diff --git a/backend/src/monitor.rs b/backend/src/monitor.rs
index 867d2c8520..28b4987e79 100644
--- a/backend/src/monitor.rs
+++ b/backend/src/monitor.rs
@@ -732,6 +732,8 @@ struct OtelSetting {
     otel_exporter_otlp_protocol: Option<String>,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "empty_as_none")]
     otel_exporter_otlp_compression: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "empty_as_none")]
+    otel_exporter_otlp_metrics_temporality_preference: Option<String>,
 }
 
 pub async fn load_otel(db: &DB) {
@@ -788,6 +790,14 @@ pub async fn load_otel(db: &DB) {
                         std::env::set_var("OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_COMPRESSION", compression);
                     }
                 }
+                if let Some(temporality) = o.otel_exporter_otlp_metrics_temporality_preference {
+                    unsafe {
+                        std::env::set_var(
+                            "OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_TEMPORALITY_PREFERENCE",
+                            temporality,
+                        );
+                    }
+                }
                 println!("OTEL settings loaded: tracing ({tracing_enabled}), logs ({logs_enabled}), metrics ({metrics_enabled}), endpoint ({:?}), headers defined: ({})",
                 endpoint, headers.is_some());
             } else {
diff --git a/backend/windmill-common/src/instance_config.rs b/backend/windmill-common/src/instance_config.rs
index e28bf139cf..bf93f887d3 100644
--- a/backend/windmill-common/src/instance_config.rs
+++ b/backend/windmill-common/src/instance_config.rs
@@ -631,6 +631,8 @@ pub struct OtelSettings {
     pub otel_exporter_otlp_protocol: Option<String>,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub otel_exporter_otlp_compression: Option<String>,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub otel_exporter_otlp_metrics_temporality_preference: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Per-language HTTP request tracing proxy configuration.
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/InstanceSetting.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/InstanceSetting.svelte
index 7b6c5e312e..79e57e87ac 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/InstanceSetting.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/InstanceSetting.svelte
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 	import IndexerJobIndexSettings from './instanceSettings/IndexerJobIndexSettings.svelte'
 	import IndexerLogIndexSettings from './instanceSettings/IndexerLogIndexSettings.svelte'
 	import TextInput from './text_input/TextInput.svelte'
+	import Select from './select/Select.svelte'
 	import SettingCard from './instanceSettings/SettingCard.svelte'
 
 	interface Props {
@@ -694,6 +695,30 @@
 									<option value="http/protobuf">http/protobuf</option>
 								</select>
 							</div>
+							<div class="flex flex-col gap-1">
+								<label
+									for="OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_TEMPORALITY_PREFERENCE"
+									class="block text-xs font-semibold text-emphasis">Metrics temporality</label
+								>
+								<Select
+									id="OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_TEMPORALITY_PREFERENCE"
+									items={[
+										{ value: 'cumulative', label: 'cumulative' },
+										{ value: 'delta', label: 'delta' },
+										{ value: 'lowmemory', label: 'lowmemory' }
+									]}
+									placeholder="cumulative (default)"
+									clearable
+									disabled={!$enterpriseLicense}
+									bind:value={
+										$values[setting.key].otel_exporter_otlp_metrics_temporality_preference
+									}
+								/>
+								<span class="text-2xs font-normal text-secondary">
+									For delta-only intakes such as Datadog's, use lowmemory: counters and histograms
+									go out as delta, while gauges stay cumulative and keep reporting between updates.
+								</span>
+							</div>
 						{/if}
 					</div>
 				{:else if setting.fieldType == 'otel_tracing_proxy'}