diff --git a/api/include/opentelemetry/common/macros.h b/api/include/opentelemetry/common/macros.h
index b4a270084d..b74c1048fc 100644
--- a/api/include/opentelemetry/common/macros.h
+++ b/api/include/opentelemetry/common/macros.h
@@ -387,6 +387,37 @@ point.
 
 #endif
 
+// OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS
+//
+// Checks whether the compiler both supports and enables exceptions. Many
+// compilers support a "no exceptions" mode that disables exceptions.
+//
+// Generally, when OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS is not defined:
+//
+// * Code using `throw` and `try` may not compile.
+// * The `noexcept` specifier will still compile and behave as normal.
+// * The `noexcept` operator may still return `false`.
+//
+// For further details, consult the compiler's documentation.
+#ifndef OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS
+#  if defined(__clang__) && ((__clang_major__ * 100) + __clang_minor__) < 306
+// Clang < 3.6
+// http://releases.llvm.org/3.6.0/tools/clang/docs/ReleaseNotes.html#the-exceptions-macro
+#    if defined(__EXCEPTIONS) && OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_FEATURE(cxx_exceptions)
+#      define OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS 1
+#    endif  // defined(__EXCEPTIONS) && OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_FEATURE(cxx_exceptions)
+#  elif OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_FEATURE(cxx_exceptions)
+#    define OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS 1
+// Handle remaining special cases and default to exceptions being supported.
+#  elif !(defined(__GNUC__) && !defined(__EXCEPTIONS) && !defined(__cpp_exceptions)) && \
+      !(defined(_MSC_VER) && !defined(_CPPUNWIND))
+#    define OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS 1
+#  endif
+#endif
+#ifndef OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS
+#  define OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS 0
+#endif
+
 /*
    OPENTELEMETRY_ATTRIBUTE_LIFETIME_BOUND indicates that a resource owned by a function
    parameter or implicit object parameter is retained by the return value of the
diff --git a/examples/plugin/plugin/tracer.cc b/examples/plugin/plugin/tracer.cc
index 5361197584..05ff971fb1 100644
--- a/examples/plugin/plugin/tracer.cc
+++ b/examples/plugin/plugin/tracer.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "opentelemetry/common/attribute_value.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/common/timestamp.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/context/context_value.h"
+#include "opentelemetry/nostd/utility.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/trace/span_context.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/trace/span_metadata.h"
 #include "tracer.h"
diff --git a/exporters/otlp/src/otlp_file_client.cc b/exporters/otlp/src/otlp_file_client.cc
index 62552bdeff..8efa5c15b5 100644
--- a/exporters/otlp/src/otlp_file_client.cc
+++ b/exporters/otlp/src/otlp_file_client.cc
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 // clang-format on
 
 #include "google/protobuf/message.h"
-#include "google/protobuf/reflection.h"
-#include "google/protobuf/stubs/common.h"
 #include "nlohmann/json.hpp"
 
 // clang-format off
@@ -28,15 +26,26 @@
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/common/global_log_handler.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/version.h"
 
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#  include <string.h>
+#  define strcasecmp _stricmp
+#else
+#  include <strings.h>
+#endif
+
+#include <limits.h>
 #include <atomic>
 #include <condition_variable>
+#include <cstdint>
 #include <cstdio>
-#include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <ctime>
 #include <fstream>
+#include <functional>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <string>
 #include <thread>
+#include <utility>
 #include <vector>
 
 #if !defined(__CYGWIN__) && defined(_WIN32)
@@ -64,11 +73,8 @@
 
 #else
 
-#  include <dirent.h>
-#  include <errno.h>
 #  include <fcntl.h>
 #  include <sys/stat.h>
-#  include <sys/types.h>
 #  include <unistd.h>
 
 #  define FS_ACCESS(x) access(x, F_OK)
@@ -89,10 +95,6 @@
 #  undef GetMessage
 #endif
 
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
-#  define strcasecmp _stricmp
-#endif
-
 #if (defined(_MSC_VER) && _MSC_VER >= 1600) || \
     (defined(__STDC_VERSION__) && __STDC_VERSION__ >= 201112L) || defined(__STDC_LIB_EXT1__)
 #  ifdef _MSC_VER
diff --git a/sdk/src/metrics/export/periodic_exporting_metric_reader.cc b/sdk/src/metrics/export/periodic_exporting_metric_reader.cc
index f6ae47977d..7ca2747337 100644
--- a/sdk/src/metrics/export/periodic_exporting_metric_reader.cc
+++ b/sdk/src/metrics/export/periodic_exporting_metric_reader.cc
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include <utility>
 
+#include "opentelemetry/common/macros.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/common/timestamp.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/common/global_log_handler.h"
 #include "opentelemetry/sdk/metrics/export/metric_producer.h"
@@ -29,6 +30,10 @@
 #  include <future>
 #endif
 
+#if OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS
+#  include <exception>
+#endif
+
 OPENTELEMETRY_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 namespace sdk
 {
@@ -90,31 +95,61 @@ void PeriodicExportingMetricReader::DoBackgroundWork()
 bool PeriodicExportingMetricReader::CollectAndExportOnce()
 {
   std::atomic<bool> cancel_export_for_timeout{false};
-  auto future_receive = std::async(std::launch::async, [this, &cancel_export_for_timeout] {
-    Collect([this, &cancel_export_for_timeout](ResourceMetrics &metric_data) {
-      if (cancel_export_for_timeout)
-      {
-        OTEL_INTERNAL_LOG_ERROR(
-            "[Periodic Exporting Metric Reader] Collect took longer configured time: "
-            << export_timeout_millis_.count() << " ms, and timed out");
-        return false;
-      }
-      this->exporter_->Export(metric_data);
-      return true;
-    });
-  });
 
