diff --git a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/generator_test.go b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/generator_test.go
index 07932d5fd6..ab3a387933 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/generator_test.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/generator_test.go
@@ -95,11 +95,11 @@ func TestGenerate(t *testing.T) {
 	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("upstream"))
 	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("split_clients"))
 
-	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("endpoint 1.2.3.4:123;"))
-	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("interval 5s;"))
+	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring(`endpoint "1.2.3.4:123";`))
+	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring(`interval "5s";`))
 	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("batch_size 512;"))
 	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("batch_count 4;"))
-	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring("otel_service_name ngf:gw-ns:gw-name:my-name;"))
+	g.Expect(httpCfg).To(ContainSubstring(`otel_service_name "ngf:gw-ns:gw-name:my-name";`))
 
 	g.Expect(files[2].Type).To(Equal(file.TypeRegular))
 	g.Expect(files[2].Path).To(Equal("/etc/nginx/conf.d/config-version.conf"))
diff --git a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_template.go b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_template.go
index 7d41b5352d..6fcf297642 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_template.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_template.go
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ package config
 
 const otelTemplateText = `
 otel_exporter {
-	endpoint {{ .Endpoint }};
+	endpoint "{{ .Endpoint }}";
 	{{- if .Interval }}
-	interval {{ .Interval }};
+	interval "{{ .Interval }}";
 	{{- end }}
 	{{- if .BatchSize }}
 	batch_size {{ .BatchSize }};
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ otel_exporter {
 	{{- end }}
 }
 
-otel_service_name {{ .ServiceName }};
+otel_service_name "{{ .ServiceName }}";
 
 {{- range $attr := .SpanAttributes }}
-otel_span_attr {{ $attr.Key }} {{ $attr.Value }};
+otel_span_attr "{{ $attr.Key }}" "{{ $attr.Value }}";
 {{- end }}
 `
diff --git a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_test.go b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_test.go
index ce7a05a8e8..bb361e285c 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_test.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/telemetry_test.go
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ func TestExecuteTelemetry(t *testing.T) {
 
 	g := NewWithT(t)
 	expSubStrings := map[string]int{
-		"endpoint 1.2.3.4:123;":                        1,
-		"otel_service_name ngf:gw-ns:gw-name:my-name;": 1,
-		"interval 5s;":                                 1,
-		"batch_size 512;":                              1,
-		"batch_count 4;":                               1,
-		"otel_span_attr":                               2,
+		`endpoint "1.2.3.4:123";`:                        1,
+		`otel_service_name "ngf:gw-ns:gw-name:my-name";`: 1,
+		`interval "5s";`:                                 1,
+		"batch_size 512;":                                1,
+		"batch_count 4;":                                 1,
+		"otel_span_attr":                                 2,
 	}
 
 	for expSubStr, expCount := range expSubStrings {