diff --git a/pkg/sql/conn_executor.go b/pkg/sql/conn_executor.go
index 12607d88a61d..be0924b75e97 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/conn_executor.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/conn_executor.go
@@ -1463,12 +1463,16 @@ func (ex *connExecutor) execCmd(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return err // err could be io.EOF
 	}
 
+	// Ensure that every statement has a tracing span set up.
 	ctx, sp := tracing.EnsureChildSpan(
 		ctx, ex.server.cfg.AmbientCtx.Tracer,
 		// We print the type of command, not the String() which includes long
 		// statements.
 		cmd.command())
 	defer sp.Finish()
+	// We expect that the span is not used directly, so we'll overwrite the
+	// local variable.
+	sp = nil
 
 	if log.ExpensiveLogEnabled(ctx, 2) || ex.eventLog != nil {
 		ex.sessionEventf(ctx, "[%s pos:%d] executing %s",
diff --git a/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go b/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go
index 7cb6332baa61..8f4441507e22 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go
@@ -92,9 +92,11 @@ type instrumentationHelper struct {
 	finishCollectionDiagnostics func()
 	withStatementTrace          func(trace tracing.Recording, stmt string)
 
-	sp      *tracing.Span
-	origCtx context.Context
-	evalCtx *tree.EvalContext
+	sp *tracing.Span
+	// If true, the instrumentation helper is responsible for finishing sp.
+	finishSpan bool
+	origCtx    context.Context
+	evalCtx    *tree.EvalContext
 
 	// If savePlanForStats is true, the explainPlan will be collected and returned
 	// via PlanForStats().
@@ -164,22 +166,38 @@ func (ih *instrumentationHelper) Setup(
 
 	ih.savePlanForStats = appStats.shouldSaveLogicalPlanDescription(fingerprint, implicitTxn)
 
-	if sp := tracing.SpanFromContext(ctx); sp != nil && sp.IsVerbose() {
-		// If verbose tracing was enabled at a higher level, stats collection is
-		// enabled so that stats are shown in the traces, but no extra work is
-		// needed by the instrumentationHelper.
-		ih.collectExecStats = true
-		return ctx, false
+	if sp := tracing.SpanFromContext(ctx); sp != nil {
+		ih.sp = sp
+		ih.finishSpan = false
+		if sp.IsVerbose() {
+			// If verbose tracing was enabled at a higher level, stats
+			// collection is enabled so that stats are shown in the traces, but
+			// no extra work is needed by the instrumentationHelper.
+			ih.collectExecStats = true
+			return ctx, false
+		}
+	} else {
+		if util.CrdbTestBuild {
+			panic(errors.AssertionFailedf("the context doesn't have a tracing span"))
+		}
 	}
 
 	ih.collectExecStats = collectExecStats
 
 	if !ih.collectBundle && ih.withStatementTrace == nil && ih.outputMode == unmodifiedOutput {
 		if ih.collectExecStats {
-			// If we need to collect stats, create a non-verbose child span. Stats
-			// will be added as structured metadata and processed in Finish.
 			ih.origCtx = ctx
+			if ih.sp != nil {
+				// The span present in the context is sufficient for us to
+				// record stats as structured metadata, so there is nothing else
+				// to do.
+				return ctx, true
+			}
+			// This is an edge case when the span is not present in the original
+			// context for some reason. This should *never* happen, but we
+			// choose to be defensive about it.
 			newCtx, ih.sp = tracing.EnsureChildSpan(ctx, cfg.AmbientCtx.Tracer, "traced statement")
+			ih.finishSpan = true
 			return newCtx, true
 		}
 		return ctx, false
@@ -190,6 +208,7 @@ func (ih *instrumentationHelper) Setup(
 	ih.origCtx = ctx
 	ih.evalCtx = p.EvalContext()
 	newCtx, ih.sp = tracing.StartVerboseTrace(ctx, cfg.AmbientCtx.Tracer, "traced statement")
+	ih.finishSpan = true
 	return newCtx, true
 }
 
@@ -204,15 +223,13 @@ func (ih *instrumentationHelper) Finish(
 	res RestrictedCommandResult,
 	retErr error,
 ) error {
-	if ih.sp == nil {
-		return retErr
+	ctx := ih.origCtx
+	if ih.finishSpan {
+		ih.sp.Finish()
 	}
 
 	// Record the statement information that we've collected.
 	// Note that in case of implicit transactions, the trace contains the auto-commit too.
-	ih.sp.Finish()
-	ctx := ih.origCtx
-
 	trace := ih.sp.GetRecording()
 
 	if ih.withStatementTrace != nil {