diff --git a/exporters/trace/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/opentelemetry/trace/TraceTranslator.java b/exporters/trace/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/opentelemetry/trace/TraceTranslator.java
index 873a408b..31e87ab7 100644
--- a/exporters/trace/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/opentelemetry/trace/TraceTranslator.java
+++ b/exporters/trace/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/opentelemetry/trace/TraceTranslator.java
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ Span generateSpan(SpanData spanData, String projectId) {
       spanBuilder.setEndTime(toTimestampProto(end));
     }
     spanBuilder.setLinks(toLinksProto(spanData.getLinks(), spanData.getTotalRecordedLinks()));
-    if (spanData.getParentSpanId() != null) {
+    if (spanData.getParentSpanContext().isValid()) {
       spanBuilder.setParentSpanId(spanData.getParentSpanId());
     }
     boolean hasRemoteParent = spanData.getParentSpanContext().isRemote();