diff --git a/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader.go b/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader.go
index 3e405dfca84..09c4cadf141 100644
--- a/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader.go
+++ b/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader.go
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ const (
 	tagValueField          = "value"
 
 	defaultNumTraces = 100
+
+	rolloverMaxSpanAge = time.Hour * 24 * 365 * 100
 )
 
 var (
@@ -129,10 +131,16 @@ type SpanReaderParams struct {
 
 // NewSpanReader returns a new SpanReader with a metrics.
 func NewSpanReader(p SpanReaderParams) *SpanReader {
+	maxSpanAge := p.MaxSpanAge
+	// Setting the maxSpanAge to a large duration will ensure all spans in the "read" alias are accessible by queries (query window = [now - maxSpanAge, now]).
+	// When read/write aliases are enabled, which are required for index rollovers, only the "read" alias is queried and therefore should not affect performance.
+	if p.UseReadWriteAliases {
+		maxSpanAge = rolloverMaxSpanAge
+	}
 	return &SpanReader{
 		client:                        p.Client,
 		logger:                        p.Logger,
-		maxSpanAge:                    p.MaxSpanAge,
+		maxSpanAge:                    maxSpanAge,
 		serviceOperationStorage:       NewServiceOperationStorage(p.Client, p.Logger, 0), // the decorator takes care of metrics
 		spanIndexPrefix:               indexNames(p.IndexPrefix, spanIndex),
 		serviceIndexPrefix:            indexNames(p.IndexPrefix, serviceIndex),
diff --git a/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader_test.go b/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader_test.go
index 64410d35394..b7a0ce276c6 100644
--- a/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader_test.go
+++ b/plugin/storage/es/spanstore/reader_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"github.com/uber/jaeger-lib/metrics"
 	"github.com/uber/jaeger-lib/metrics/metricstest"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
@@ -132,14 +131,34 @@ func withArchiveSpanReader(readAlias bool, fn func(r *spanReaderTest)) {
 var _ spanstore.Reader = &SpanReader{} // check API conformance
 
 func TestNewSpanReader(t *testing.T) {
-	client := &mocks.Client{}
-	reader := NewSpanReader(SpanReaderParams{
-		Client:         client,
-		Logger:         zap.NewNop(),
-		MaxSpanAge:     0,
-		MetricsFactory: metrics.NullFactory,
-		IndexPrefix:    ""})
-	assert.NotNil(t, reader)
+	tests := []struct {
+		name       string
+		params     SpanReaderParams
+		maxSpanAge time.Duration
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "no rollover",
+			params: SpanReaderParams{
+				MaxSpanAge: time.Hour * 72,
+			},
+			maxSpanAge: time.Hour * 72,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "rollover enabled",
+			params: SpanReaderParams{
+				MaxSpanAge:          time.Hour * 72,
+				UseReadWriteAliases: true,
+			},
+			maxSpanAge: time.Hour * 24 * 365 * 100,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			reader := NewSpanReader(test.params)
+			require.NotNil(t, reader)
+			assert.Equal(t, test.maxSpanAge, reader.maxSpanAge)
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSpanReaderIndices(t *testing.T) {