diff --git a/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/ImproveQuine.scala b/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/ImproveQuine.scala
index 9d25f4e0..1baf8679 100644
--- a/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/ImproveQuine.scala
+++ b/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/ImproveQuine.scala
@@ -18,36 +18,33 @@ import org.apache.pekko.http.scaladsl.model.{HttpEntity, HttpMethods, HttpReques
 import org.apache.pekko.pattern.retry
 
 import com.typesafe.scalalogging.StrictLogging
-
-trait ImproveQuine {
-  def started(): Future[Unit]
-}
+import io.circe.syntax.EncoderOps
 
 object ImproveQuine {
-  object Noop extends ImproveQuine {
-    def started(): Future[Unit] = Future.successful(())
-  }
 
-  case class Enabled(
-    quineVersion: String,
+  val eventUri: Uri = Uri("https://improve.quine.io/event")
+  case class TelemetryRequest(
+    service: String,
+    version: String,
     hostHash: String,
-    eventUri: Uri,
-    system: ActorSystem
-  ) extends ImproveQuine
-      with StrictLogging {
-    implicit private val actorSystem: ActorSystem = system
+    extraArgs: Map[String, String]
+  )(implicit system: ActorSystem)
+      extends StrictLogging {
     implicit private val executionContext: ExecutionContext = system.dispatcher
     implicit private val scheduler: Scheduler = system.scheduler
 
-    def started(): Future[Unit] = {
+    def run(): Future[Unit] = {
       val now = java.time.OffsetDateTime.now().format(DateTimeFormatter.ISO_OFFSET_DATE_TIME)
-      val body: String = s"""{
-      |  "service": "Quine",
-      |  "version": "$quineVersion",
-      |  "host_hash": "$hostHash",
-      |  "event": "instance.started",
-      |  "time": "$now"
-      |}""".stripMargin
+
+      val telemetryData = Map[String, String](
+        "service" -> service,
+        "version" -> version,
+        "host_hash" -> hostHash,
+        "event" -> "instance.started",
+        "time" -> now
+      ) ++ extraArgs
+
+      val body = telemetryData.asJson.noSpaces
 
       val send = () =>
         Http()
@@ -83,7 +80,7 @@ object ImproveQuine {
 
   private val prefixBytes = "Quine_".getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8)
 
-  private def hostHash(): String = {
+  private def hostHash(): String = Try {
     val mac = hostMac()
     val encoder = Base64.getEncoder
     // Salt the input to prevent a SHA256 of a MAC address from matching another system using a SHA256 of a MAC
@@ -91,14 +88,14 @@ object ImproveQuine {
     val prefixedBytes = Array.concat(prefixBytes, mac)
     val hash = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256").digest(prefixedBytes)
     encoder.encodeToString(hash)
-  }
+  }.getOrElse("host_unavailable")
 
-  def apply(
-    enabled: Boolean,
+  def reportTelemetry(
+    service: String,
     quineVersion: String,
-    eventUri: Uri,
-    system: ActorSystem
-  ): ImproveQuine = if (enabled) {
-    Try(Enabled(quineVersion, hostHash(), eventUri, system)).getOrElse(Noop)
-  } else Noop
+    /* extra values some callers may wish to add to telemetry.*/
+    extraArgs: Map[String, String] = Map.empty[String, String]
+  )(implicit system: ActorSystem): Future[Unit] =
+    TelemetryRequest(service, quineVersion, hostHash(), extraArgs).run()
+
 }
diff --git a/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/Main.scala b/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/Main.scala
index 57af8a43..969e8f66 100644
--- a/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/Main.scala
+++ b/quine/src/main/scala/com/thatdot/quine/app/Main.scala
@@ -195,13 +195,13 @@ object Main extends App with LazyLogging {
     interpreter.run(quineApp.thisMemberIdx)
     interpreter
   }
-  private val improveQuine = ImproveQuine(
-    config.helpMakeQuineBetter,
-    BuildInfo.version,
-    Uri("https://improve.quine.io/event"),
-    system
-  )
-  improveQuine.started()
+
+  // report telemetry only if the user has opted in.
+  if (config.helpMakeQuineBetter)
+    ImproveQuine.reportTelemetry(
+      "Quine",
+      BuildInfo.version
+    )
 
   bindAndResolvableAddresses foreach { case (bindAddress, resolvableUrl) =>
     new QuineAppRoutes(graph, quineApp, config.loadedConfigJson, resolvableUrl, timeout)