diff --git a/changelogs/current.yaml b/changelogs/current.yaml
index 9ecf0d6e48ce..d9aab1c27536 100644
--- a/changelogs/current.yaml
+++ b/changelogs/current.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ minor_behavior_changes:
 
 bug_fixes:
 # *Changes expected to improve the state of the world and are unlikely to have negative effects*
+- area: tracing
+  change: |
+    Fixed a bug where the OpenTelemetry tracer exports the OTLP request even when no spans are present.
 
 removed_config_or_runtime:
 # *Normally occurs at the end of the* :ref:`deprecation period <deprecated>`
diff --git a/source/extensions/tracers/opentelemetry/tracer.cc b/source/extensions/tracers/opentelemetry/tracer.cc
index 544c37ef96bf..b748745f2f85 100644
--- a/source/extensions/tracers/opentelemetry/tracer.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/tracers/opentelemetry/tracer.cc
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ void Tracer::enableTimer() {
 }
 
 void Tracer::flushSpans() {
+  if (span_buffer_.empty()) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   ExportTraceServiceRequest request;
   // A request consists of ResourceSpans.
   ::opentelemetry::proto::trace::v1::ResourceSpans* resource_span = request.add_resource_spans();