diff --git a/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer.go b/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer.go
index b945a037c41..88ecff36e65 100644
--- a/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer.go
+++ b/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func WrapPartitionConsumer(serviceName string, pc sarama.PartitionConsumer, opts
 		for msg := range msgs {
 			// Extract a span context from message to link.
 			carrier := NewConsumerMessageCarrier(msg)
-			parentSpanContext := trace.RemoteSpanContextFromContext(propagation.ExtractHTTP(context.Background(), cfg.Propagators, carrier))
+			parentSpanContext := propagation.ExtractHTTP(context.Background(), cfg.Propagators, carrier)
 
 			// Create a span.
 			attrs := []kv.KeyValue{
@@ -67,10 +67,7 @@ func WrapPartitionConsumer(serviceName string, pc sarama.PartitionConsumer, opts
 				trace.WithAttributes(attrs...),
 				trace.WithSpanKind(trace.SpanKindConsumer),
 			}
-			if parentSpanContext.IsValid() {
-				opts = append(opts, trace.LinkedTo(parentSpanContext))
-			}
-			newCtx, span := cfg.Tracer.Start(context.Background(), "kafka.consume", opts...)
+			newCtx, span := cfg.Tracer.Start(parentSpanContext, "kafka.consume", opts...)
 
 			// Inject current span context, so consumers can use it to propagate span.
 			propagation.InjectHTTP(newCtx, cfg.Propagators, carrier)
diff --git a/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer_test.go b/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer_test.go
index 48d304c7167..8b1658ab3a5 100644
--- a/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer_test.go
+++ b/instrumentation/github.com/Shopify/sarama/consumer_test.go
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ func consumeAndCheck(t *testing.T, mt *mocktracer.Tracer, mockPartitionConsumer
 	assert.Len(t, spans, 2)
 
 	expectedList := []struct {
-		kvList []kv.KeyValue
-		links  map[trace.SpanContext][]kv.KeyValue
-		kind   trace.SpanKind
-		msgKey []byte
+		kvList       []kv.KeyValue
+		parentSpanID trace.SpanID
+		kind         trace.SpanKind
+		msgKey       []byte
 	}{
 		{
 			kvList: []kv.KeyValue{
@@ -114,11 +114,9 @@ func consumeAndCheck(t *testing.T, mt *mocktracer.Tracer, mockPartitionConsumer
 				standard.MessagingMessageIDKey.Int64(1),
 				kafkaPartitionKey.Int32(0),
 			},
-			links: map[trace.SpanContext][]kv.KeyValue{
-				trace.SpanFromContext(ctx).SpanContext(): nil,
-			},
-			kind:   trace.SpanKindConsumer,
-			msgKey: []byte("foo"),
+			parentSpanID: trace.SpanFromContext(ctx).SpanContext().SpanID,
+			kind:         trace.SpanKindConsumer,
+			msgKey:       []byte("foo"),
 		},
 		{
 			kvList: []kv.KeyValue{
@@ -130,7 +128,6 @@ func consumeAndCheck(t *testing.T, mt *mocktracer.Tracer, mockPartitionConsumer
 				standard.MessagingMessageIDKey.Int64(2),
 				kafkaPartitionKey.Int32(0),
 			},
-			links:  make(map[trace.SpanContext][]kv.KeyValue),
 			kind:   trace.SpanKindConsumer,
 			msgKey: []byte("foo2"),
 		},
@@ -140,7 +137,7 @@ func consumeAndCheck(t *testing.T, mt *mocktracer.Tracer, mockPartitionConsumer
 		t.Run(fmt.Sprint("index", i), func(t *testing.T) {
 			span := spans[i]
 
-			assert.Equal(t, expected.links, span.Links)
+			assert.Equal(t, expected.parentSpanID, span.ParentSpanID)
 
 			remoteSpanFromMessage := trace.RemoteSpanContextFromContext(propagation.ExtractHTTP(context.Background(), propagators, NewConsumerMessageCarrier(msgList[i])))
 			assert.Equal(t, span.SpanContext(), remoteSpanFromMessage,