own
+headers, including `Authorization`. bktec's OTLP relay uses this to provide its
+local credential without changing `BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN`, which remains
+available for normal JSON uploads in `otel_enabled` mode. Without an OTLP
+Authorization header, spans use `BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN`, which must be an
+agent OIDC token with the `write_uploads` scope; a suite API token still uploads
+executions, but its spans are rejected.
 
 Export failures never fail a test or block the normal Test Engine upload. See the
 [OpenTelemetry guide](docs/opentelemetry.md) for what you get and how it
diff --git a/test-collector-ruby/docs/opentelemetry.md b/test-collector-ruby/docs/opentelemetry.md
index edd926ba..96ccabac 100644
--- a/test-collector-ruby/docs/opentelemetry.md
+++ b/test-collector-ruby/docs/opentelemetry.md
@@ -230,10 +230,19 @@ instrumentation unchanged. A warning reports an `[]` selection that was ignored.
 
 ## What gets sent
 
-Spans go to Buildkite over OTLP, using the same `BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN` as
-the rest of the collector. Sending them needs an agent OIDC token with the
-`write_uploads` scope; a suite API token uploads test results as normal but its
-spans are rejected.
+The collector merges standard `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS` (or, when it
+is absent, `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS`) over its own OTLP headers. Header names
+are matched case-insensitively, so a standard `authorization` entry takes
+precedence over the credential sourced from `BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN`. Empty
+header environment variables are treated as unset.
+
+bktec's OTLP relay uses the trace-specific header variable to provide its local
+credential. bktec forwards spans to Buildkite with its OIDC credential while
+`BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN` remains available for normal JSON uploads in
+`otel_enabled` mode. Without an OTLP Authorization header, spans go directly to
+Buildkite using `BUILDKITE_ANALYTICS_TOKEN`, which must be an agent OIDC token
+with the `write_uploads` scope; a suite API token uploads test results as normal
+but its spans are rejected.
 
 OpenTelemetry's SDK owns batching, retries, and transport. `test.execution`
 spans have a reserved, faster-draining queue and exporter. Forwarded children
diff --git a/test-collector-ruby/lib/buildkite/test_collector/otel.rb b/test-collector-ruby/lib/buildkite/test_collector/otel.rb
index e3c0fab0..5be6bf5c 100644
--- a/test-collector-ruby/lib/buildkite/test_collector/otel.rb
+++ b/test-collector-ruby/lib/buildkite/test_collector/otel.rb
@@ -85,7 +85,13 @@ def configure!(endpoint: DEFAULT_ENDPOINT, api_token: nil, run_env: {}, instrume
 
         @api_token = api_token
         @run_key = run_env["key"]
-        headers = request_headers(run_env, api_token)
+        # Passing collector headers to the exporter bypasses its environment
+        # defaults, so merge the standard OTLP headers here instead.
+        environment_headers = otlp_headers_from_environment
+        @authorization_from_environment = environment_headers.keys.any? do |key|
+          key.casecmp?("Authorization")
+        end
+        headers = request_headers(run_env, api_token, environment_headers)
 
         # Run-level detail travels as the resource of the providers we create,
         # so every exported span carries it without repeating it per span.
@@ -215,6 +221,7 @@ def shutdown
         @execution_child_forwarder = nil
         @exporters = nil
         @api_token = nil
+        @authorization_from_environment = nil
         @run_key = nil
         @tracer = nil
       end
@@ -288,6 +295,10 @@ def refresh_authorization(api_token)
         return if api_token.nil? || api_token == @api_token
 
         @api_token = api_token
+        # Standard OTLP configuration remains authoritative across warm-worker
+        # reconfiguration, even when the collector receives a refreshed token.
+        return if @authorization_from_environment
+
         value = authorization_header(api_token)
         refreshed = Array(@exporters).count do |exporter|
           headers = exporter.instance_variable_defined?(:@headers) && exporter.instance_variable_get(:@headers)
@@ -511,12 +522,35 @@ def job_span_links
         []
       end
 
-      def request_headers(run_env, api_token)
+      def request_headers(run_env, api_token, environment_headers = otlp_headers_from_environment)
         headers = { "Buildkite-Tests-Run-Key" => run_env["key"] }
         headers["Authorization"] = authorization_header(api_token) if api_token
+        environment_headers.each do |key, value|
+          headers.delete_if { |existing, _| existing.casecmp?(key) }
+          headers[key] = value
+        end
         headers
       end
 
