diff --git a/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry.cpp b/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry.cpp
index 9dbf5f72..5e645b1c 100644
--- a/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry.cpp
+++ b/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ TelemetryProxy make_telemetry(const Ctor_param& init) {
 
 TelemetryProxy& instance(
     const tracing::Optional<Ctor_param>& init = tracing::nullopt) {
-  static TelemetryProxy telemetry(make_telemetry(*init));
+  static TelemetryProxy telemetry = make_telemetry(*init);
   return telemetry;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.cpp b/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.cpp
index 71cd6405..f789ca28 100644
--- a/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.cpp
@@ -208,16 +208,14 @@ Telemetry::Telemetry(FinalizedConfiguration config,
       clock_(std::move(clock)),
       scheduler_(event_scheduler),
       host_info_(get_host_info()) {
-  send_telemetry("app-started", app_started());
-  http_client_->drain(clock_().tick + request_timeout);
+  app_started();
   schedule_tasks();
 }
 
 void Telemetry::schedule_tasks() {
   tasks_.emplace_back(scheduler_->schedule_recurring_event(
-      config_.heartbeat_interval, [this]() {
-        send_telemetry("app-heartbeat", heartbeat_and_telemetry());
-      }));
+      config_.heartbeat_interval,
+      [this]() { send_payload("app-heartbeat", heartbeat_and_telemetry()); }));
 
   if (config_.report_metrics) {
     tasks_.emplace_back(scheduler_->schedule_recurring_event(
@@ -228,11 +226,7 @@ void Telemetry::schedule_tasks() {
 Telemetry::~Telemetry() {
   if (!tasks_.empty()) {
     cancel_tasks(tasks_);
-    capture_metrics();
-    // The app-closing message is bundled with a message containing the
-    // final metric values.
-    send_telemetry("app-closing", app_closing());
-    http_client_->drain(clock_().tick + request_timeout);
+    app_closing();
   }
 }
 
@@ -298,31 +292,80 @@ void Telemetry::log_warning(std::string message) {
   log(std::move(message), LogLevel::WARNING);
 }
 
-void Telemetry::send_telemetry(StringView request_type, std::string payload) {
+void Telemetry::app_started() {
+  auto payload = app_started_payload();
+
+  auto on_headers = [payload_size = payload.size(),
+                     debug_enabled = config_.debug](DictWriter& headers) {
+    headers.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
+    headers.set("Content-Length", std::to_string(payload_size));
+    headers.set("DD-Telemetry-API-Version", "v2");
+    headers.set("DD-Client-Library-Language", "cpp");
+    headers.set("DD-Client-Library-Version", tracer_version);
+    headers.set("DD-Telemetry-Request-Type", "app-started");
+    if (debug_enabled) {
+      headers.set("DD-Telemetry-Debug-Enabled", "true");
+    }
+  };
+
+  auto on_response = [logger = logger_](int response_status, const DictReader&,
+                                        std::string response_body) {
+    if (response_status < 200 || response_status >= 300) {
+      logger->log_error([&](auto& stream) {
+        stream << "Unexpected telemetry response status " << response_status
+               << " with body (if any, starts on next line):\n"
+               << response_body;
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
+  auto on_error = [logger = logger_](Error error) {
+    logger->log_error(error.with_prefix(
+        "Error occurred during HTTP request for telemetry: "));
+  };
+
+  increment_counter(internal_metrics::requests, {"endpoint:agent"});
+  add_datapoint(internal_metrics::bytes_sent, {"endpoint:agent"},
+                payload.size());
+
+  auto post_result =
+      http_client_->post(telemetry_endpoint_, on_headers, std::move(payload),
+                         std::move(on_response), std::move(on_error),
+                         clock_().tick + request_timeout);
+  if (auto* error = post_result.if_error()) {
+    increment_counter(internal_metrics::errors,
+                      {"type:network", "endpoint:agent"});
+    logger_->log_error(
+        error->with_prefix("Unexpected error submitting telemetry event: "));
+  }
+}
+
+void Telemetry::app_closing() {
+  // Capture metrics in-between two ticks to be sent with the last payload.
+  capture_metrics();
+
+  send_payload("app-closing", app_closing_payload());
+  http_client_->drain(clock_().tick + request_timeout);
+}
+
+void Telemetry::send_payload(StringView request_type, std::string payload) {
   auto set_telemetry_headers = [request_type, payload_size = payload.size(),
-                                debug_enabled = config_.debug,
-                                tracer_signature =
-                                    &tracer_signature_](DictWriter& headers) {
-    /*
-      TODO:
-        Datadog-Container-ID
-    */
+                                debug_enabled =
+                                    config_.debug](DictWriter& headers) {
     headers.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
     headers.set("Content-Length", std::to_string(payload_size));
     headers.set("DD-Telemetry-API-Version", "v2");
     headers.set("DD-Client-Library-Language", "cpp");
-    headers.set("DD-Client-Library-Version", tracer_signature->library_version);
+    headers.set("DD-Client-Library-Version", tracer_version);
     headers.set("DD-Telemetry-Request-Type", request_type);
-
     if (debug_enabled) {
       headers.set("DD-Telemetry-Debug-Enabled", "true");
     }
   };
 
