diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 9fd55515bbc..5ae10a50619 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@
         <jakarta-annotation-version>2.1.0</jakarta-annotation-version>
         <scribejava-version>8.3.1</scribejava-version>
         <junit-version>4.13.2</junit-version>
-        <dd-java-agent-version>1.45.2</dd-java-agent-version>
+        <dd-java-agent-version>1.56.0</dd-java-agent-version>
         <cucumber-version>7.2.3</cucumber-version>
         <project.scm.id>github</project.scm.id>
     </properties>
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/ClientSteps.java b/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/ClientSteps.java
index 49acd29c526..1a4e3a39746 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/ClientSteps.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/ClientSteps.java
@@ -50,14 +50,14 @@ public void setupVersion(Scenario scenario) {
     world.scenario = scenario;
     apiVersion = world.getVersion();
     final Span span = GlobalTracer.get().activeSpan();
-    if (span != null) {
+    if (span != null && span instanceof MutableSpan) {
       ArrayList<String> codeowners = new ArrayList<String>();
       for (String tag : scenario.getSourceTagNames()) {
         if (tag.startsWith("@team:")) {
           codeowners.add("@" + tag.substring(6));
         }
       }
-      // if the agent container is not running, span is null
+      // if the agent container is not running or tracer not initialized, span is null or noop
       MutableSpan localRootSpan = ((MutableSpan) span).getLocalRootSpan();
       localRootSpan.setTag(TEST_CODEOWNERS_TAG, new Gson().toJson(codeowners));
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/TestUtils.java b/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/TestUtils.java
index fa4d9b9c126..4c8615d37ab 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/TestUtils.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/datadog/api/TestUtils.java
@@ -247,8 +247,8 @@ public void setupClock() throws IOException {
     @Before
     public void setTracingTags() {
       final Span span = GlobalTracer.get().activeSpan();
-      if (span != null) {
-        // if the agent container is not running, span is null
+      if (span != null && span instanceof MutableSpan) {
+        // if the agent container is not running or tracer not initialized, span is null or noop
         MutableSpan localRootSpan = ((MutableSpan) span).getLocalRootSpan();
         localRootSpan.setTag(TRACING_TAG_ENDPOINT, getTracingEndpoint());
         localRootSpan.setOperationName(TRACING_SPAN_TYPE);