diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9901c7d4a1..43a3b25f53 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ Adding a new version? You'll need three changes:
 - Get rid of deprecation warning in logs for unsupported label `global: true` for `KongPlugin`,
   it'll be treated as any other label without a special meaning.
   [#4737](https://github.com/Kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/pull/4737)
+- Telemetry now reports the router flavor.
+  [#4762](https://github.com/Kong/kubernetes-ingress-controller/pull/4762)
 
 [KIC Annotations reference]: https://docs.konghq.com/kubernetes-ingress-controller/latest/references/annotations/
 
diff --git a/internal/manager/telemetry/reports.go b/internal/manager/telemetry/reports.go
index 60a1e7ec89..5208e930c9 100644
--- a/internal/manager/telemetry/reports.go
+++ b/internal/manager/telemetry/reports.go
@@ -78,11 +78,17 @@ func SetupAnonymousReports(
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("malformed database configuration found in Kong client root")
 	}
+	routerFlavor, ok := cfg["router_flavor"].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		// version to old to use router flavor, de facto traditional
+		routerFlavor = "traditional"
+	}
 
 	fixedPayload := Payload{
 		"v":  metadata.Release,
 		"kv": kongVersion,
 		"db": kongDB,
+		"rf": routerFlavor,
 		"id": instanceIDProvider.GetID(), // universal unique identifier for this system
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/envtest/telemetry_test.go b/test/envtest/telemetry_test.go
index 04624d7c7c..9c8e27554b 100644
--- a/test/envtest/telemetry_test.go
+++ b/test/envtest/telemetry_test.go
@@ -79,14 +79,14 @@ func TestTelemetry(t *testing.T) {
 		waitTime = 3 * time.Second
 		tickTime = 10 * time.Millisecond
 	)
-	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+	require.Eventuallyf(t, func() bool {
 		select {
 		case report := <-reportChan:
 			return verifyTelemetryReport(t, k8sVersion, string(report))
 		case <-time.After(tickTime):
 			return false
 		}
-	}, waitTime, tickTime)
+	}, waitTime, tickTime, "telemetry report never matched expected value")
 }
 
 func configForEnvTestTelemetry(t *testing.T, envcfg *rest.Config, splunkEndpoint string, telemetryPeriod time.Duration) manager.Config {
@@ -340,7 +340,8 @@ func verifyTelemetryReport(t *testing.T, k8sVersion *version.Info, report string
 	for _, s := range []string{"id", "uptime"} {
 		report, err = removeStanzaFromReport(report, s)
 		if err != nil {
-			t.Logf("failed to remove stanza %q from report: %s", s, err)
+			// this normally happens during shutdown, when the report is an empty string
+			// no point in proceeding if so
 			return false
 		}
 	}
@@ -361,6 +362,7 @@ func verifyTelemetryReport(t *testing.T, k8sVersion *version.Info, report string
 			"feature-rewriteuris=false;"+
 			"hn=%s;"+
 			"kv=3.3.0;"+
+			"rf=traditional;"+
 			"v=NOT_SET;"+
 			"k8s_arch=%s;"+
 			"k8s_provider=UNKNOWN;"+