diff --git a/pkg/expr/sql_command.go b/pkg/expr/sql_command.go
index 3ebf6a78d02..6c80ac717d6 100644
--- a/pkg/expr/sql_command.go
+++ b/pkg/expr/sql_command.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/data"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/codes"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/apimachinery/errutil"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/expr/mathexp"
@@ -114,13 +115,15 @@ func (gr *SQLCommand) Execute(ctx context.Context, now time.Time, vars mathexp.V
 	rsp := mathexp.Results{}
 
 	defer func() {
-		span.End()
 		duration := float64(time.Since(start).Milliseconds())
 
 		statusLabel := "ok"
 		if rsp.Error != nil {
 			statusLabel = "error"
+			span.RecordError(rsp.Error)
+			span.SetStatus(codes.Error, rsp.Error.Error())
 		}
+		span.End()
 
 		metrics.SqlCommandCount.WithLabelValues(statusLabel).Inc()
 		metrics.SqlCommandDuration.WithLabelValues(statusLabel).Observe(duration)
@@ -154,7 +157,6 @@ func (gr *SQLCommand) Execute(ctx context.Context, now time.Time, vars mathexp.V
 
 	db := sql.DB{}
 	frame, err := db.QueryFrames(ctx, tracer, gr.refID, gr.query, allFrames, sql.WithMaxOutputCells(gr.outputLimit), sql.WithTimeout(gr.timeout))
-
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Error("Failed to query frames", "error", err.Error())
 		rsp.Error = err
diff --git a/pkg/expr/sql_command_test.go b/pkg/expr/sql_command_test.go
index 34591fdb110..c4ecdc480f6 100644
--- a/pkg/expr/sql_command_test.go
+++ b/pkg/expr/sql_command_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/expr/metrics"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus/testutil"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/codes"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 )
 
@@ -187,3 +188,8 @@ type testSpan struct {
 
 func (ts *testSpan) End(opt ...trace.SpanEndOption) {
 }
+
+func (ts *testSpan) RecordError(err error, opt ...trace.EventOption) {
+}
+
+func (ts *testSpan) SetStatus(code codes.Code, msg string) {}