diff --git a/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ExtendedOpenTelemetry.java b/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ExtendedOpenTelemetry.java
index 9b0f1c8..295ae9e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ExtendedOpenTelemetry.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ExtendedOpenTelemetry.java
@@ -15,7 +15,14 @@ public interface ExtendedOpenTelemetry extends ExtensionPoint, OpenTelemetry {
     EventLoggerBuilder eventLoggerBuilder(String instrumentationScopeName);
     ConfigProperties getConfig();
     Resource getResource();
+
+    /**
+     * 
+     * @deprecated use {@link #configure(Map, Resource, boolean)}
+     */
+    @Deprecated
     void configure(@NonNull Map<String, String> openTelemetryProperties, Resource openTelemetryResource);
+    default void configure(@NonNull Map<String, String> openTelemetryProperties, Resource openTelemetryResource, boolean disableShutdownHook){}
 
     @Deprecated
     OpenTelemetry getImplementation();
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ReconfigurableOpenTelemetry.java b/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ReconfigurableOpenTelemetry.java
index 8c1ac10..443f9e9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ReconfigurableOpenTelemetry.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/jenkins/plugins/opentelemetry/api/ReconfigurableOpenTelemetry.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import io.opentelemetry.context.propagation.ContextPropagators;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.OpenTelemetrySdk;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk;
+import io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.autoconfigure.spi.ConfigProperties;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.common.CompletableResultCode;
 import io.opentelemetry.sdk.logs.internal.SdkEventLoggerProvider;
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ public class ReconfigurableOpenTelemetry implements ExtendedOpenTelemetry, OpenT
     Resource resource = Resource.empty();
     ConfigProperties config = ConfigPropertiesUtils.emptyConfig();
     OpenTelemetry openTelemetryImpl = OpenTelemetry.noop();
+    Thread shutdownHook;
     final ReconfigurableMeterProvider meterProviderImpl = new ReconfigurableMeterProvider();
     final ReconfigurableTracerProvider traceProviderImpl = new ReconfigurableTracerProvider();
     final ReconfigurableLoggerProvider loggerProviderImpl = new ReconfigurableLoggerProvider();
@@ -81,17 +83,27 @@ public ReconfigurableOpenTelemetry() {
             logger.log(Level.WARNING, "GlobalEventLoggerProvider already set", e);
         }
 
-        logger.log(Level.FINE, () -> "Initialize " +
+        logger.log(Level.FINE, () -> "Configure " +
                 "GlobalOpenTelemetry with instance " + Optional.of(GlobalOpenTelemetry.get()).map(ot -> ot + "@" + System.identityHashCode(ot)) + "and " +
                 "GlobalEventLoggerProvide with instance " + Optional.of(GlobalEventLoggerProvider.get()).map(elp -> elp + "@" + System.identityHashCode(elp)));
     }
 
     @Initializer(after = InitMilestone.EXTENSIONS_AUGMENTED, before = InitMilestone.SYSTEM_CONFIG_LOADED)
     public void init() {
-        logger.log(Level.INFO, "OpenTelemetry initialized as NoOp");
+        logger.log(Level.INFO, "OpenTelemetry configured as NoOp");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Configure the OpenTelemetry SDK with the given properties and resource disabling the OTel SDK shutdown hook
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    @Override
     public void configure(@NonNull Map<String, String> openTelemetryProperties, Resource openTelemetryResource) {
+        configure(openTelemetryProperties, openTelemetryResource, true);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void configure(@NonNull Map<String, String> openTelemetryProperties, Resource openTelemetryResource, boolean disableShutdownHook) {
 
         if (openTelemetryProperties.containsKey("otel.exporter.otlp.endpoint") ||
                 openTelemetryProperties.containsKey("otel.traces.exporter") ||
@@ -119,13 +131,26 @@ public void configure(@NonNull Map<String, String> openTelemetryProperties, Reso
                                 return this.resource;
                             }
                     )
-                    // disable shutdown hook, SDK closed by #close()
                     .disableShutdownHook()
                     .build()
                     .getOpenTelemetrySdk();
-
             setOpenTelemetryImpl(openTelemetrySdk);
 
+            if (disableShutdownHook) {
+                if (shutdownHook == null) {
+                    // nothing to do, no shutdownhook registered
+                } else {
+                    Runtime.getRuntime().removeShutdownHook(shutdownHook);
+                }
+            } else {
+                if (shutdownHook == null) {
+                    shutdownHook = new Thread(this::close);
+                    Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(shutdownHook);
+                } else {
+                    // nothing to do, shutdown hook already registered
+                }
+            }
+
             logger.log(Level.INFO, () -> "OpenTelemetry initialized: " + ConfigPropertiesUtils.prettyPrintOtelSdkConfig(this.config, this.resource));
 
         } else { // NO-OP
@@ -251,4 +276,18 @@ protected void postOpenTelemetrySdkConfiguration() {
             openTelemetryLifecycleListener.afterConfiguration(this.config);
         });
     }
+
+    static class ShutdownHook extends Thread {
+        final OpenTelemetrySdk openTelemetrySdk;
+
+        public ShutdownHook(OpenTelemetrySdk openTelemetrySdk) {
+            super("OpenTelemetry SDK Shutdown Hook");
+            this.openTelemetrySdk = openTelemetrySdk;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void run() {
+            openTelemetrySdk.close();
+        }
+    }
 }