diff --git a/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.c b/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.c
index 012dd3c8860..4aa1ff782a4 100644
--- a/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.c
+++ b/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.c
@@ -174,7 +174,11 @@ static struct flb_config_map config_map[] = {
      0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_opentelemetry, successful_response_code),
      "Set successful response code. 200, 201 and 204 are supported."
     },
-
+    {
+     FLB_CONFIG_MAP_BOOL, "raw_traces", "false",
+     0, FLB_TRUE, offsetof(struct flb_opentelemetry, raw_traces),
+     "Forward traces without processing"
+    },
 
     /* EOF */
     {0}
@@ -193,5 +197,5 @@ struct flb_input_plugin in_opentelemetry_plugin = {
     .cb_exit      = in_opentelemetry_exit,
     .config_map   = config_map,
     .flags        = FLB_INPUT_NET | FLB_IO_OPT_TLS,
-    .event_type   = FLB_INPUT_LOGS | FLB_INPUT_METRICS 
+    .event_type   = FLB_INPUT_LOGS
 };
diff --git a/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.h b/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.h
index b68bc52d676..3233f633731 100644
--- a/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.h
+++ b/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ struct flb_opentelemetry {
     flb_sds_t listen;
     flb_sds_t tcp_port;
     const char *tag_key;
+    bool raw_traces;
 
     size_t buffer_max_size;            /* Maximum buffer size */
     size_t buffer_chunk_size;          /* Chunk allocation size */
diff --git a/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry_prot.c b/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry_prot.c
index e6f84bcf8ec..72d97272fd6 100644
--- a/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry_prot.c
+++ b/plugins/in_opentelemetry/opentelemetry_prot.c
@@ -128,10 +128,33 @@ static int process_payload_metrics(struct flb_opentelemetry *ctx, struct http_co
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int process_payload_traces(struct flb_opentelemetry *ctx, struct http_conn *conn,
-                                  flb_sds_t tag,
-                                  struct mk_http_session *session,
-                                  struct mk_http_request *request)
+static int process_payload_traces_proto(struct flb_opentelemetry *ctx, struct http_conn *conn,
+                                        flb_sds_t tag,
+                                        struct mk_http_session *session,
+                                        struct mk_http_request *request)
+{
+    struct ctrace *decoded_context;
+    size_t         offset;
+    int            result;
+
+    offset = 0;
+    result = ctr_decode_opentelemetry_create(&decoded_context,
+                                             request->data.data,
+                                             request->data.len,
+                                             &offset);
+    if (result == 0) {
+        ctx->ins->event_type = FLB_INPUT_TRACES;
+        result = flb_input_trace_append(ctx->ins, NULL, 0, decoded_context);
+        ctr_decode_opentelemetry_destroy(decoded_context);
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+static int process_payload_raw_traces(struct flb_opentelemetry *ctx, struct http_conn *conn,
+                                      flb_sds_t tag,
+                                      struct mk_http_session *session,
+                                      struct mk_http_request *request)
 {
     int ret;
     int root_type;
@@ -173,6 +196,23 @@ static int process_payload_traces(struct flb_opentelemetry *ctx, struct http_con
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int process_payload_traces(struct flb_opentelemetry *ctx, struct http_conn *conn,
+                                  flb_sds_t tag,
+                                  struct mk_http_session *session,
+                                  struct mk_http_request *request)
+{
+    int result;
+
+    if (ctx->raw_traces) {
+        result = process_payload_raw_traces(ctx, conn, tag, session, request);
+    }
+    else {
+        result = process_payload_traces_proto(ctx, conn, tag, session, request);
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
 static inline int mk_http_point_header(mk_ptr_t *h,
                                        struct mk_http_parser *parser, int key)
 {