diff --git a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/README.md b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/README.md
index a064dd79be2..2b0fc01960c 100644
--- a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/README.md
+++ b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/README.md
@@ -383,9 +383,9 @@ and [file configuration](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specifi
 To use, include `io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-sdk-extension:incubator:<version>` and specify the
 path to the config file as described in the table below.
 
-| System property  | Environment variable | Purpose                                                    |
-|------------------|----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
-| otel.config.file | OTEL_CONFIG_FILE     | The path to the SDK configuration file. Defaults to unset. |
+| System property               | Environment variable          | Purpose                                                    |
+|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
+| otel.experimental.config.file | OTEL_EXPERIMENTAL_CONFIG_FILE | The path to the SDK configuration file. Defaults to unset. |
 
 NOTE: When a config file is specified, other environment variables described in this document along
 with SPI [customizations](#customizing-the-opentelemetry-sdk) are ignored. The contents of the file
diff --git a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java
index 3e9a315a737..923f1535257 100644
--- a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java
+++ b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder.java
@@ -527,7 +527,12 @@ public AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk build() {
 
   @Nullable
   private static AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk maybeConfigureFromFile(ConfigProperties config) {
-    String configurationFile = config.getString("otel.config.file");
+    String otelConfigFile = config.getString("otel.config.file");
+    if (otelConfigFile != null && !otelConfigFile.isEmpty()) {
+      logger.warning(
+          "otel.config.file was set, but has been replaced with otel.experimental.config.file");
+    }
+    String configurationFile = config.getString("otel.experimental.config.file");
     if (configurationFile == null || configurationFile.isEmpty()) {
       return null;
     }
diff --git a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java
index 418dd263625..332c70352ee 100644
--- a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void configFile(@TempDir Path tempDir) throws IOException {
     Files.write(path, yaml.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
     ConfigProperties config =
         DefaultConfigProperties.createFromMap(
-            Collections.singletonMap("otel.config.file", path.toString()));
+            Collections.singletonMap("otel.experimental.config.file", path.toString()));
 
     assertThatThrownBy(() -> AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk.builder().setConfig(config).build())
         .isInstanceOf(ConfigurationException.class)
diff --git a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/testFullConfig/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/testFullConfig/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java
index 7ce59ad321a..a40884d032b 100644
--- a/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/testFullConfig/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java
+++ b/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure/src/testFullConfig/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/autoconfigure/FileConfigurationTest.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void setup() throws IOException {
   void configFile_Valid() {
     ConfigProperties config =
         DefaultConfigProperties.createFromMap(
-            Collections.singletonMap("otel.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
+            Collections.singletonMap("otel.experimental.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
     OpenTelemetrySdk expectedSdk =
         OpenTelemetrySdk.builder()
             .setTracerProvider(
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void configFile_Valid() {
   void configFile_NoShutdownHook() {
     ConfigProperties config =
         DefaultConfigProperties.createFromMap(
-            Collections.singletonMap("otel.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
+            Collections.singletonMap("otel.experimental.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
     AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdkBuilder builder = spy(AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk.builder());
 
     AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk autoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk =
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ void configFile_setResultAsGlobalFalse() {
     GlobalOpenTelemetry.set(OpenTelemetry.noop());
     ConfigProperties config =
         DefaultConfigProperties.createFromMap(
-            Collections.singletonMap("otel.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
+            Collections.singletonMap("otel.experimental.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
 
     AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk autoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk =
         AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk.builder().setConfig(config).build();
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ void configFile_setResultAsGlobalFalse() {
   void configFile_setResultAsGlobalTrue() {
     ConfigProperties config =
         DefaultConfigProperties.createFromMap(
-            Collections.singletonMap("otel.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
+            Collections.singletonMap("otel.experimental.config.file", configFilePath.toString()));
 
     AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk autoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk =
         AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk.builder().setConfig(config).setResultAsGlobal().build();
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ void configFile_Error(@TempDir Path tempDir) throws IOException {
     Files.write(path, yaml.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
     ConfigProperties config =
         DefaultConfigProperties.createFromMap(
-            Collections.singletonMap("otel.config.file", path.toString()));
+            Collections.singletonMap("otel.experimental.config.file", path.toString()));
 
     assertThatThrownBy(() -> AutoConfiguredOpenTelemetrySdk.builder().setConfig(config).build())
         .isInstanceOf(ConfigurationException.class)
diff --git a/sdk-extensions/incubator/README.md b/sdk-extensions/incubator/README.md
index 8301d01f3f5..cfc76184c31 100644
--- a/sdk-extensions/incubator/README.md
+++ b/sdk-extensions/incubator/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ try (FileInputStream yamlConfigFileInputStream = new FileInputStream("/path/to/c
 Notes:
 * Environment variable substitution is supported as [defined in the spec](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/blob/main/specification/configuration/file-configuration.md#environment-variable-substitution)
 * Currently, there is no support for the SPIs defined in [opentelemetry-sdk-extension-autoconfigure-spi](../autoconfigure-spi). Only built in samplers, processors, exporters, etc can be configured.
-* You can use file configuration with [autoconfigure](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/tree/main/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure#file-configuration) to specify a configuration file via environment variable, e.g. `OTEL_CONFIG_FILE=/path/to/config.yaml`.
+* You can use file configuration with [autoconfigure](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/tree/main/sdk-extensions/autoconfigure#file-configuration) to specify a configuration file via environment variable, e.g. `OTEL_EXPERIMENTAL_CONFIG_FILE=/path/to/config.yaml`.
 
 ## View File Configuration