diff --git a/packages/collector/package.json b/packages/collector/package.json
index 85d5305b0d..0b8a554a56 100644
--- a/packages/collector/package.json
+++ b/packages/collector/package.json
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@instana/core": "4.0.1",
     "@instana/shared-metrics": "4.0.1",
-    "bunyan": "^1.8.15",
+    "pino": "^9.5.0",
     "semver": "^7.5.4",
     "serialize-error": "^8.1.0"
   },
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@
     "@instana/autoprofile": "4.0.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/bunyan": "^1.8.8",
     "opentracing": "^0.14.5",
     "typeorm": "^0.3.20"
   }
diff --git a/packages/collector/src/agent/bunyanToAgentStream.js b/packages/collector/src/agent/loggerToAgentStream.js
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/collector/src/agent/bunyanToAgentStream.js
rename to packages/collector/src/agent/loggerToAgentStream.js
diff --git a/packages/collector/src/logger.js b/packages/collector/src/logger.js
index 2fd3281615..103c942259 100644
--- a/packages/collector/src/logger.js
+++ b/packages/collector/src/logger.js
@@ -16,12 +16,11 @@ try {
   // thread (0).
 }
 
-const bunyan = require('bunyan');
+const pino = require('pino');
 const { logger } = require('@instana/core');
+const pinoToAgentStream = require('./agent/loggerToAgentStream');
 
-const bunyanToAgentStream = require('./agent/bunyanToAgentStream');
-
-/** @type {bunyan | import('@instana/core/src/core').GenericLogger} */
+/** @type {pino.Logger | import('@instana/core/src/core').GenericLogger} */
 let parentLogger = null;
 /** @type {Object.<string, (logger: import('@instana/core/src/core').GenericLogger) => *>} */
 const registry = {};
@@ -31,40 +30,39 @@ const registry = {};
  * @param {boolean} [isReInit]
  */
 exports.init = function init(config, isReInit) {
-  if (config.logger && typeof config.logger.child === 'function') {
-    // A bunyan or pino logger has been provided via config. In either case we create a child logger directly under the
-    // given logger which serves as the parent for all loggers we create later on.
+  if (config.logger && isPino(config.logger)) {
+    // A pino logger has been provided via config; create a child logger directly under it.
     parentLogger = config.logger.child({
       module: 'instana-nodejs-logger-parent',
       __in: 1
     });
   } else if (config.logger && hasLoggingFunctions(config.logger)) {
-    // A custom non-bunyan logger has been provided via config. We use it as is.
+    // A custom logger has been provided; use it as is.
     parentLogger = config.logger;
   } else {
-    // No custom logger has been provided via config, we create a new bunyan logger as the parent logger for all loggers
-    // we create later on.
-    parentLogger = bunyan.createLogger({
+    // No custom logger has been provided; create a new pino logger as the parent logger for all loggers
+    parentLogger = pino({
       name: '@instana/collector',
-      thread: threadId,
-      __in: 1
-    });
-  }
-  if (isBunyan(parentLogger)) {
-    // in case we are using a bunyan logger we also forward logs to the agent
-    /** @type {bunyan} */ (parentLogger).addStream({
-      type: 'raw',
-      stream: bunyanToAgentStream,
-      level: 'info'
+      level: 'info',
+      base: {
+        thread: threadId,
+        __in: 1
+      },
+      transport: {
+        target: 'pino/file',
+        options: {
+          destination: pinoToAgentStream,
+          sync: false
+        }
+      }
     });
+
     if (process.env['INSTANA_DEBUG']) {
-      /** @type {bunyan} */ (parentLogger).level('debug');
+      parentLogger.level = 'debug';
     } else if (config.level) {
-      /** @type {bunyan} */ (parentLogger).level(/** @type {import('bunyan').LogLevel} */ (config.level));
+      parentLogger.level = config.level;
     } else if (process.env['INSTANA_LOG_LEVEL']) {
-      /** @type {bunyan} */ (parentLogger).level(
-        /** @type {import('bunyan').LogLevel} */ (process.env['INSTANA_LOG_LEVEL'].toLowerCase())
-      );
+      parentLogger.level = process.env['INSTANA_LOG_LEVEL'].toLowerCase();
     }
   }
 
@@ -110,11 +108,12 @@ exports.getLogger = function getLogger(loggerName, reInitFn) {
 };
 
 /**
- * @param {import('bunyan') | *} _logger
+ * @param {import('pino').Logger | *} _logger
  * @returns {boolean}
  */
-function isBunyan(_logger) {
-  return _logger instanceof bunyan;
+function isPino(_logger) {
+  // _logger.hasOwnProperty('pino')
+  return _logger && _logger[Symbol.for('pino.logger')] === true;
 }
 
 /**