diff --git a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/BUILD.bazel
index 01e47711669b..ece70774f538 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/BUILD.bazel
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/util/syncutil",
         "//pkg/util/timeutil",
         "//pkg/util/tracing",
+        "//pkg/util/tracing/tracingpb",
         "//pkg/util/uuid",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_errors//:errors",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_redact//:redact",
diff --git a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/outbox.go b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/outbox.go
index 8a117ecb73aa..b0384ddf2a53 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/flowinfra/outbox.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/flowinfra/outbox.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/timeutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/tracing"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/tracing/tracingpb"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
 )
 
@@ -210,10 +211,12 @@ func (m *Outbox) mainLoop(ctx context.Context) error {
 	var span *tracing.Span
 	ctx, span = execinfra.ProcessorSpan(ctx, "outbox")
 	defer span.Finish()
-	if span != nil && span.IsVerbose() {
-		m.statsCollectionEnabled = true
-		span.SetTag(execinfrapb.FlowIDTagKey, attribute.StringValue(m.flowCtx.ID.String()))
-		span.SetTag(execinfrapb.StreamIDTagKey, attribute.IntValue(int(m.streamID)))
+	if span != nil {
+		m.statsCollectionEnabled = span.RecordingType() != tracingpb.RecordingOff
+		if span.IsVerbose() {
+			span.SetTag(execinfrapb.FlowIDTagKey, attribute.StringValue(m.flowCtx.ID.String()))
+			span.SetTag(execinfrapb.StreamIDTagKey, attribute.IntValue(int(m.streamID)))
+		}
 	}
 
 	if m.stream == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go b/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go
index 64a60cde88ea..a1051f3eed59 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/instrumentation.go
@@ -273,7 +273,17 @@ func (ih *instrumentationHelper) Setup(
 
 	ih.collectExecStats = true
 	ih.evalCtx = p.EvalContext()
-	newCtx, ih.sp = tracing.EnsureChildSpan(ctx, cfg.AmbientCtx.Tracer, "traced statement", tracing.WithRecording(tracing.RecordingVerbose))
+	// Execution stats are propagated as structured metadata, so we definitely
+	// need to enable the tracing. We default to the RecordingStructured level
+	// in order to reduce the overhead of EXPLAIN ANALYZE.
+	recType := tracingpb.RecordingStructured
+	if ih.collectBundle || ih.withStatementTrace != nil {
+		// Use the verbose recording only if we're collecting the bundle (the
+		// verbose trace is very helpful during debugging) or if we have a
+		// testing callback.
+		recType = tracingpb.RecordingVerbose
+	}
+	newCtx, ih.sp = tracing.EnsureChildSpan(ctx, cfg.AmbientCtx.Tracer, "traced statement", tracing.WithRecording(recType))
 	ih.shouldFinishSpan = true
 	return newCtx, true
 }
diff --git a/pkg/sql/rowflow/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/sql/rowflow/BUILD.bazel
index aff5c52aba7d..29d3aca41eec 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/rowflow/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/sql/rowflow/BUILD.bazel
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ go_library(
         "//pkg/util/mon",
         "//pkg/util/syncutil",
         "//pkg/util/tracing",
+        "//pkg/util/tracing/tracingpb",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_errors//:errors",
         "@com_github_cockroachdb_redact//:redact",
         "@io_opentelemetry_go_otel//attribute",
diff --git a/pkg/sql/rowflow/routers.go b/pkg/sql/rowflow/routers.go
index 5851f0b604fe..370620200944 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/rowflow/routers.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/rowflow/routers.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/mon"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/syncutil"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/tracing"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/tracing/tracingpb"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/redact"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
@@ -262,7 +263,7 @@ func (rb *routerBase) setupStreams(
 // init must be called after setupStreams but before Start.
 func (rb *routerBase) init(ctx context.Context, flowCtx *execinfra.FlowCtx, types []*types.T) {
 	// Check if we're recording stats.
-	if s := tracing.SpanFromContext(ctx); s != nil && s.IsVerbose() {
+	if s := tracing.SpanFromContext(ctx); s != nil && s.RecordingType() != tracingpb.RecordingOff {
 		rb.statsCollectionEnabled = true
 	}
 
@@ -313,7 +314,9 @@ func (rb *routerBase) Start(ctx context.Context, wg *sync.WaitGroup, _ context.C
 			if rb.statsCollectionEnabled {
 				ctx, span = execinfra.ProcessorSpan(ctx, "router output")
 				defer span.Finish()
-				span.SetTag(execinfrapb.StreamIDTagKey, attribute.IntValue(int(ro.streamID)))
+				if span.IsVerbose() {
+					span.SetTag(execinfrapb.StreamIDTagKey, attribute.IntValue(int(ro.streamID)))
+				}
 				ro.stats.Inputs = make([]execinfrapb.InputStats, 1)
 			}