diff --git a/cfg/xrpld-example.cfg b/cfg/xrpld-example.cfg
index 81a7cec2c1..5dcd149dbc 100644
--- a/cfg/xrpld-example.cfg
+++ b/cfg/xrpld-example.cfg
@@ -1744,8 +1744,10 @@ validators.txt
 # use_tls=0
 #
 #   Whether to hand tls_ca_cert to the exporter as its CA bundle. TLS is
-#   selected by the scheme of traces_endpoint, not by this key; setting it
-#   to 1 only supplies a custom CA file for verifying the collector.
+#   selected by the scheme of traces_endpoint, not by this key. So with
+#   enabled=1, use_tls=1 requires traces_endpoint to start with https://
+#   (lower case). Any other URL, including the default, makes xrpld fail
+#   to start with a message that names traces_endpoint.
 #   Default: 0 (no CA file is passed, so the exporter keeps its own
 #   default trust store).
 #
diff --git a/src/tests/libxrpl/telemetry/TelemetryConfig.cpp b/src/tests/libxrpl/telemetry/TelemetryConfig.cpp
index 50c6cba4de..dab9b8b47e 100644
--- a/src/tests/libxrpl/telemetry/TelemetryConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/libxrpl/telemetry/TelemetryConfig.cpp
@@ -863,6 +863,21 @@ TEST(TelemetryConfig, mtls_scheme_check_is_case_sensitive_like_the_exporter)
         ThrowsMessage<std::runtime_error>(HasSubstr(mtls::schemeError)));
 }
 
+TEST(TelemetryConfig, one_way_tls_on_an_https_scheme_without_slashes_throws)
+{
+    // The guard requires the whole "https://" prefix. This URL has "https:"
+    // but no slashes, so a guard cut down to "https:" or "https" accepts it
+    // and this test fails. No client certificate or CA is set, so the scheme
+    // guard is the only check that can throw here.
+    EXPECT_EQ(
+        batchRejection(
+            {{"enabled", "1"},
+             {"use_tls", "1"},
+             {mtls::keyEndpoint, "https:collector:4318/v1/traces"}}),
+        "Invalid value 'traces_endpoint' in [telemetry]: must start with 'https://' when "
+        "use_tls=1, but is 'https:collector:4318/v1/traces'.");
+}
+
 TEST(TelemetryConfig, one_way_tls_on_a_plain_http_endpoint_throws)
 {
     // use_tls=1 with no client certificate, on an http:// endpoint. The