-  std::future_status status;
   std::uint64_t notify_force_flush = force_flush_pending_sequence_.load(std::memory_order_acquire);
-  do
+  std::unique_ptr<std::thread> task_thread;
+
+#if OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS
+  try
   {
-    status = future_receive.wait_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(export_timeout_millis_));
-    if (status == std::future_status::timeout)
+#endif
+    std::promise<void> sender;
+    auto receiver = sender.get_future();
+
+    task_thread.reset(new std::thread([this, &cancel_export_for_timeout] {
+      this->Collect([this, &cancel_export_for_timeout](ResourceMetrics &metric_data) {
+        if (cancel_export_for_timeout.load(std::memory_order_acquire))
+        {
+          OTEL_INTERNAL_LOG_ERROR(
+              "[Periodic Exporting Metric Reader] Collect took longer configured time: "
+              << this->export_timeout_millis_.count() << " ms, and timed out");
+          return false;
+        }
+        this->exporter_->Export(metric_data);
+        return true;
+      });
+    }));
+
+    std::future_status status;
+    do
     {
-      cancel_export_for_timeout = true;
-      break;
-    }
-  } while (status != std::future_status::ready);
+      status = receiver.wait_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(export_timeout_millis_));
+      if (status == std::future_status::timeout)
+      {
+        cancel_export_for_timeout.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
+        break;
+      }
+    } while (status != std::future_status::ready);
+#if OPENTELEMETRY_HAVE_EXCEPTIONS
+  }
+  catch (std::exception &e)
+  {
+    OTEL_INTERNAL_LOG_ERROR("[Periodic Exporting Metric Reader] Collect failed with exception "
+                            << e.what());
+    return false;
+  }
+  catch (...)
+  {
+    OTEL_INTERNAL_LOG_ERROR(
+        "[Periodic Exporting Metric Reader] Collect failed with unknown exception");
+    return false;
+  }
+#endif
+
+  if (task_thread && task_thread->joinable())
+  {
+    task_thread->join();
+  }
 
   std::uint64_t notified_sequence = force_flush_notified_sequence_.load(std::memory_order_acquire);
   while (notify_force_flush > notified_sequence)
diff --git a/sdk/test/metrics/periodic_exporting_metric_reader_test.cc b/sdk/test/metrics/periodic_exporting_metric_reader_test.cc
index e115f79f75..f65c10ca05 100644
--- a/sdk/test/metrics/periodic_exporting_metric_reader_test.cc
+++ b/sdk/test/metrics/periodic_exporting_metric_reader_test.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 
+#include <chrono>
+#include <memory>
+#include <thread>
+
 using namespace opentelemetry;
 using namespace opentelemetry::sdk::instrumentationscope;
 using namespace opentelemetry::sdk::metrics;
@@ -14,8 +18,14 @@ using namespace opentelemetry::sdk::metrics;
 class MockPushMetricExporter : public PushMetricExporter
 {
 public:
+  MockPushMetricExporter(std::chrono::milliseconds wait) : wait_(wait) {}
+
   opentelemetry::sdk::common::ExportResult Export(const ResourceMetrics &record) noexcept override
   {
+    if (wait_ > std::chrono::milliseconds::zero())
+    {
+      std::this_thread::sleep_for(wait_);
+    }
     records_.push_back(record);
     return opentelemetry::sdk::common::ExportResult::kSuccess;
   }
@@ -34,6 +44,7 @@ class MockPushMetricExporter : public PushMetricExporter
 
 private:
   std::vector<ResourceMetrics> records_;
+  std::chrono::milliseconds wait_;
 };
 
 class MockMetricProducer : public MetricProducer
@@ -61,17 +72,34 @@ class MockMetricProducer : public MetricProducer
 
 TEST(PeriodicExporingMetricReader, BasicTests)
 {
-  std::unique_ptr<PushMetricExporter> exporter(new MockPushMetricExporter());
+  std::unique_ptr<PushMetricExporter> exporter(
+      new MockPushMetricExporter(std::chrono::milliseconds{0}));
   PeriodicExportingMetricReaderOptions options;
   options.export_timeout_millis  = std::chrono::milliseconds(200);
   options.export_interval_millis = std::chrono::milliseconds(500);
   auto exporter_ptr              = exporter.get();
-  PeriodicExportingMetricReader reader(std::move(exporter), options);
+  std::shared_ptr<PeriodicExportingMetricReader> reader =
+      std::make_shared<PeriodicExportingMetricReader>(std::move(exporter), options);
   MockMetricProducer producer;
-  reader.SetMetricProducer(&producer);
+  reader->SetMetricProducer(&producer);
   std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(2000));
-  EXPECT_NO_THROW(reader.ForceFlush());
-  reader.Shutdown();
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(reader->ForceFlush());
+  reader->Shutdown();
   EXPECT_EQ(static_cast<MockPushMetricExporter *>(exporter_ptr)->GetDataCount(),
             static_cast<MockMetricProducer *>(&producer)->GetDataCount());
 }
+
+TEST(PeriodicExporingMetricReader, Timeout)
+{
+  std::unique_ptr<PushMetricExporter> exporter(
+      new MockPushMetricExporter(std::chrono::milliseconds{2000}));
+  PeriodicExportingMetricReaderOptions options;
+  options.export_timeout_millis  = std::chrono::milliseconds(200);
+  options.export_interval_millis = std::chrono::milliseconds(500);
+  std::shared_ptr<PeriodicExportingMetricReader> reader =
+      std::make_shared<PeriodicExportingMetricReader>(std::move(exporter), options);
+  MockMetricProducer producer;
+  reader->SetMetricProducer(&producer);
+  std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(1000));
+  reader->Shutdown();
+}