diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/span.go b/ddtrace/tracer/span.go
index 9ce8835191..96e8805855 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/span.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/span.go
@@ -102,7 +102,9 @@ func (s *span) SetTag(key string, value interface{}) {
 	}
 	switch key {
 	case ext.Error:
-		s.setTagError(value, &errorConfig{})
+		s.setTagError(value, errorConfig{
+			noDebugStack: s.noDebugStack,
+		})
 		return
 	}
 	if v, ok := value.(bool); ok {
@@ -127,7 +129,7 @@ func (s *span) SetTag(key string, value interface{}) {
 
 // setTagError sets the error tag. It accounts for various valid scenarios.
 // This method is not safe for concurrent use.
-func (s *span) setTagError(value interface{}, cfg *errorConfig) {
+func (s *span) setTagError(value interface{}, cfg errorConfig) {
 	if s.finished {
 		return
 	}
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ func (s *span) setTagError(value interface{}, cfg *errorConfig) {
 		s.Error = 1
 		s.setMeta(ext.ErrorMsg, v.Error())
 		s.setMeta(ext.ErrorType, reflect.TypeOf(v).String())
+
 		if !cfg.noDebugStack {
 			s.setMeta(ext.ErrorStack, takeStacktrace(cfg.stackFrames, cfg.stackSkip))
 		}
@@ -280,7 +283,7 @@ func (s *span) Finish(opts ...ddtrace.FinishOption) {
 		}
 		if cfg.Error != nil {
 			s.Lock()
-			s.setTagError(cfg.Error, &errorConfig{
+			s.setTagError(cfg.Error, errorConfig{
 				noDebugStack: cfg.NoDebugStack,
 				stackFrames:  cfg.StackFrames,
 				stackSkip:    cfg.SkipStackFrames,
diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/span_test.go b/ddtrace/tracer/span_test.go
index 9b68cff0d1..b86a8acc8b 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/span_test.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/span_test.go
@@ -204,6 +204,22 @@ func TestSpanSetTag(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal("false", span.Meta["some.other.bool"])
 }
 
+func TestSpanSetTagErrorNoTrace(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	span := newBasicSpan("web.request")
+
+	span.setTagError(errors.New("error value with no trace"), errorConfig{noDebugStack: true})
+	assert.Empty(span.Meta[ext.ErrorStack])
+}
+
+func TestSpanSetTagErrorWithTrace(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	span := newBasicSpan("web.request")
+
+	span.setTagError(errors.New("error value with trace"), errorConfig{noDebugStack: false})
+	assert.NotEmpty(span.Meta[ext.ErrorStack])
+}
+
 func TestSpanSetDatadogTags(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 
diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
index 11e5953942..71ec50d1b4 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
@@ -451,16 +451,21 @@ func TestTracerSpanGlobalTags(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal("value", child.Meta["key"])
 }
 
-func TestTracerNoDebugStack(t *testing.T) {
+func TestTracerNoDebugStackFinish(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 	tracer := newTracer(WithDebugStack(false))
 	s := tracer.StartSpan("web.request").(*span)
 	err := errors.New("test error")
 	s.Finish(WithError(err))
+	assert.Empty(s.Meta[ext.ErrorStack])
+}
 
-	assert.Equal(int32(1), s.Error)
-	assert.Equal("test error", s.Meta[ext.ErrorMsg])
-	assert.Equal("*errors.errorString", s.Meta[ext.ErrorType])
+func TestTracerNoDebugStackFinishSetTag(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	tracer := newTracer(WithDebugStack(false))
+	s := tracer.StartSpan("web.request").(*span)
+	err := errors.New("error value with no trace")
+	s.SetTag(ext.Error, err)
 	assert.Empty(s.Meta[ext.ErrorStack])
 }