diff --git a/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/DDTracer.java b/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/DDTracer.java
index e3a43fc2a8..06da705005 100644
--- a/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/DDTracer.java
+++ b/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/DDTracer.java
@@ -297,12 +297,17 @@ public class DDTracer implements io.opentracing.Tracer, Closeable {
         }
       }
     }
-    traceCount.incrementAndGet();
+    incrementTraceCount();
     if (!writtenTrace.isEmpty() && sampler.sample(writtenTrace.get(0))) {
       writer.write(writtenTrace);
     }
   }
 
+  /** Increment the reported trace count, but do not write a trace. */
+  void incrementTraceCount() {
+    traceCount.incrementAndGet();
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void close() {
     PendingTrace.close();
diff --git a/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/PendingTrace.java b/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/PendingTrace.java
index f4c56319ad..9656dfb78e 100644
--- a/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/PendingTrace.java
+++ b/dd-trace-ot/src/main/java/datadog/opentracing/PendingTrace.java
@@ -214,11 +214,20 @@ public class PendingTrace extends ConcurrentLinkedDeque<DDSpan> {
     int count = 0;
     while ((ref = referenceQueue.poll()) != null) {
       weakReferences.remove(ref);
+      if (isWritten.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+        SPAN_CLEANER.pendingTraces.remove(this);
+        // preserve throughput count.
+        // Don't report the trace because the data comes from buggy uses of the api and is suspect.
+        tracer.incrementTraceCount();
+      }
       count++;
       expireReference();
     }
     if (count > 0) {
-      log.debug("{} unfinished spans garbage collected!", count);
+      log.debug(
+          "trace {} : {} unfinished spans garbage collected. Trace will not report.",
+          traceId,
+          count);
     }
     return count > 0;
   }
diff --git a/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/PendingTraceTest.groovy b/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/PendingTraceTest.groovy
index 9104ab8335..8327221913 100644
--- a/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/PendingTraceTest.groovy
+++ b/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/PendingTraceTest.groovy
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import datadog.trace.agent.test.TestUtils
 import datadog.trace.common.writer.ListWriter
 import spock.lang.Specification
 import spock.lang.Subject
+import spock.lang.Timeout
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
@@ -94,7 +95,8 @@ class PendingTraceTest extends Specification {
     traceCount.get() == 1
   }
 
-  def "trace reported when unfinished child discarded"() {
+  @Timeout(value = 60, unit = TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+  def "trace does not report when unfinished child discarded"() {
     when:
     def child = tracer.buildSpan("child").asChildOf(rootSpan).start()
     rootSpan.finish()
@@ -109,15 +111,17 @@ class PendingTraceTest extends Specification {
     def childRef = new WeakReference<>(child)
     child = null
     TestUtils.awaitGC(childRef)
-    while (trace.clean()) {
+    while (trace.pendingReferenceCount.get() > 0) {
+      trace.clean()
     }
 
     then:
     trace.pendingReferenceCount.get() == 0
     trace.weakReferences.size() == 0
     trace.asList() == [rootSpan]
-    writer == [[rootSpan]]
+    writer == []
     traceCount.get() == 1
+    !PendingTrace.SPAN_CLEANER.pendingTraces.contains(trace)
   }
 
   def "add unfinished span to trace fails"() {
diff --git a/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/scopemanager/ScopeManagerTest.groovy b/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/scopemanager/ScopeManagerTest.groovy
index 09b7f7a8e3..602e459fbb 100644
--- a/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/scopemanager/ScopeManagerTest.groovy
+++ b/dd-trace-ot/src/test/groovy/datadog/opentracing/scopemanager/ScopeManagerTest.groovy
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ import io.opentracing.Span
 import io.opentracing.noop.NoopSpan
 import spock.lang.Specification
 import spock.lang.Subject
+import spock.lang.Timeout
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference
 
@@ -179,11 +181,13 @@ class ScopeManagerTest extends Specification {
     false     | true
   }
 
+  @Timeout(value = 60, unit = TimeUnit.SECONDS)
   def "hard reference on continuation prevents trace from reporting"() {
     setup:
     def builder = tracer.buildSpan("test")
     def scope = (ContinuableScope) builder.startActive(false)
     def span = scope.span()
+    def traceCount = ((DDSpan) span).context().tracer.traceCount
     scope.setAsyncPropagation(true)
     def continuation = scope.capture()
     scope.close()
@@ -199,7 +203,9 @@ class ScopeManagerTest extends Specification {
       def continuationRef = new WeakReference<>(continuation)
       continuation = null // Continuation references also hold up traces.
       TestUtils.awaitGC(continuationRef)
-      writer.waitForTraces(1)
+      while (traceCount.get() == 0) {
+        // wait until trace count increments or timeout expires
+      }
     }
     if (autoClose) {
       if (continuation != null) {
@@ -208,7 +214,8 @@ class ScopeManagerTest extends Specification {
     }
 
     then:
-    writer == [[span]]
+    forceGC ? true : writer == [[span]]
+    traceCount.get() == 1
 
     where:
     autoClose | forceGC