diff --git a/api/datadoghq/v2alpha1/test/builder.go b/api/datadoghq/v2alpha1/test/builder.go
index ba7b4c7f8..776e40477 100644
--- a/api/datadoghq/v2alpha1/test/builder.go
+++ b/api/datadoghq/v2alpha1/test/builder.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type DatadogAgentBuilder struct {
 // NewDatadogAgentBuilder creates DatadogAgent and initializes Global, Features, Override properties
 func NewDatadogAgentBuilder() *DatadogAgentBuilder {
 	dda := &v2alpha1.DatadogAgent{
+		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{},
 		Spec: v2alpha1.DatadogAgentSpec{
 			Global:   &v2alpha1.GlobalConfig{},
 			Features: &v2alpha1.DatadogFeatures{},
@@ -71,6 +72,11 @@ func (builder *DatadogAgentBuilder) WithName(name string) *DatadogAgentBuilder {
 	return builder
 }
 
+func (builder *DatadogAgentBuilder) WithAnnotations(annotations map[string]string) *DatadogAgentBuilder {
+	builder.datadogAgent.ObjectMeta.Annotations = annotations
+	return builder
+}
+
 // Global environment variable
 func (builder *DatadogAgentBuilder) WithEnvVars(envs []corev1.EnvVar) *DatadogAgentBuilder {
 	builder.datadogAgent.Spec.Global.Env = envs
diff --git a/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/enabledefault/feature.go b/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/enabledefault/feature.go
index 61156d247..1c23e261b 100644
--- a/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/enabledefault/feature.go
+++ b/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/enabledefault/feature.go
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/errors"
 )
 
+const (
+	enableOtelAnnotation = "agent.datadoghq.com/otel-agent-enabled"
+)
+
 func init() {
 	err := feature.Register(feature.DefaultIDType, buildDefaultFeature)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -126,6 +130,10 @@ func (f *defaultFeature) Configure(dda *v2alpha1.DatadogAgent) feature.RequiredC
 	f.agent.serviceAccountAnnotations = v2alpha1.GetAgentServiceAccountAnnotations(dda)
 	f.clusterChecksRunner.serviceAccountAnnotations = v2alpha1.GetClusterChecksRunnerServiceAccountAnnotations(dda)
 
+	if dda.ObjectMeta.Annotations != nil {
+		f.otelAgentEnabled = f.otelAgentEnabled || dda.ObjectMeta.Annotations[enableOtelAnnotation] == "true"
+	}
+
 	if dda.Spec.Global != nil {
 		if dda.Spec.Global.DisableNonResourceRules != nil && *dda.Spec.Global.DisableNonResourceRules {
 			f.disableNonResourceRules = true
diff --git a/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/test/factory_test.go b/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/test/factory_test.go
index 9a613f567..69d96f2e5 100644
--- a/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/test/factory_test.go
+++ b/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/test/factory_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature"
 	_ "github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/apm"
 	_ "github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/cspm"
+	_ "github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/enabledefault"
 	_ "github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/livecontainer"
 	_ "github.com/DataDog/datadog-operator/internal/controller/datadogagent/feature/npm"
 )
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name                   string
 		dda                    *v2alpha1.DatadogAgent
+		featureOptions         feature.Options
 		wantCoreAgentComponent bool
 		wantAgentContainer     map[common.AgentContainerName]bool
 	}{
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -50,6 +53,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              false,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -64,6 +68,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              false,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -94,6 +100,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             true,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -110,6 +117,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             true,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -126,6 +134,7 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             true,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           true,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
 			},
 		},
 		{
@@ -143,13 +152,62 @@ func TestBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
 				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             true,
 				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           true,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Default DDA, default feature Option, otel-agent-enabled annotation true",
+			dda: v2alpha1test.NewDatadogAgentBuilder().
+				WithAnnotations(map[string]string{"agent.datadoghq.com/otel-agent-enabled": "true"}).
+				BuildWithDefaults(),
+			wantAgentContainer: map[common.AgentContainerName]bool{
+				common.UnprivilegedSingleAgentContainerName: false,
+				common.CoreAgentContainerName:               true,
+				common.ProcessAgentContainerName:            true,
+				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
+				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
+				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            true,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Default DDA, default feature Option, otel-agent-enabled annotation false",
+			dda: v2alpha1test.NewDatadogAgentBuilder().
+				WithAnnotations(map[string]string{"agent.datadoghq.com/otel-agent-enabled": "false"}).
+				BuildWithDefaults(),
+			wantAgentContainer: map[common.AgentContainerName]bool{
+				common.UnprivilegedSingleAgentContainerName: false,
+				common.CoreAgentContainerName:               true,
+				common.ProcessAgentContainerName:            true,
+				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
+				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
+				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            false,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Default DDA, no otel annotation, Operator option enabled",
+			dda: v2alpha1test.NewDatadogAgentBuilder().
+				WithAnnotations(map[string]string{"agent.datadoghq.com/otel-agent-enabled": "false"}).
+				BuildWithDefaults(),
+			featureOptions: feature.Options{
+				OtelAgentEnabled: true,
+			},
+			wantAgentContainer: map[common.AgentContainerName]bool{
+				common.UnprivilegedSingleAgentContainerName: false,
+				common.CoreAgentContainerName:               true,
+				common.ProcessAgentContainerName:            true,
+				common.TraceAgentContainerName:              true,
+				common.SystemProbeContainerName:             false,
+				common.SecurityAgentContainerName:           false,
+				common.OtelAgent:                            true,
 			},
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			_, requiredComponents := feature.BuildFeatures(tt.dda, &feature.Options{})
+			_, requiredComponents := feature.BuildFeatures(tt.dda, &tt.featureOptions)
 
 			assert.True(t, *requiredComponents.Agent.IsRequired)