+      def otlp_headers_from_environment
+        raw = ENV["OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS"]
+        raw = ENV["OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS"] if raw.nil? || raw.empty?
+        return {} if raw.nil? || raw.empty?
+
+        entries = raw.split(",")
+        raise ArgumentError, "invalid OTLP exporter headers" if entries.empty?
+
+        entries.each_with_object({}) do |entry, headers|
+          key, value = entry.split("=", 2).map { |part| URI.decode_uri_component(part) }
+          key = key.to_s.strip
+          value = value.to_s.strip
+          raise ArgumentError, "invalid OTLP exporter headers" if key.empty? || value.empty?
+
+          headers.delete_if { |existing, _| existing.casecmp?(key) }
+          headers[key] = value
+        end
+      end
+
       def authorization_header(api_token)
         "Token token=\"#{api_token}\""
       end
diff --git a/test-collector-ruby/spec/test_collector/otel_spec.rb b/test-collector-ruby/spec/test_collector/otel_spec.rb
index 337273b4..000ab7a3 100644
--- a/test-collector-ruby/spec/test_collector/otel_spec.rb
+++ b/test-collector-ruby/spec/test_collector/otel_spec.rb
@@ -528,6 +528,48 @@ def finish
     )
   end
 
+  it "gives trace-specific OTLP headers precedence over generic and collector headers" do
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).and_call_original
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS")
+      .and_return(
+        "authorization=Bearer%20relay-token,buildkite-tests-run-key=relay-run,x-extra=hello%20world"
+      )
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS")
+      .and_return("authorization=Bearer%20generic-token")
+
+    headers = described_class.send(:request_headers, { "key" => "test-run-id" }, "suite-token")
+
+    expect(headers).to eq(
+      "authorization" => "Bearer relay-token",
+      "buildkite-tests-run-key" => "relay-run",
+      "x-extra" => "hello world",
+    )
+  end
+
+  it "uses generic OTLP headers when trace-specific headers are empty" do
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).and_call_original
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS").and_return("")
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS")
+      .and_return("Authorization=Bearer%20generic-token")
+
+    headers = described_class.send(:request_headers, { "key" => "test-run-id" }, "suite-token")
+
+    expect(headers["Authorization"]).to eq("Bearer generic-token")
+  end
+
+  it "uses collector headers when both standard OTLP header variables are empty" do
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).and_call_original
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS").and_return("")
+    allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS").and_return("")
+
+    headers = described_class.send(:request_headers, { "key" => "test-run-id" }, "suite-token")
+
+    expect(headers).to eq(
+      "Buildkite-Tests-Run-Key" => "test-run-id",
+      "Authorization" => %(Token token="suite-token"),
+    )
+  end
+
   it "uses an AlwaysOn sampler, process-safe random IDs, and the run resource for execution roots" do
     processor = spy(
       "execution processor",
@@ -734,7 +776,9 @@ def finish
   describe "token refresh" do
     def exporter_authorization_headers
       described_class.instance_variable_get(:@exporters).map do |exporter|
-        exporter.instance_variable_get(:@headers)["Authorization"]
+        exporter.instance_variable_get(:@headers).find do |key, _|
+          key.casecmp?("Authorization")
+        end&.last
       end
     end
 
@@ -768,6 +812,32 @@ def exporter_authorization_headers
       OpenTelemetry.tracer_provider = original
     end
 
+    it "does not replace standard OTLP authorization when the collector token changes" do
+      original = OpenTelemetry.tracer_provider
+      suite_provider = OpenTelemetry::SDK::Trace::TracerProvider.new
+      OpenTelemetry.tracer_provider = suite_provider
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).and_call_original
+      allow(ENV).to receive(:[]).with("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS")
+        .and_return("authorization=Bearer%20relay-token")
+
+      described_class.configure!(
+        endpoint: "https://example.invalid/v1/traces",
+        api_token: "before-refresh",
+        run_env: { "key" => "run-123" },
+      )
+      described_class.configure!(
+        endpoint: "https://example.invalid/v1/traces",
+        api_token: "after-refresh",
+        run_env: { "key" => "run-123" },
+      )
+
+      expect(exporter_authorization_headers).to eq(["Bearer relay-token"] * 2)
+    ensure
+      described_class.shutdown
+      suite_provider&.shutdown
+      OpenTelemetry.tracer_provider = original
+    end
+
     it "warns when reconfigured with a different run key, keeping the original run" do
       original = OpenTelemetry.tracer_provider
       suite_provider = OpenTelemetry::SDK::Trace::TracerProvider.new