diff --git a/.github/actions/bazel-test-all/action.yaml b/.github/actions/bazel-test-all/action.yaml
index 8fb407e3f6d..6949952b641 100644
--- a/.github/actions/bazel-test-all/action.yaml
+++ b/.github/actions/bazel-test-all/action.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ inputs:
     required: false
     default: '--output_base=/var/tmp/bazel-output/'
   BUILDEVENT_APIKEY:
-    required: true
+    required: false
   SSH_PRIVATE_KEY:
     required: false
 
@@ -39,9 +39,16 @@ runs:
             echo -e "Host *\nUser github-runner\n" > ~/.ssh/config
           fi
 
+          # unset honeycomb api key but use it latter for exporter
+          # TODO: remove exporter when users can use superset
+          KEY=${BUILDEVENT_APIKEY:-""}
+          unset BUILDEVENT_APIKEY
+
           ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/ci/bazel-scripts/main.sh
           BAZEL_EXIT_CODE="$?"
 
+          export BUILDEVENT_APIKEY="$KEY"
+
           if [ -n "$BUILDEVENT_APIKEY" ] && [ -f ./bazel-bep.pb ]; then
               # avoid output unless an error occurs during bes export. This ensures
               # only the (more relevant) output from the main bazel command is shown.
@@ -51,6 +58,7 @@ runs:
                 cat "$exportout"
               fi
               rm "$exportout"
+              echo "BEP events exported to honeycomb!"
           fi
 
           # output node name to gihub step summary
diff --git a/.github/workflows-source/ci-main.yml b/.github/workflows-source/ci-main.yml
index d789cf57061..b529c2faab1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows-source/ci-main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows-source/ci-main.yml
@@ -200,7 +200,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: '--test_tag_filters=test_macos'
           BAZEL_STARTUP_ARGS: "--output_base /var/tmp/bazel-output/${CI_RUN_ID}"
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "//rs/... //publish/binaries/..."
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
       - name: Purge Bazel Output
         if: always()
         shell: bash
@@ -219,7 +218,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_COMMAND: "build"
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "//rs/..."
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: "--keep_going --config=fuzzing --build_tag_filters=libfuzzer"
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
 
   bazel-build-fuzzers-afl:
     name: Bazel Build Fuzzers AFL
@@ -233,7 +231,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_COMMAND: "build"
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "//rs/..."
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: "--keep_going --config=afl"
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
 
   python-ci-tests:
     name: Python CI Tests
@@ -279,13 +276,11 @@ jobs:
           rm -rf "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}"
           mkdir -p "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}/artifacts"
           ln -s "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}/artifacts" /__w/$REPO_NAME/$REPO_NAME/artifacts
-          buildevents cmd "$CI_RUN_ID" "$CI_JOB_NAME" build-command -- \
-              "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/run-build-ic.sh
+          "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/run-build-ic.sh
           rm -rf "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}"
         env:
           BAZEL_COMMAND: "build"
           MERGE_BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
           BRANCH_HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
           RUN_ON_DIFF_ONLY: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'CI_ALL_BAZEL_TARGETS') }}
       - name: Upload build-ic.tar
@@ -374,13 +369,10 @@ jobs:
           github.event_name == 'schedule' ||
           github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
         shell: bash
-        env:
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           set -eExuo pipefail
           export CARGO_TERM_COLOR=always # ensure output has colors
-          buildevents cmd "$CI_RUN_ID" "$CI_JOB_NAME" build-command -- \
-              "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/rust-lint.sh
+          "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/rust-lint.sh
 
