diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query.go b/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query.go
index 39476c35fd5..38c07f48767 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query.go
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ func handleConversionError(ctxLogger log.Logger, span trace.Span, err error) (*b
 func (s *Service) performMetricsQuery(ctx context.Context, dsInfo *Datasource, model *dataquery.TempoQuery, query backend.DataQuery, span trace.Span) (*http.Response, []byte, error) {
 	ctxLogger := s.logger.FromContext(ctx)
 	request, err := s.createMetricsQuery(ctx, dsInfo, model, query.TimeRange.From.Unix(), query.TimeRange.To.Unix())
-
 	if err != nil {
 		ctxLogger.Error("Failed to create request", "error", err, "function", logEntrypoint())
 		span.RecordError(err)
@@ -202,6 +201,6 @@ func isInstantQuery(metricQueryType *dataquery.MetricsQueryType) bool {
 }
 
 func isMetricsQuery(query string) bool {
-	match, _ := regexp.MatchString("\\|\\s*(rate|count_over_time|avg_over_time|max_over_time|min_over_time|quantile_over_time|histogram_over_time|compare)\\s*\\(", query)
+	match, _ := regexp.MatchString("\\|\\s*(rate|count_over_time|avg_over_time|sum_over_time|max_over_time|min_over_time|quantile_over_time|histogram_over_time|compare)\\s*\\(", query)
 	return match
 }
diff --git a/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query_test.go b/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query_test.go
index e8561c25e02..cffe2c2273f 100644
--- a/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tsdb/tempo/traceql_query_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ func TestCreateMetricsQuery_Success(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "http://tempo:3100/api/metrics/query_range?end=1625184000&exemplars=123&q=%7Battribute%3D%22value%22%7D&start=1625097600&step=14", req.URL.String())
 	assert.Equal(t, "application/json", req.Header.Get("Accept"))
 }
+
 func TestCreateMetricsQuery_OnlyQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	logger := backend.NewLoggerWith("logger", "tsdb.tempo.test")
 	service := &Service{
@@ -94,6 +95,11 @@ func TestQueryWithAvgOverTimeFunction_ReturnsTrue(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, result)
 }
 
+func TestQueryWithSumOverTimeFunction_ReturnsTrue(t *testing.T) {
+	result := isMetricsQuery("{} | sum_over_time(foo)")
+	assert.True(t, result)
+}
+
 func TestQueryWithCountOverTimeFunction_ReturnsTrue(t *testing.T) {
 	result := isMetricsQuery("{} | count_over_time(foo)")
 	assert.True(t, result)