diff --git a/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/src/opentelemetry/exporter/otlp/proto/http/metric_exporter/__init__.py b/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/src/opentelemetry/exporter/otlp/proto/http/metric_exporter/__init__.py
index c1d51e3fd3..4ea8c0f205 100644
--- a/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/src/opentelemetry/exporter/otlp/proto/http/metric_exporter/__init__.py
+++ b/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/src/opentelemetry/exporter/otlp/proto/http/metric_exporter/__init__.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import gzip
 import logging
+import os
 import random
 import threading
 import zlib
@@ -203,6 +204,28 @@ def __init__(
         )
         self._max_export_batch_size: int | None = max_export_batch_size
         self._shutdown = False
+        if hasattr(os, "register_at_fork"):
+            os.register_at_fork(after_in_child=self._reset_session_after_fork)
+
+    def _reset_session_after_fork(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Reset exporter session in the child process after fork.
+
+        We close the existing session to avoid finalizer warnings if file
+        descriptors were already closed, then create a new session with the same
+        headers to prevent reusing the parent's connection state.
+        """
+        try:
+            headers = self._session.headers.copy()
+            self._session.close()
+
+            self._session = requests.Session()
+            self._session.headers.update(headers)
+        except Exception:
+            _logger.debug(
+                "Exception occurred while resetting exporter session",
+                exc_info=True,
+            )
 
     def _export(
         self, serialized_data: bytes, timeout_sec: Optional[float] = None
diff --git a/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/tests/metrics/test_otlp_metrics_exporter.py b/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/tests/metrics/test_otlp_metrics_exporter.py
index 8fe57f3553..8ac8621f09 100644
--- a/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/tests/metrics/test_otlp_metrics_exporter.py
+++ b/exporter/opentelemetry-exporter-otlp-proto-http/tests/metrics/test_otlp_metrics_exporter.py
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# pylint: disable=too-many-lines
+import os
 import threading
 import time
+import unittest
 from logging import WARNING
 from os import environ
 from typing import List
@@ -1316,6 +1317,36 @@ def test_shutdown_interrupts_retry_backoff(self, mock_post):
 
             assert after - before < 0.2
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(
+        hasattr(os, "register_at_fork"), "fork session reset not available"
+    )
+    def test_metric_exporter_register_at_fork_resets_session(self):
+        initial_session = MagicMock(spec=requests.Session)
+        initial_session.headers = {"preexisting": "yes"}
+
+        new_session = MagicMock(spec=requests.Session)
+        new_session.headers = {}
+
+        with patch("os.register_at_fork") as mock_register_at_fork, patch(
+            "opentelemetry.exporter.otlp.proto.http.metric_exporter.requests.Session",
+            return_value=new_session,
+        ):
+            exporter = OTLPMetricExporter(
+                session=initial_session, headers={"x-test": "1"}
+            )
+            after_in_child = mock_register_at_fork.call_args.kwargs[
+                "after_in_child"
+            ]
+            after_in_child()
+
+        initial_session.close.assert_called_once()
+        self.assertEqual(exporter._session, new_session)
+        self.assertEqual(exporter._session.headers.get("x-test"), "1")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            exporter._session.headers.get("Content-Type"),
+            "application/x-protobuf",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(exporter._session.headers.get("preexisting"), "yes")
 
 def _resource_metrics(
     index: int, scope_metrics: List[pb2.ScopeMetrics]