-  auto telemetry_on_response = [this, logger = logger_](
-                                   int response_status,
-                                   const DictReader& /*response_headers*/,
-                                   std::string response_body) {
+  auto on_response = [this, logger = logger_](int response_status,
+                                              const DictReader&,
+                                              std::string response_body) {
     if (response_status >= 500) {
       increment_counter(internal_metrics::responses,
                         {"status_code:5xx", "endpoint:agent"});
@@ -350,7 +393,7 @@ void Telemetry::send_telemetry(StringView request_type, std::string payload) {
   };
 
   // Callback for unsuccessful telemetry HTTP requests.
-  auto telemetry_on_error = [this, logger = logger_](Error error) {
+  auto on_error = [this, logger = logger_](Error error) {
     increment_counter(internal_metrics::errors,
                       {"type:network", "endpoint:agent"});
     logger->log_error(error.with_prefix(
@@ -361,10 +404,10 @@ void Telemetry::send_telemetry(StringView request_type, std::string payload) {
   add_datapoint(internal_metrics::bytes_sent, {"endpoint:agent"},
                 payload.size());
 
-  auto post_result = http_client_->post(
-      telemetry_endpoint_, set_telemetry_headers, std::move(payload),
-      std::move(telemetry_on_response), std::move(telemetry_on_error),
-      clock_().tick + request_timeout);
+  auto post_result =
+      http_client_->post(telemetry_endpoint_, set_telemetry_headers,
+                         std::move(payload), std::move(on_response),
+                         std::move(on_error), clock_().tick + request_timeout);
   if (auto* error = post_result.if_error()) {
     increment_counter(internal_metrics::errors,
                       {"type:network", "endpoint:agent"});
@@ -390,7 +433,7 @@ void Telemetry::send_configuration_change() {
   telemetry_body["payload"] =
       nlohmann::json{{"configuration", configuration_json}};
 
-  send_telemetry("app-client-configuration-change", telemetry_body.dump());
+  send_payload("app-client-configuration-change", telemetry_body.dump());
 }
 
 std::string Telemetry::heartbeat_and_telemetry() {
@@ -475,7 +518,7 @@ std::string Telemetry::heartbeat_and_telemetry() {
   return message_batch_payload;
 }
 
-std::string Telemetry::app_closing() {
+std::string Telemetry::app_closing_payload() {
   auto batch_payloads = nlohmann::json::array();
 
   auto app_closing = nlohmann::json::object({
@@ -532,7 +575,7 @@ std::string Telemetry::app_closing() {
   return message_batch_payload;
 }
 
-std::string Telemetry::app_started() {
+std::string Telemetry::app_started_payload() {
   auto configuration_json = nlohmann::json::array();
   auto product_json = nlohmann::json::object();
 
diff --git a/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.h b/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.h
index 1c8ef2dc..ec6ded03 100644
--- a/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.h
+++ b/src/datadog/telemetry/telemetry_impl.h
@@ -129,7 +129,10 @@ class Telemetry final {
                      const std::vector<std::string>& tags, uint64_t value);
 
  private:
-  void send_telemetry(tracing::StringView request_type, std::string payload);
+  void app_started();
+  void app_closing();
+
+  void send_payload(tracing::StringView request_type, std::string payload);
 
   void schedule_tasks();
 
@@ -144,13 +147,13 @@ class Telemetry final {
 
   // Constructs an `app-started` message using information provided when
   // constructed and the tracer_config value passed in.
-  std::string app_started();
+  std::string app_started_payload();
   // Constructs a messsage-batch containing `app-heartbeat`, and if metrics
   // have been modified, a `generate-metrics` message.
   std::string heartbeat_and_telemetry();
   // Constructs a message-batch containing `app-closing`, and if metrics have
   // been modified, a `generate-metrics` message.
-  std::string app_closing();
+  std::string app_closing_payload();
 };
 
 }  // namespace datadog::telemetry