diff --git a/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/src/instrumentation.ts b/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/src/instrumentation.ts
index 0a5ef04153..2f5663f36c 100644
--- a/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/src/instrumentation.ts
+++ b/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/src/instrumentation.ts
@@ -98,10 +98,13 @@ export class UserInteractionInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase<unknown>
    * @param eventName
    */
   private _createSpan(
-    element: HTMLElement,
+    element: EventTarget | null | undefined,
     eventName: string,
     parentSpan?: api.Span | undefined
   ): api.Span | undefined {
+    if (!(element instanceof HTMLElement)) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
     if (!element.getAttribute) {
       return undefined;
     }
@@ -274,10 +277,7 @@ export class UserInteractionInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase<unknown>
           if (once) {
             plugin.removePatchedListener(this, type, listener);
           }
-          const span =
-            target instanceof HTMLElement
-              ? plugin._createSpan(target, type, parentSpan)
-              : undefined;
+          const span = plugin._createSpan(target, type, parentSpan);
           if (span) {
             if (event) {
               plugin._eventsSpanMap.set(event, span);
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ export class UserInteractionInstrumentation extends InstrumentationBase<unknown>
         const target = event?.target;
         let span: api.Span | undefined;
         const activeZone = this;
-        if (target instanceof HTMLElement) {
+        if (target) {
           span = plugin._createSpan(target, task.eventName);
           if (span) {
             plugin._incrementTask(span);
diff --git a/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/test/userInteraction.test.ts b/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/test/userInteraction.test.ts
index 3e38df8600..cf83d3045d 100644
--- a/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/test/userInteraction.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/web/opentelemetry-instrumentation-user-interaction/test/userInteraction.test.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ const FILE_URL =
 
 describe('UserInteractionInstrumentation', () => {
   afterEach(() => {
+    // clear body from elements created by some tests to make sure they are independent
     while (document.body.lastChild) {
       document.body.removeChild(document.body.lastChild);
     }