   cargo-build-release-linux:
     name: Cargo Build Release Linux
@@ -408,10 +400,7 @@ jobs:
           github.event_name == 'schedule' ||
           github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
         shell: bash
-        env:
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           set -eExuo pipefail
           export CARGO_TERM_COLOR=always # ensure output has colors
-          buildevents cmd "$CI_RUN_ID" "$CI_JOB_NAME" build-command -- \
-              cargo build --release --locked
+          cargo build --release --locked
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
index d6fa1173bc1..dab05918fb8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-main.yml
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: '--test_tag_filters=test_macos'
           BAZEL_STARTUP_ARGS: "--output_base /var/tmp/bazel-output/${CI_RUN_ID}"
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "//rs/... //publish/binaries/..."
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
       - name: Purge Bazel Output
         if: always()
         shell: bash
@@ -195,7 +194,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_COMMAND: "build"
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "//rs/..."
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: "--keep_going --config=fuzzing --build_tag_filters=libfuzzer"
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
   bazel-build-fuzzers-afl:
     name: Bazel Build Fuzzers AFL
     runs-on:
@@ -217,7 +215,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_COMMAND: "build"
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "//rs/..."
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: "--keep_going --config=afl"
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
   python-ci-tests:
     name: Python CI Tests
     runs-on:
@@ -282,13 +279,11 @@ jobs:
           rm -rf "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}"
           mkdir -p "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}/artifacts"
           ln -s "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}/artifacts" /__w/$REPO_NAME/$REPO_NAME/artifacts
-          buildevents cmd "$CI_RUN_ID" "$CI_JOB_NAME" build-command -- \
-              "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/run-build-ic.sh
+          "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/run-build-ic.sh
           rm -rf "/cache/job/${CI_JOB_NAME}/${CI_RUN_ID}"
         env:
           BAZEL_COMMAND: "build"
           MERGE_BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
           BRANCH_HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
           RUN_ON_DIFF_ONLY: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'CI_ALL_BAZEL_TARGETS') }}
       - name: Upload build-ic.tar
@@ -383,13 +378,10 @@ jobs:
           github.event_name == 'schedule' ||
           github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
         shell: bash
-        env:
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           set -eExuo pipefail
           export CARGO_TERM_COLOR=always # ensure output has colors
-          buildevents cmd "$CI_RUN_ID" "$CI_JOB_NAME" build-command -- \
-              "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/rust-lint.sh
+          "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/ci/scripts/rust-lint.sh
   cargo-build-release-linux:
     name: Cargo Build Release Linux
     container:
@@ -421,10 +413,7 @@ jobs:
           github.event_name == 'schedule' ||
           github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
         shell: bash
-        env:
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets. HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           set -eExuo pipefail
           export CARGO_TERM_COLOR=always # ensure output has colors
-          buildevents cmd "$CI_RUN_ID" "$CI_JOB_NAME" build-command -- \
-              cargo build --release --locked
+          cargo build --release --locked
diff --git a/.github/workflows/system-tests-k8s.yml b/.github/workflows/system-tests-k8s.yml
index c9135ff2ea3..b01fcb8cbd9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/system-tests-k8s.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/system-tests-k8s.yml
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ env:
   CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE: ${{ github.event_name }}
   CI_PROJECT_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}
   CI_RUN_ID: ${{ github.run_id }}
-  BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
-  BUILDEVENT_DATASET: "github-ci-dfinity"
 
 jobs:
   system-tests-k8s:
@@ -89,7 +87,6 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "${{ env.TARGETS }}"
           BAZEL_CI_CONFIG: "--config=ci --repository_cache=/cache/bazel"
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: "--local_test_jobs=${{ env.JOBS }} --test_tag_filters=k8s,-manual,-colocated,-long_test,-system_test_hourly,-system_test_nightly --k8s"
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
 
   system-tests-k8s-hourly:
     name: System Tests K8s Hourly
@@ -147,4 +144,3 @@ jobs:
           BAZEL_TARGETS: "${{ env.TARGETS }}"
           BAZEL_CI_CONFIG: "--config=ci --repository_cache=/cache/bazel"
           BAZEL_EXTRA_ARGS: "--local_test_jobs=${{ env.JOBS }} --test_tag_filters=k8s --k8s --flaky_test_attempts=3"
-          BUILDEVENT_APIKEY: ${{ secrets.HONEYCOMB_API_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/ci/bazel-scripts/main.sh b/ci/bazel-scripts/main.sh
index 3f8f38718e2..46e7b45cd2f 100755
--- a/ci/bazel-scripts/main.sh
+++ b/ci/bazel-scripts/main.sh
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ stream_awk_program='
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2086
 # ${BAZEL_...} variables are expected to contain several arguments. We have `set -f` set above to disable globbing (and therefore only allow splitting)"
-buildevents cmd "${CI_RUN_ID}" "${CI_JOB_NAME}" "${CI_JOB_NAME}-bazel-cmd" -- bazel \
+bazel \
     ${BAZEL_STARTUP_ARGS} \
     ${BAZEL_COMMAND} \
     --color=yes \