diff --git a/pkg/sql/distsql_running.go b/pkg/sql/distsql_running.go
index 278cd82fcdb0..06f396acda47 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/distsql_running.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/distsql_running.go
@@ -644,8 +644,7 @@ func (r *DistSQLReceiver) Push(
 		if len(meta.TraceData) > 0 {
 			span := tracing.SpanFromContext(r.ctx)
 			if span == nil {
-				r.resultWriter.SetError(
-					errors.New("trying to ingest remote spans but there is no recording span set up"))
+				// Nothing to do.
 			} else if err := span.ImportRemoteSpans(meta.TraceData); err != nil {
 				r.resultWriter.SetError(errors.Errorf("error ingesting remote spans: %s", err))
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/execinfra/processorsbase.go b/pkg/sql/execinfra/processorsbase.go
index 726c2dc68edc..0ac102870f33 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/execinfra/processorsbase.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/execinfra/processorsbase.go
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ const (
 // returned from now on. In this state, the processor is expected to drain its
 // inputs (commonly by using DrainHelper()).
 //
-// If the processor has no input (ProcStateOpts.intputToDrain was not specified
+// If the processor has no input (ProcStateOpts.inputToDrain was not specified
 // at init() time), then we move straight to the StateTrailingMeta.
 //
 // An error can be optionally passed. It will be the first piece of metadata
diff --git a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/cluster_test.go b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/cluster_test.go
index f001207c7b7d..b8aa35c4a9c9 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/cluster_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/cluster_test.go
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ func TestClusterFlow(t *testing.T) {
 	metas = ignoreMisplannedRanges(metas)
 	metas = ignoreLeafTxnState(metas)
 	metas = ignoreMetricsMeta(metas)
+	metas = ignoreTraceData(metas)
 	if len(metas) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected metadata (%d): %+v", len(metas), metas)
 	}
@@ -327,6 +328,18 @@ func ignoreMetricsMeta(metas []execinfrapb.ProducerMetadata) []execinfrapb.Produ
 	return res
 }
 
+// ignoreTraceData takes a slice of metadata and returns the entries
+// excluding the ones with trace data.
+func ignoreTraceData(metas []execinfrapb.ProducerMetadata) []execinfrapb.ProducerMetadata {
+	res := make([]execinfrapb.ProducerMetadata, 0)
+	for _, m := range metas {
+		if m.TraceData == nil {
+			res = append(res, m)
+		}
+	}
+	return res
+}
+
 // TestLimitedBufferingDeadlock sets up a scenario which leads to deadlock if
 // a single consumer can block the entire router (#17097).
 func TestLimitedBufferingDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
@@ -545,6 +558,7 @@ func TestLimitedBufferingDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
 	metas = ignoreMisplannedRanges(metas)
 	metas = ignoreLeafTxnState(metas)
 	metas = ignoreMetricsMeta(metas)
+	metas = ignoreTraceData(metas)
 	if len(metas) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected metadata (%d): %+v", len(metas), metas)
 	}
@@ -852,6 +866,7 @@ func BenchmarkInfrastructure(b *testing.B) {
 						metas = ignoreMisplannedRanges(metas)
 						metas = ignoreLeafTxnState(metas)
 						metas = ignoreMetricsMeta(metas)
+						metas = ignoreTraceData(metas)
 						if len(metas) != 0 {
 							b.Fatalf("unexpected metadata (%d): %+v", len(metas), metas)
 						}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/server_test.go b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/server_test.go
index 9d9f909ac0ce..032d036fdd0f 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/server_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/server_test.go
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ func TestServer(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	metas = ignoreLeafTxnState(metas)
 	metas = ignoreMetricsMeta(metas)
+	metas = ignoreTraceData(metas)
 	if len(metas) != 0 {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected metadata: %v", metas)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/sql/physicalplan/aggregator_funcs_test.go b/pkg/sql/physicalplan/aggregator_funcs_test.go
index 05b922133af8..c780fdf34bb0 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/physicalplan/aggregator_funcs_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/physicalplan/aggregator_funcs_test.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func runTestFlow(
 	for {
 		row, meta := rowBuf.Next()
 		if meta != nil {
-			if meta.LeafTxnFinalState != nil || meta.Metrics != nil {
+			if meta.LeafTxnFinalState != nil || meta.Metrics != nil || meta.TraceData != nil {
 				continue
 			}
 			t.Fatalf("unexpected metadata: %v", meta)
diff --git a/pkg/util/tracing/tracer.go b/pkg/util/tracing/tracer.go
index 6782151126ce..74135dba8448 100644
--- a/pkg/util/tracing/tracer.go
+++ b/pkg/util/tracing/tracer.go
@@ -62,32 +62,30 @@ const (
 	modeBackground
 )
 
-// tracingMode informs the creation of noop spans
-// and the default recording mode of created spans.
+// tracingMode informs the creation of noop spans and the default recording mode
+// of created spans.
+//
+// If set to 'background', trace spans will be created for all operations, but
+// these will record sparse structured information, unless an operation
+// explicitly requests the verbose from. It's optimized for low overhead, and
+// powers fine-grained statistics and alerts.
+//
+// If set to 'legacy', trace spans will not be created by default. This is
+// unless an internal code path explicitly requests for it, or if an auxiliary
+// tracer (such as lightstep or zipkin) is configured. This tracing mode always
+// records in the verbose form. Using this mode has two effects: the
+// observability of the cluster may be degraded (as most trace spans are elided)
+// and where trace spans are created, they may consume large amounts of memory.
+//
+// Note that regardless of this setting, configuring an auxiliary trace sink
+// will cause verbose traces to be created for all operations, which may lead to
+// high memory consumption. It is not currently possible to send non-verbose
+// traces to auxiliary sinks.
 var tracingMode = settings.RegisterEnumSetting(
 	"trace.mode",
-	`configures the CockroachDB-internal tracing subsystem.
-
-If set to 'background', trace spans will be created for all operations, but
-these trace spans will only be recording sparse structured information,
-unless an operation explicitly requests verbose recording. This is
-optimized for low overhead, and powers fine-grained statistics and alerts.
-
-If set to 'legacy', trace spans will not be created (unless an
-auxiliary tracer such as Lightstep or Zipkin, is configured, or an
-internal code path explicitly requests a trace to be created) but
-when they are, they record verbose information. This has two effects:
-the observability of the cluster may be degraded (as some trace spans
-are elided) and where trace spans are created, they may consume large
-amounts of memory. This mode should not be used with auxiliary tracing
-sinks as that leads to expensive trace spans being created throughout.
-
-Note that regardless of this setting, configuring an auxiliary
-trace sink will cause verbose traces to be created for all
-operations, which may lead to high memory consumption. It is not
-currently possible to send non-verbose traces to auxiliary sinks.
-`,
-	"legacy",
+	"if set to 'background', traces will be created for all operations (in"+
+		"'legacy' mode it's created when explicitly requested or when auxiliary tracers are configured)",
+	"background",
 	map[int64]string{
 		int64(modeLegacy):     "legacy",
 		int64(modeBackground): "background",