diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java
index 82d7ea2717..65a6cf19c1 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ package org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.otlp;
 import io.micrometer.core.instrument.Clock;
 import io.micrometer.registry.otlp.OtlpConfig;
 import io.micrometer.registry.otlp.OtlpMeterRegistry;
+import io.micrometer.registry.otlp.OtlpMetricsSender;
 
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.ObjectProvider;
 import org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.CompositeMeterRegistryAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.MetricsAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.ConditionalOnEnabledMetricsExport;
@@ -76,16 +78,25 @@ public class OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfiguration {
 	@Bean
 	@ConditionalOnMissingBean
 	@ConditionalOnThreading(Threading.PLATFORM)
-	public OtlpMeterRegistry otlpMeterRegistry(OtlpConfig otlpConfig, Clock clock) {
-		return new OtlpMeterRegistry(otlpConfig, clock);
+	public OtlpMeterRegistry otlpMeterRegistry(OtlpConfig otlpConfig, Clock clock,
+			ObjectProvider<OtlpMetricsSender> metricsSender) {
+		return builder(otlpConfig, clock, metricsSender).build();
 	}
 
 	@Bean
 	@ConditionalOnMissingBean
 	@ConditionalOnThreading(Threading.VIRTUAL)
-	public OtlpMeterRegistry otlpMeterRegistryVirtualThreads(OtlpConfig otlpConfig, Clock clock) {
-		VirtualThreadTaskExecutor taskExecutor = new VirtualThreadTaskExecutor("otlp-meter-registry-");
-		return new OtlpMeterRegistry(otlpConfig, clock, taskExecutor.getVirtualThreadFactory());
+	public OtlpMeterRegistry otlpMeterRegistryVirtualThreads(OtlpConfig otlpConfig, Clock clock,
+			ObjectProvider<OtlpMetricsSender> metricsSender) {
+		VirtualThreadTaskExecutor executor = new VirtualThreadTaskExecutor("otlp-meter-registry-");
+		return builder(otlpConfig, clock, metricsSender).threadFactory(executor.getVirtualThreadFactory()).build();
+	}
+
+	private OtlpMeterRegistry.Builder builder(OtlpConfig otlpConfig, Clock clock,
+			ObjectProvider<OtlpMetricsSender> metricsSender) {
+		OtlpMeterRegistry.Builder builder = OtlpMeterRegistry.builder(otlpConfig).clock(clock);
+		metricsSender.ifAvailable(builder::metricsSender);
+		return builder;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
index 64a9d65aa7..0d29938ec4 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-actuator-autoconfigure/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/metrics/export/otlp/OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -21,12 +21,14 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import io.micrometer.core.instrument.Clock;
 import io.micrometer.registry.otlp.OtlpConfig;
 import io.micrometer.registry.otlp.OtlpMeterRegistry;
+import io.micrometer.registry.otlp.OtlpMetricsSender;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.EnabledForJreRange;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.JRE;
 
 import org.springframework.boot.actuate.autoconfigure.metrics.export.otlp.OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfiguration.PropertiesOtlpMetricsConnectionDetails;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.AutoConfigurations;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.context.assertj.AssertableApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.context.runner.ApplicationContextRunner;
 import org.springframework.boot.testsupport.assertj.ScheduledExecutorServiceAssert;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
@@ -132,6 +134,27 @@ class OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 			});
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void allowsCustomMetricsSenderToBeUsed() {
+		this.contextRunner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class, CustomMetricsSenderConfiguration.class)
+			.run(this::assertHasCustomMetricsSender);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	@EnabledForJreRange(min = JRE.JAVA_21)
+	void allowsCustomMetricsSenderToBeUsedWithVirtualThreads() {
+		this.contextRunner.withUserConfiguration(BaseConfiguration.class, CustomMetricsSenderConfiguration.class)
+			.withPropertyValues("spring.threads.virtual.enabled=true")
+			.run(this::assertHasCustomMetricsSender);
+	}
+
+	private void assertHasCustomMetricsSender(AssertableApplicationContext context) {
+		assertThat(context).hasSingleBean(OtlpMeterRegistry.class);
+		OtlpMeterRegistry registry = context.getBean(OtlpMeterRegistry.class);
+		assertThat(registry).extracting("metricsSender")
+			.satisfies((sender) -> assertThat(sender).isSameAs(CustomMetricsSenderConfiguration.customMetricsSender));
+	}
+
 	@Configuration(proxyBeanMethods = false)
 	static class BaseConfiguration {
 
@@ -174,4 +197,17 @@ class OtlpMetricsExportAutoConfigurationTests {
 
 	}
 
+	@Configuration(proxyBeanMethods = false)
+	static class CustomMetricsSenderConfiguration {
+
+		static OtlpMetricsSender customMetricsSender = (request) -> {
+		};
+
+		@Bean
+		OtlpMetricsSender customMetricsSender() {
+			return customMetricsSender;
+		}
+
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/docs/antora/modules/reference/pages/actuator/metrics.adoc b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/docs/antora/modules/reference/pages/actuator/metrics.adoc
index fb32b1ad1f..d8af87d4a8 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/docs/antora/modules/reference/pages/actuator/metrics.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-docs/src/docs/antora/modules/reference/pages/actuator/metrics.adoc
@@ -522,6 +522,8 @@ management:
 
 Custom headers, for example for authentication, can also be provided using configprop:management.otlp.metrics.export.headers.*[] properties.
 
+If an `OtlpMetricsSender` bean is available, it will be configured on the `OtlpMeterRegistry` that Spring Boot auto-configures.
+
 
 
 [[actuator.metrics.export.prometheus]]