diff --git a/tests/test_otel.py b/tests/test_otel.py
index 11caa854..513c1f12 100644
--- a/tests/test_otel.py
+++ b/tests/test_otel.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
         interval {{ interval or "1ms" }};
         batch_size 3;
         batch_count 3;
+
+        {{ exporter_opts }}
     }
 
     otel_trace on;
@@ -288,3 +290,26 @@ def test_custom_resource_attributes(client, trace_service):
     assert get_attr(batch.resource, "service.name") == "test_service"
     assert get_attr(batch.resource, "my.name") == "my name"
     assert get_attr(batch.resource, "my.service") == "my service"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "nginx_config",
+    [
+        {
+            "exporter_opts": """
+                header X-API-TOKEN api.value;
+                header Authorization "Basic value";
+            """,
+        }
+    ],
+    indirect=True,
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("trace_service", ["skip_otelcol"], indirect=True)
+def test_exporter_headers(client, trace_service):
+    assert client.get("http://127.0.0.1:18080/ok").status_code == 200
+
+    assert trace_service.get_span().name == "/ok"
+
+    headers = dict(trace_service.last_metadata)
+    assert headers["x-api-token"] == "api.value"
+    assert headers["authorization"] == "Basic value"
diff --git a/tests/trace_service.py b/tests/trace_service.py
index 3b191a1d..f47b104c 100644
--- a/tests/trace_service.py
+++ b/tests/trace_service.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class TraceService(trace_service_pb2_grpc.TraceServiceServicer):
 
     def Export(self, request, context):
         self.batches.append(request.resource_spans)
+        self.last_metadata = context.invocation_metadata()
         return trace_service_pb2.ExportTracePartialSuccess()
 
     def get_batch(self):
@@ -31,13 +32,17 @@ def get_span(self):
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
-def trace_service(pytestconfig, logger):
+def trace_service(request, pytestconfig, logger):
     server = grpc.server(concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor())
     trace_service = TraceService()
     trace_service_pb2_grpc.add_TraceServiceServicer_to_server(
         trace_service, server
     )
-    listen_addr = f"127.0.0.1:{24317 if pytestconfig.option.otelcol else 14317}"
+    trace_service.use_otelcol = (
+        pytestconfig.option.otelcol
+        and getattr(request, "param", "") != "skip_otelcol"
+    )
+    listen_addr = f"127.0.0.1:{24317 if trace_service.use_otelcol else 14317}"
     server.add_insecure_port(listen_addr)
     logger.info(f"Starting trace service at {listen_addr}...")
     server.start()
@@ -48,7 +53,7 @@ def trace_service(pytestconfig, logger):
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def otelcol(pytestconfig, testdir, logger, trace_service):
-    if pytestconfig.option.otelcol is None:
+    if not trace_service.use_otelcol:
         yield
         return