diff --git a/internal/telemetry/trace/client.go b/internal/telemetry/trace/client.go
index ce82f846d..816f473bc 100644
--- a/internal/telemetry/trace/client.go
+++ b/internal/telemetry/trace/client.go
@@ -161,7 +161,9 @@ func NewTraceClientFromConfig(opts otelconfig.Config) (otlptrace.Client, error)
 			protocol = *opts.OtelExporterOtlpTracesProtocol
 		} else if opts.OtelExporterOtlpProtocol != nil {
 			protocol = *opts.OtelExporterOtlpProtocol
-		} else {
+		}
+
+		if protocol == "" {
 			protocol = BestEffortProtocolFromOTLPEndpoint(endpoint, signalSpecificEndpoint)
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/telemetry/trace/client_test.go b/internal/telemetry/trace/client_test.go
index ab6354f1b..ec4771048 100644
--- a/internal/telemetry/trace/client_test.go
+++ b/internal/telemetry/trace/client_test.go
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func (h *errHandler) Handle(err error) {
 	h.err = err
 }
 
-func TestNewRemoteClientFromEnv(t *testing.T) {
+func TestNewTraceClientFromConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	env := testenv.New(t, testenv.WithTraceDebugFlags(testenv.StandardTraceDebugFlags))
 
 	receiver := scenarios.NewOTLPTraceReceiver()
@@ -319,14 +319,22 @@ func TestNewRemoteClientFromEnv(t *testing.T) {
 		expectHeaders map[string][]string
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "GRPC endpoint, auto protocol",
+			name: "GRPC endpoint, unset protocol",
 			env: map[string]string{
 				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":               "otlp",
 				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT": grpcEndpoint.Value(),
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "GRPC endpoint, alternate env, auto protocol",
+			name: "GRPC endpoint, empty protocol",
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":               "otlp",
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT": grpcEndpoint.Value(),
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_PROTOCOL": "",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "GRPC endpoint, alternate env, unset protocol",
 			env: map[string]string{
 				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":        "otlp",
 				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT": grpcEndpoint.Value(),
@@ -334,19 +342,44 @@ func TestNewRemoteClientFromEnv(t *testing.T) {
 			uploadErr: true,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "HTTP endpoint, auto protocol",
+			name: "GRPC endpoint, alternate env, empty protocol",
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":        "otlp",
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT": grpcEndpoint.Value(),
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL": "",
+			},
+			uploadErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HTTP endpoint, unset protocol",
 			env: map[string]string{
 				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":               "otlp",
 				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT": httpEndpoint.Value(),
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "HTTP endpoint, alternate env, auto protocol",
+			name: "HTTP endpoint, empty protocol",
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":               "otlp",
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_ENDPOINT": httpEndpoint.Value(),
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_PROTOCOL": "",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "HTTP endpoint, alternate env, unset protocol",
 			env: map[string]string{
 				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":        "otlp",
 				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT": strings.TrimSuffix(httpEndpoint.Value(), "/v1/traces"), // path is added automatically by the sdk here
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "HTTP endpoint, alternate env, empty protocol",
+			env: map[string]string{
+				"OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER":        "otlp",
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT": strings.TrimSuffix(httpEndpoint.Value(), "/v1/traces"),
+				"OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL": "",
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "GRPC endpoint, explicit protocol",
 			env: map[string]string{