diff --git a/connector/datadogconnector/connector.go b/connector/datadogconnector/connector.go
index 27b26f46405a7..60d7a5b60bc6a 100644
--- a/connector/datadogconnector/connector.go
+++ b/connector/datadogconnector/connector.go
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ type traceToMetricConnector struct {
 
 	// exit specifies the exit channel, which will be closed upon shutdown.
 	exit chan struct{}
+
+	// isStarted tracks whether Start() has been called.
+	isStarted bool
 }
 
 var _ component.Component = (*traceToMetricConnector)(nil) // testing that the connectorImp properly implements the type Component interface
@@ -91,11 +94,17 @@ func (c *traceToMetricConnector) Start(_ context.Context, _ component.Host) erro
 	c.logger.Info("Starting datadogconnector")
 	c.agent.Start()
 	go c.run()
+	c.isStarted = true
 	return nil
 }
 
 // Shutdown implements the component.Component interface.
 func (c *traceToMetricConnector) Shutdown(context.Context) error {
+	if !c.isStarted {
+		// Note: it is not necessary to manually close c.exit, c.in and c.agent.(*datadog.TraceAgent).exit channels as these are unused.
+		c.logger.Info("Requested shutdown, but not started, ignoring.")
+		return nil
+	}
 	c.logger.Info("Shutting down datadog connector")
 	c.logger.Info("Stopping datadog agent")
 	// stop the agent and wait for the run loop to exit
diff --git a/connector/datadogconnector/generated_component_test.go b/connector/datadogconnector/generated_component_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..bf777c39bb368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/connector/datadogconnector/generated_component_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// Code generated by mdatagen. DO NOT EDIT.
+
+package datadogconnector
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component/componenttest"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap/confmaptest"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/connector"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/connector/connectortest"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/consumer/consumertest"
+)
+
+func TestComponentLifecycle(t *testing.T) {
+	factory := NewFactory()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		createFn func(ctx context.Context, set connector.CreateSettings, cfg component.Config) (component.Component, error)
+	}{
+
+		{
+			name: "traces_to_metrics",
+			createFn: func(ctx context.Context, set connector.CreateSettings, cfg component.Config) (component.Component, error) {
+				return factory.CreateTracesToMetrics(ctx, set, cfg, consumertest.NewNop())
+			},
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "traces_to_traces",
+			createFn: func(ctx context.Context, set connector.CreateSettings, cfg component.Config) (component.Component, error) {
+				return factory.CreateTracesToTraces(ctx, set, cfg, consumertest.NewNop())
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	cm, err := confmaptest.LoadConf("metadata.yaml")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	cfg := factory.CreateDefaultConfig()
+	sub, err := cm.Sub("tests::config")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, component.UnmarshalConfig(sub, cfg))
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name+"-shutdown", func(t *testing.T) {
+			c, err := test.createFn(context.Background(), connectortest.NewNopCreateSettings(), cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			err = c.Shutdown(context.Background())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		})
+		t.Run(test.name+"-lifecycle", func(t *testing.T) {
+			firstConnector, err := test.createFn(context.Background(), connectortest.NewNopCreateSettings(), cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			host := componenttest.NewNopHost()
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, firstConnector.Start(context.Background(), host))
+			require.NoError(t, firstConnector.Shutdown(context.Background()))
+			secondConnector, err := test.createFn(context.Background(), connectortest.NewNopCreateSettings(), cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, secondConnector.Start(context.Background(), host))
+			require.NoError(t, secondConnector.Shutdown(context.Background()))
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/connector/datadogconnector/go.mod b/connector/datadogconnector/go.mod
index dea7d35ac0b73..4bc66b9864a52 100644
--- a/connector/datadogconnector/go.mod
+++ b/connector/datadogconnector/go.mod
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/processor/tailsamplingprocessor v0.96.0
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16
+	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/connector v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/consumer v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/exporter v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16
@@ -148,7 +149,6 @@ require (
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configtelemetry v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/configtls v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/config/internal v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
-	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap/converter/expandconverter v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap/provider/envprovider v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/collector/confmap/provider/fileprovider v0.96.1-0.20240315172937-3b5aee0c7a16 // indirect
diff --git a/connector/datadogconnector/metadata.yaml b/connector/datadogconnector/metadata.yaml
index 0f6651c166128..7feb71b521867 100644
--- a/connector/datadogconnector/metadata.yaml
+++ b/connector/datadogconnector/metadata.yaml
@@ -11,5 +11,3 @@ status:
     emeritus: [gbbr]
 
 tests:
-  skip_lifecycle: true
-  skip_shutdown: true