diff --git a/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow.go b/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow.go
index 80cf9286c..d917eeefd 100644
--- a/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow.go
+++ b/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow.go
@@ -141,15 +141,28 @@ func (h *headerReceiver) combineHeaders(ctx context.Context, hdrsBytes []byte) (
 
 	h.tmpHdrs = map[string][]string{}
 
-	for k, v := range h.streamHdrs {
-		h.tmpHdrs[k] = v
-	}
-
 	// Write calls the emitFunc, appending directly into `tmpHrs`.
 	if _, err := h.decoder.Write(hdrsBytes); err != nil {
 		return ctx, err
 	}
 
+	// Add streamHdrs that were not carried in the per-request headers.
+	for k, v := range h.streamHdrs {
+		// Note: This is done after the per-request metadata is defined
+		// in recognition of a potential for duplicated values stemming
+		// from the Arrow exporter's independent call to the Auth
+		// extension's GetRequestMetadata().  This paired with the
+		// headersetter's return of empty-string values means, we would
+		// end up with an empty-string element for any headersetter
+		// `from_context` rules b/c the stream uses background context.
+		// This allows static headers through.
+		//
+		// See https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector/issues/6965
+		if _, ok := h.tmpHdrs[k]; !ok {
+			h.tmpHdrs[k] = v
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Release the temporary copy.
 	newHdrs := h.tmpHdrs
 	h.tmpHdrs = nil
diff --git a/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow_test.go b/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow_test.go
index 62757a57f..55438e47f 100644
--- a/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow_test.go
+++ b/receiver/otlpreceiver/internal/arrow/arrow_test.go
@@ -791,3 +791,49 @@ func TestHeaderReceiverBothMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 		requireContainsAll(t, client.FromContext(cc).Metadata, expect)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHeaderReceiverDuplicateMetadata(t *testing.T) {
+	expectStream := map[string][]string{
+		"K": {"k1", "k2"},
+
+		// "M" value does not appear b/c the same header
+		// appears in per-request metadata.
+		"M": {""},
+	}
+	expectRequest := map[string][]string{
+		"L": {"l1"},
+		"M": {"m1", "m2"},
+	}
+	expectCombined := map[string][]string{
+		"K": {"k1", "k2"},
+		"L": {"l1"},
+		"M": {"m1", "m2"},
+	}
+
+	var hpb bytes.Buffer
+
+	hpe := hpack.NewEncoder(&hpb)
+
+	ctx := metadata.NewIncomingContext(context.Background(), metadata.MD(expectStream))
+
+	h := newHeaderReceiver(ctx, true)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		hpb.Reset()
+
+		for key, vals := range expectRequest {
+			for _, val := range vals {
+				err := hpe.WriteField(hpack.HeaderField{
+					Name:  key,
+					Value: val,
+				})
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		cc, err := h.combineHeaders(ctx, hpb.Bytes())
+
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		requireContainsAll(t, client.FromContext(cc).Metadata, expectCombined)
+	}
+}