diff --git a/server/cmd/api/main.go b/server/cmd/api/main.go
index 19a62089..57c3f268 100644
--- a/server/cmd/api/main.go
+++ b/server/cmd/api/main.go
@@ -140,9 +140,12 @@ func main() {
 	var otlpExporter api.OTLPExporter
 	var otlpMetrics *events.OTLPMetrics
 	if config.OTLPEndpoint != "" {
+		// The relay authenticates the VM by its instance name (checked against
+		// active sessions), mirroring the capmonster/hcaptcha relays. Sent as
+		// x-api-key, not a bearer token.
 		headers := map[string]string{}
-		if config.InstanceJWT != "" {
-			headers["Authorization"] = "Bearer " + config.InstanceJWT
+		if config.InstanceName != "" {
+			headers["x-api-key"] = config.InstanceName
 		}
 		slogger.Info("OTLP export available", "endpoint", config.OTLPEndpoint, "path", config.OTLPPath)
 		// The OTel log SDK reports batch-queue drops through its global logger at
diff --git a/server/cmd/config/config.go b/server/cmd/config/config.go
index 70cce914..74b210c7 100644
--- a/server/cmd/config/config.go
+++ b/server/cmd/config/config.go
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	OTLPMaxQueueSize   int           `envconfig:"BTEL_OTLP_MAX_QUEUE_SIZE" default:"2048"`
 	OTLPExportInterval time.Duration `envconfig:"BTEL_OTLP_EXPORT_INTERVAL" default:"1s"`
 	OTLPExportTimeout  time.Duration `envconfig:"BTEL_OTLP_EXPORT_TIMEOUT"  default:"30s"`
-	// Platform-injected identity, reused to stamp the OTLP Resource. These are
-	// the same envs the VM already receives.
-	InstanceJWT  string `envconfig:"KERNEL_INSTANCE_JWT" default:""`
-	InstanceName string `envconfig:"INST_NAME"           default:""`
-	MetroName    string `envconfig:"METRO_NAME"          default:""`
+	// Platform-injected identity: InstanceName is sent to the relay as x-api-key
+	// and, with MetroName, stamps the OTLP Resource. Same envs the VM already
+	// receives.
+	InstanceName string `envconfig:"INST_NAME"   default:""`
+	MetroName    string `envconfig:"METRO_NAME"  default:""`
 }
 
 // LogValue implements slog.LogValuer, redacting secret fields.
@@ -83,10 +83,6 @@ func (c *Config) LogValue() slog.Value {
 	if c.S2AccessToken != "" {
 		s2AccessToken = "[redacted]"
 	}
-	otlpJWT := ""
-	if c.InstanceJWT != "" {
-		otlpJWT = "[redacted]"
-	}
 	return slog.GroupValue(
 		slog.Int("port", c.Port),
 		slog.Int("metrics_port", c.MetricsPort),
@@ -109,7 +105,6 @@ func (c *Config) LogValue() slog.Value {
 		slog.String("otlp_endpoint", c.OTLPEndpoint),
 		slog.String("otlp_path", c.OTLPPath),
 		slog.Bool("otlp_insecure", c.OTLPInsecure),
-		slog.String("otlp_instance_jwt", otlpJWT),
 		slog.String("otlp_service_name", c.OTLPServiceName),
 		slog.Int("otlp_max_queue_size", c.OTLPMaxQueueSize),
 		slog.Duration("otlp_export_interval", c.OTLPExportInterval),
diff --git a/server/lib/events/otlpstorage_test.go b/server/lib/events/otlpstorage_test.go
index 50eecc8e..b33aabcf 100644
--- a/server/lib/events/otlpstorage_test.go
+++ b/server/lib/events/otlpstorage_test.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func TestLoggingExporter_CountsExportFailures(t *testing.T) {
 // that an excluded category (screenshot) never reaches the receiver.
 func TestOTLPStorageWriter_ExportsEvents(t *testing.T) {
 	var mu sync.Mutex
-	var paths, auths, eventNames []string
+	var paths, apiKeys, eventNames []string
 	attrStr := map[string]string{}
 	var statusAttr int64
 	var bodyIsMap bool
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestOTLPStorageWriter_ExportsEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NoError(t, proto.Unmarshal(body, &req))
 		mu.Lock()
 		paths = append(paths, r.URL.Path)
-		auths = append(auths, r.Header.Get("Authorization"))
+		apiKeys = append(apiKeys, r.Header.Get("x-api-key"))
 		for _, rl := range req.ResourceLogs {
 			for _, sl := range rl.ScopeLogs {
 				for _, lr := range sl.LogRecords {
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func TestOTLPStorageWriter_ExportsEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		Endpoint:     strings.TrimPrefix(srv.URL, "http://"),
 		URLPath:      "/otlp-relay/v1/logs",
 		Insecure:     true,
-		Headers:      map[string]string{"Authorization": "Bearer test-jwt"},
+		Headers:      map[string]string{"x-api-key": "browser-1"},
 		ServiceName:  "kernel-browser",
 		InstanceName: "browser-1",
 		Metro:        "dev-iad",
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ func TestOTLPStorageWriter_ExportsEvents(t *testing.T) {
 	defer mu.Unlock()
 	require.NotEmpty(t, paths, "expected at least one export request")
 	assert.Equal(t, "/otlp-relay/v1/logs", paths[0])
-	assert.Equal(t, "Bearer test-jwt", auths[0])
+	// The relay authenticates the VM by instance name sent as x-api-key.
+	assert.Equal(t, "browser-1", apiKeys[0])
 	// The excluded screenshot must not reach the receiver; only the network event does.
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"network_response"}, eventNames)
 	// Promoted attributes and the structured body survive the SDK to protobuf translation.