diff --git a/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/masking.py b/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/masking.py
index fe5f0a3f6..cfe637e3e 100644
--- a/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/masking.py
+++ b/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/masking.py
@@ -72,22 +72,30 @@ def _get_cli_structure(
     return output
 
 
+def _mask_unrecognized_arg(arg: str, vocabulary: Set[str]) -> str:
+    return arg if arg in vocabulary else MASK
+
+
 def _mask_kedro_cli(cli_struct: Dict[str, Any], command_args: List[str]) -> List[str]:
     """Takes a dynamic vocabulary (based on `KedroCLI`) and returns
     a masked CLI input"""
     output = []
     vocabulary = _get_vocabulary(cli_struct)
+    mask_next = False
     for arg in command_args:
         if arg.startswith("-"):
-            for arg_part in arg.split("="):
-                if arg_part in vocabulary:
-                    output.append(arg_part)
-                elif arg_part:
-                    output.append(MASK)
-        elif arg in vocabulary:
-            output.append(arg)
-        elif arg:
+            if "=" in arg:
+                arg_left = arg.split("=")[0]
+                output.append(_mask_unrecognized_arg(arg_left, vocabulary))
+                output.append(MASK)
+            else:
+                mask_next = True
+                output.append(_mask_unrecognized_arg(arg, vocabulary))
+        elif mask_next:
             output.append(MASK)
+            mask_next = False
+        else:
+            output.append(_mask_unrecognized_arg(arg, vocabulary))
     return output
 
 
diff --git a/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/plugin.py b/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/plugin.py
index 0e654734f..b76f9163f 100644
--- a/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/plugin.py
+++ b/kedro-telemetry/kedro_telemetry/plugin.py
@@ -60,13 +60,6 @@ def before_command_run(
     ):
         """Hook implementation to send command run data to Heap"""
         try:
-            # get KedroCLI and its structure from actual project root
-            cli = KedroCLI(project_path=Path.cwd())
-            cli_struct = _get_cli_structure(cli_obj=cli, get_help=False)
-            masked_command_args = _mask_kedro_cli(
-                cli_struct=cli_struct, command_args=command_args
-            )
-            main_command = masked_command_args[0] if masked_command_args else "kedro"
             if not project_metadata:  # in package mode
                 return
 
@@ -78,6 +71,14 @@ def before_command_run(
                 )
                 return
 
+            # get KedroCLI and its structure from actual project root
+            cli = KedroCLI(project_path=Path.cwd())
+            cli_struct = _get_cli_structure(cli_obj=cli, get_help=False)
+            masked_command_args = _mask_kedro_cli(
+                cli_struct=cli_struct, command_args=command_args
+            )
+            main_command = masked_command_args[0] if masked_command_args else "kedro"
+
             logger.debug("You have opted into product usage analytics.")
             hashed_username = _get_hashed_username()
             project_properties = _get_project_properties(