diff --git a/experimental/CHANGELOG.md b/experimental/CHANGELOG.md
index c437d9eec67..8a19a85904b 100644
--- a/experimental/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/experimental/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ All notable changes to experimental packages in this project will be documented
 
 ### :bug: (Bug Fix)
 
+* fix(exporter-*-otlp-*): use parseHeaders() to ensure header-values are not 'undefined' #4540
+  * Fixes a bug where passing `undefined` as a header value would crash the end-user app after the export timeout elapsed.
+
 ### :books: (Refine Doc)
 
 ### :house: (Internal)
diff --git a/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts
index 9181b082cf9..0a020cb0593 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ import type {
 import type { OTLPExporterNodeConfigBase } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import type { IExportLogsServiceRequest } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-transformer';
 import { getEnv, baggageUtils } from '@opentelemetry/core';
-import { OTLPExporterNodeBase } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
+import {
+  OTLPExporterNodeBase,
+  parseHeaders,
+} from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import { createExportLogsServiceRequest } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-transformer';
 
 import { getDefaultUrl } from '../config';
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ export class OTLPLogExporter
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts
index caec7352fff..16e86fc21e0 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/exporter-logs-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPLogExporter.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   OTLPExporterConfigBase,
   appendResourcePathToUrl,
   appendRootPathToUrlIfNeeded,
+  parseHeaders,
 } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import {
   OTLPProtoExporterNodeBase,
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ export class OTLPLogExporter
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_LOGS_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
   }
   convert(logs: ReadableLogRecord[]): IExportLogsServiceRequest {
diff --git a/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts
index aeb3b94ca72..892e5c5b692 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
 import { ReadableSpan, SpanExporter } from '@opentelemetry/sdk-trace-base';
 import { getEnv, baggageUtils } from '@opentelemetry/core';
-import { OTLPExporterNodeBase } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
+import {
+  OTLPExporterNodeBase,
+  parseHeaders,
+} from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import {
   OTLPExporterNodeConfigBase,
   appendResourcePathToUrl,
@@ -49,7 +52,7 @@ export class OTLPTraceExporter
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts
index be115583cd6..48191660ecc 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/exporter-trace-otlp-proto/src/platform/node/OTLPTraceExporter.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   OTLPExporterNodeConfigBase,
   appendResourcePathToUrl,
   appendRootPathToUrlIfNeeded,
+  parseHeaders,
 } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import {
   OTLPProtoExporterNodeBase,
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ export class OTLPTraceExporter
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_TRACES_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-grpc/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-grpc/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
index 77d68d60a67..4151dbd5396 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-grpc/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-grpc/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import {
   IExportMetricsServiceResponse,
 } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-transformer';
 import { VERSION } from './version';
+import { parseHeaders } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 
 const USER_AGENT = {
   'User-Agent': `OTel-OTLP-Exporter-JavaScript/${VERSION}`,
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ class OTLPMetricExporterProxy extends OTLPGRPCExporterNodeBase<
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config?.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
     super(
       config,
diff --git a/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPMetricExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
index cd648ce8753..5831f74cf9a 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-http/src/platform/node/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   OTLPExporterNodeConfigBase,
   appendResourcePathToUrl,
   appendRootPathToUrlIfNeeded,
+  parseHeaders,
 } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import {
   createExportMetricsServiceRequest,
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class OTLPExporterNodeProxy extends OTLPExporterNodeBase<
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config?.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-proto/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts b/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-proto/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
index 52c9991e30a..9d424687cf6 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-proto/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-exporter-metrics-otlp-proto/src/OTLPMetricExporter.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   OTLPExporterNodeConfigBase,
   appendResourcePathToUrl,
   appendRootPathToUrlIfNeeded,
+  parseHeaders,
 } from '@opentelemetry/otlp-exporter-base';
 import {
   createExportMetricsServiceRequest,
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ class OTLPMetricExporterNodeProxy extends OTLPProtoExporterNodeBase<
       ...baggageUtils.parseKeyPairsIntoRecord(
         getEnv().OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_METRICS_HEADERS
       ),
-      ...config?.headers,
+      ...parseHeaders(config?.headers),
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/src/util.ts b/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/src/util.ts
index f5dc70c9e88..2824752e100 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/src/util.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/src/util.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ export function parseHeaders(
     if (typeof value !== 'undefined') {
       headers[key] = String(value);
     } else {
-      diag.warn(`Header "${key}" has wrong value and will be ignored`);
+      diag.warn(
+        `Header "${key}" has invalid value (${value}) and will be ignored`
+      );
     }
   });
   return headers;
diff --git a/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/test/common/util.test.ts b/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/test/common/util.test.ts
index e1e539273ef..4448ec06da0 100644
--- a/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/test/common/util.test.ts
+++ b/experimental/packages/otlp-exporter-base/test/common/util.test.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe('utils', () => {
       const args = spyWarn.args[0];
       assert.strictEqual(
         args[0],
-        'Header "foo1" has wrong value and will be ignored'
+        'Header "foo1" has invalid value (undefined) and will be ignored'
       );
     });