diff --git a/codex-rs/otel/src/provider.rs b/codex-rs/otel/src/provider.rs
index 26f732da71..4c33f9a29b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/otel/src/provider.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/otel/src/provider.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ use opentelemetry_sdk::trace::span_processor_with_async_runtime::BatchSpanProces
 use opentelemetry_semantic_conventions as semconv;
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::error::Error;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
+use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use tracing::debug;
 use tracing_subscriber::Layer;
@@ -58,12 +60,17 @@ pub struct OtelProvider {
     pub tracer_provider: Option<SdkTracerProvider>,
     pub tracer: Option<Tracer>,
     pub metrics: Option<MetricsClient>,
+    shutdown_started: AtomicBool,
 }
 
 impl OtelProvider {
+    /// Flushes and shuts down configured exporters at most once.
     pub fn shutdown(&self) {
+        if self.shutdown_started.swap(/*val*/ true, Ordering::AcqRel) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         if let Some(tracer_provider) = &self.tracer_provider {
-            let _ = tracer_provider.force_flush();
             let _ = tracer_provider.shutdown();
         }
         if let Some(metrics) = &self.metrics {
@@ -150,6 +157,7 @@ impl OtelProvider {
             tracer_provider,
             tracer,
             metrics,
+            shutdown_started: AtomicBool::default(),
         }))
     }
 
@@ -196,16 +204,7 @@ impl OtelProvider {
 
 impl Drop for OtelProvider {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        if let Some(tracer_provider) = &self.tracer_provider {
-            let _ = tracer_provider.force_flush();
-            let _ = tracer_provider.shutdown();
-        }
-        if let Some(metrics) = &self.metrics {
-            let _ = metrics.shutdown();
-        }
-        if let Some(logger) = &self.logger {
-            let _ = logger.shutdown();
-        }
+        self.shutdown();
     }
 }
 
@@ -456,6 +455,10 @@ fn build_tracer_provider(
         .build())
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "provider_shutdown_tests.rs"]
+mod shutdown_tests;
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
diff --git a/codex-rs/otel/src/provider_shutdown_tests.rs b/codex-rs/otel/src/provider_shutdown_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..939bffe7ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/otel/src/provider_shutdown_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+use super::Context;
+use super::OTelSdkResult;
+use super::OtelProvider;
+use super::SdkTracerProvider;
+use super::Span;
+use super::SpanData;
+use super::SpanProcessor;
+use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize;
+use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+struct ShutdownState {
+    force_flushes: AtomicUsize,
+    shutdowns: AtomicUsize,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct ControlledSpanProcessor {
+    state: Arc<ShutdownState>,
+}
+
+impl SpanProcessor for ControlledSpanProcessor {
+    fn on_start(&self, _span: &mut Span, _context: &Context) {}
+
+    fn on_end(&self, _span: SpanData) {}
+
+    fn force_flush(&self) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        self.state
+            .force_flushes
+            .fetch_add(/*val*/ 1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn shutdown_with_timeout(&self, _timeout: Duration) -> OTelSdkResult {
+        self.state.shutdowns.fetch_add(/*val*/ 1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+fn test_provider() -> (OtelProvider, Arc<ShutdownState>) {
+    let state = Arc::new(ShutdownState::default());
+    let processor = ControlledSpanProcessor {
+        state: Arc::clone(&state),
+    };
+    let tracer_provider = SdkTracerProvider::builder()
+        .with_span_processor(processor)
+        .build();
+
+    (
+        OtelProvider {
+            logger: None,
+            tracer_provider: Some(tracer_provider),
+            tracer: None,
+            metrics: None,
+            shutdown_started: AtomicBool::default(),
+        },
+        state,
+    )
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn explicit_shutdown_and_drop_shut_down_exporters_once_without_force_flush() {
+    let (provider, state) = test_provider();
+
+    provider.shutdown();
+    provider.shutdown();
+    drop(provider);
+
+    assert_eq!(state.shutdowns.load(Ordering::Relaxed), 1);
+    assert_eq!(state.force_flushes.load(Ordering::Relaxed), 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn drop_shuts_down_exporters_without_force_flush() {
+    let (provider, state) = test_provider();
+
+    drop(provider);
+
+    assert_eq!(state.shutdowns.load(Ordering::Relaxed), 1);
+    assert_eq!(state.force_flushes.load(Ordering::Relaxed), 0);
+}