diff --git a/pkg/network/events/monitor.go b/pkg/network/events/monitor.go
index 5e2bc913ccadbf..39c3f974d51fb6 100644
--- a/pkg/network/events/monitor.go
+++ b/pkg/network/events/monitor.go
@@ -23,9 +23,21 @@ import (
 	"github.com/DataDog/datadog-agent/pkg/util/log"
 )
 
-var theMonitor atomic.Value
-var once sync.Once
-var initErr error
+var (
+	theMonitor atomic.Value
+	once       sync.Once
+	initErr    error
+	envFilter  = map[string]bool{
+		"DD_SERVICE": true,
+		"DD_VERSION": true,
+		"DD_ENV":     true,
+	}
+	envTagNames = map[string]string{
+		"DD_SERVICE": "service",
+		"DD_VERSION": "version",
+		"DD_ENV":     "env",
+	}
+)
 
 // Process is a process
 type Process struct {
@@ -107,14 +119,14 @@ func (h *eventHandlerWrapper) Copy(ev *model.Event) any {
 		StartTime:   processStartTime.UnixNano(),
 	}
 
-	envs := model.FilterEnvs(ev.GetProcessEnvp(), map[string]bool{
-		"DD_SERVICE": true,
-		"DD_VERSION": true,
-		"DD_ENV":     true,
-	})
-
+	envs := model.FilterEnvs(ev.GetProcessEnvp(), envFilter)
 	for _, env := range envs {
-		p.Tags = append(p.Tags, intern.GetByString(strings.Replace(env, "=", ":", 1)))
+		k, v, _ := strings.Cut(env, "=")
+		if len(v) > 0 {
+			if t := envTagNames[k]; t != "" {
+				p.Tags = append(p.Tags, intern.GetByString(k+":"+v))
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	if cid := ev.GetContainerId(); cid != "" {
diff --git a/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache.go b/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache.go
index 68ab3b9a9bf906..89d71145c83e6c 100644
--- a/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache.go
+++ b/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func (pc *processCache) HandleProcessEvent(entry *events.Process) {
 }
 
 func (pc *processCache) processEvent(entry *events.Process) *events.Process {
-	if len(entry.Envs) == 0 && entry.ContainerID == nil {
+	if len(entry.Tags) == 0 && entry.ContainerID == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache_test.go b/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache_test.go
index 08b39161d98d17..94b02d95d5feeb 100644
--- a/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache_test.go
+++ b/pkg/network/tracer/process_cache_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func TestProcessCacheProcessEvent(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Cleanup(pc.Stop)
 
 		p := pc.processEvent(entry)
-		if entry.ContainerID == nil && len(entry.Envs) == 0 {
+		if entry.ContainerID == nil && len(entry.Tags) == 0 {
 			assert.Nil(t, p)
 		} else {
 			assert.Equal(t, entry, p)
@@ -47,17 +47,17 @@ func TestProcessCacheProcessEvent(t *testing.T) {
 		testFunc(t, t.Name(), &entry)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("without container id, with envs", func(t *testing.T) {
-		entry := events.Process{Pid: 1234, Envs: []string{"foo", "bar"}}
+	t.Run("without container id, with tags", func(t *testing.T) {
+		entry := events.Process{Pid: 1234, Tags: []*intern.Value{intern.GetByString("foo"), intern.GetByString("bar")}}
 
 		testFunc(t, t.Name(), &entry)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("with container id, with envs", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("with container id, with tags", func(t *testing.T) {
 		entry := events.Process{
 			Pid:         1234,
 			ContainerID: intern.GetByString("container"),
-			Envs:        []string{"foo", "bar"},
+			Tags:        []*intern.Value{intern.GetByString("foo"), intern.GetByString("bar")},
 		}
 
 		testFunc(t, t.Name(), &entry)
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func TestProcessCacheAdd(t *testing.T) {
 		pc.add(&events.Process{
 			Pid:       1234,
 			StartTime: 1,
-			Envs:      []string{"foo=bar"},
+			Tags:      []*intern.Value{intern.GetByString("foo:bar")},
 		})
 
 		p, ok := pc.Get(1234, 1)
@@ -204,12 +204,12 @@ func TestProcessCacheAdd(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NotNil(t, p)
 		assert.Equal(t, uint32(1234), p.Pid)
 		assert.Equal(t, int64(1), p.StartTime)
-		assert.Equal(t, p.Env("foo"), "bar")
+		assert.Contains(t, p.Tags, intern.GetByString("foo:bar"))
 
 		pc.add(&events.Process{
 			Pid:       1234,
 			StartTime: 1,
-			Envs:      []string{"bar=foo"},
+			Tags:      []*intern.Value{intern.GetByString("bar:foo")},
 		})
 
 		p, ok = pc.Get(1234, 1)
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ func TestProcessCacheAdd(t *testing.T) {
 		require.NotNil(t, p)
 		assert.Equal(t, uint32(1234), p.Pid)
 		assert.Equal(t, int64(1), p.StartTime)
-		assert.Equal(t, p.Env("bar"), "foo")
-		assert.NotContains(t, p.Envs, "foo")
+		assert.Contains(t, p.Tags, intern.GetByString("bar:foo"))
+		assert.NotContains(t, p.Tags, intern.GetByString("foo:bar"))
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/network/tracer/tracer_linux_test.go b/pkg/network/tracer/tracer_linux_test.go
index 7687b651c15211..015c5644f43ca7 100644
--- a/pkg/network/tracer/tracer_linux_test.go
+++ b/pkg/network/tracer/tracer_linux_test.go
@@ -2139,10 +2139,10 @@ func BenchmarkAddProcessInfo(b *testing.B) {
 	c.Pid = 1
 	tr.processCache.add(&events.Process{
 		Pid: 1,
-		Envs: []string{
-			"DD_ENV=env",
-			"DD_VERSION=version",
-			"DD_SERVICE=service",
+		Tags: []*intern.Value{
+			intern.GetByString("env:env"),
+			intern.GetByString("version:version"),
+			intern.GetByString("service:service"),
 		},
 		ContainerID: intern.GetByString("container"),
 		StartTime:   time.Now().Unix(),