diff --git a/crates/dogstatsd/src/api_key.rs b/crates/dogstatsd/src/api_key.rs
index 6a32c806..06118e02 100644
--- a/crates/dogstatsd/src/api_key.rs
+++ b/crates/dogstatsd/src/api_key.rs
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@ use std::{future::Future, pin::Pin};
 use tokio::sync::OnceCell;
 
 pub type ApiKeyResolverFn =
-    Arc<dyn Fn() -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = String> + Send>> + Send + Sync>;
+    Arc<dyn Fn() -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Option<String>> + Send>> + Send + Sync>;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub enum ApiKeyFactory {
     Static(String),
     Dynamic {
         resolver_fn: ApiKeyResolverFn,
-        api_key: Arc<OnceCell<String>>,
+        api_key: Arc<OnceCell<Option<String>>>,
     },
 }
 
@@ -29,17 +29,17 @@ impl ApiKeyFactory {
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn get_api_key(&self) -> &str {
+    pub async fn get_api_key(&self) -> Option<&str> {
         match self {
-            Self::Static(api_key) => api_key,
+            Self::Static(api_key) => Some(api_key),
             Self::Dynamic {
                 resolver_fn,
                 api_key,
-            } => {
-                api_key
-                    .get_or_init(|| async { (resolver_fn)().await })
-                    .await
-            }
+            } => api_key
+                .get_or_init(|| async { (resolver_fn)().await })
+                .await
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|s| s.as_str()),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -57,15 +57,15 @@ pub mod tests {
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_new() {
         let api_key_factory = ApiKeyFactory::new("mock-api-key");
-        assert_eq!(api_key_factory.get_api_key().await, "mock-api-key");
+        assert_eq!(api_key_factory.get_api_key().await, Some("mock-api-key"));
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_new_from_resolver() {
         let api_key_factory = Arc::new(ApiKeyFactory::new_from_resolver(Arc::new(move || {
             let api_key = "mock-api-key".to_string();
-            Box::pin(async move { api_key })
+            Box::pin(async move { Some(api_key) })
         })));
-        assert_eq!(api_key_factory.get_api_key().await, "mock-api-key");
+        assert_eq!(api_key_factory.get_api_key().await, Some("mock-api-key"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/dogstatsd/src/flusher.rs b/crates/dogstatsd/src/flusher.rs
index 2947ad7b..a66d8434 100644
--- a/crates/dogstatsd/src/flusher.rs
+++ b/crates/dogstatsd/src/flusher.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use crate::datadog::{DdApi, MetricsIntakeUrlPrefix, RetryStrategy};
 use reqwest::{Response, StatusCode};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Duration;
+use tokio::sync::OnceCell;
 use tracing::{debug, error};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ pub struct Flusher {
     timeout: Duration,
     retry_strategy: RetryStrategy,
     aggregator: Arc<Mutex<Aggregator>>,
-    dd_api: Option<DdApi>,
+    dd_api: OnceCell<Option<DdApi>>,
 }
 
 pub struct FlusherConfig {
@@ -40,26 +41,29 @@ impl Flusher {
             timeout: config.timeout,
             retry_strategy: config.retry_strategy,
             aggregator: config.aggregator,
-            dd_api: None,
+            dd_api: OnceCell::new(),
         }
     }
 
-    async fn get_dd_api(&mut self) -> &DdApi {
-        if self.dd_api.is_none() {
-            let api_key = self.api_key_factory.get_api_key().await;
-            self.dd_api = Some(DdApi::new(
-                api_key.to_string(),
-                self.metrics_intake_url_prefix.clone(),
-                self.https_proxy.clone(),
-                self.timeout,
-                self.retry_strategy.clone(),
-            ));
-        }
-
-        #[allow(clippy::expect_used)]
+    async fn get_dd_api(&mut self) -> &Option<DdApi> {
         self.dd_api
-            .as_ref()
-            .expect("dd_api should have been initialized")
+            .get_or_init(|| async {
+                let api_key = self.api_key_factory.get_api_key().await;
+                match api_key {
+                    Some(api_key) => Some(DdApi::new(
+                        api_key.to_string(),
+                        self.metrics_intake_url_prefix.clone(),
+                        self.https_proxy.clone(),
+                        self.timeout,
+                        self.retry_strategy.clone(),
+                    )),
+                    None => {
+                        error!("Failed to create dd_api: failed to get API key");
+                        None
+                    }
+                }
+            })
+            .await
     }
 
     /// Flush metrics from the aggregator
@@ -98,7 +102,13 @@ impl Flusher {
         let series_copy = series.clone();
         let distributions_copy = distributions.clone();
 
-        let dd_api = self.get_dd_api().await;
+        let dd_api = match self.get_dd_api().await {
+            None => {
+                error!("Failed to flush metrics: failed to create dd_api");
+                return Some((series_copy, distributions_copy));
+            }
+            Some(dd_api) => dd_api,
+        };
 
         let dd_api_clone = dd_api.clone();
         let series_handle = tokio::spawn(async move {