diff --git a/src/datadog/span_data.cpp b/src/datadog/span_data.cpp
index b1e1216f..7ed4ebb2 100644
--- a/src/datadog/span_data.cpp
+++ b/src/datadog/span_data.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,19 @@ Optional<StringView> SpanData::version() const {
 
 void SpanData::apply_config(const SpanDefaults& defaults,
                             const SpanConfig& config, const Clock& clock) {
-  service = config.service.value_or(defaults.service);
+  std::string version;
+  if (config.service) {
+    service = *config.service;
+    version = config.version.value_or("");
+  } else {
+    service = defaults.service;
+    version = defaults.version;
+  }
+
+  if (!version.empty()) {
+    tags.insert_or_assign(tags::version, version);
+  }
+
   name = config.name.value_or(defaults.name);
 
   for (const auto& item : defaults.tags) {
@@ -47,10 +59,7 @@ void SpanData::apply_config(const SpanDefaults& defaults,
   if (!environment.empty()) {
     tags.insert_or_assign(tags::environment, environment);
   }
-  std::string version = config.version.value_or(defaults.version);
-  if (!version.empty()) {
-    tags.insert_or_assign(tags::version, version);
-  }
+
   for (const auto& [key, value] : config.tags) {
     tags.insert_or_assign(key, value);
   }
diff --git a/test/test_tracer.cpp b/test/test_tracer.cpp
index dd2ef684..98d855cf 100644
--- a/test/test_tracer.cpp
+++ b/test/test_tracer.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,18 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
   REQUIRE(overrides.name != config.name);
   REQUIRE(overrides.tags != config.tags);
 
+  // Test behaviors when the config overrides the service but leaves other
+  // fields empty
+  SpanConfig overrides_with_empty_values;
+  overrides_with_empty_values.service = "barsvc";
+
+  REQUIRE(overrides_with_empty_values.service != config.service);
+  REQUIRE(overrides_with_empty_values.service_type != config.service_type);
+  REQUIRE(overrides_with_empty_values.environment != config.environment);
+  REQUIRE(overrides_with_empty_values.version != config.version);
+  REQUIRE(overrides_with_empty_values.name != config.name);
+  REQUIRE(overrides_with_empty_values.tags != config.tags);
+
   // Some of the sections below create a span from extracted trace context.
   const std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string> headers{
       {"x-datadog-trace-id", "123"}, {"x-datadog-parent-id", "456"}};
@@ -117,6 +129,9 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
     REQUIRE(root.version() == config.version);
     REQUIRE(root.name == config.name);
     REQUIRE_THAT(root.tags, ContainsSubset(*config.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(root.tags.count(tags::version) == 1);
+    REQUIRE(root.tags.find(tags::version)->second == config.version);
   }
 
   SECTION("can be overridden in a root span") {
@@ -141,6 +156,9 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
     REQUIRE(root.version() == overrides.version);
     REQUIRE(root.name == overrides.name);
     REQUIRE_THAT(root.tags, ContainsSubset(overrides.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(root.tags.count(tags::version) == 1);
+    REQUIRE(root.tags.find(tags::version)->second == overrides.version);
   }
 
   SECTION("are honored in an extracted span") {
@@ -165,6 +183,9 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
     REQUIRE(span.version() == config.version);
     REQUIRE(span.name == config.name);
     REQUIRE_THAT(span.tags, ContainsSubset(*config.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(span.tags.count(tags::version) == 1);
+    REQUIRE(span.tags.find(tags::version)->second == config.version);
   }
 
   SECTION("can be overridden in an extracted span") {
@@ -189,6 +210,9 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
     REQUIRE(span.version() == overrides.version);
     REQUIRE(span.name == overrides.name);
     REQUIRE_THAT(span.tags, ContainsSubset(overrides.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(span.tags.count(tags::version) == 1);
+    REQUIRE(span.tags.find(tags::version)->second == overrides.version);
   }
 
   SECTION("are honored in a child span") {
@@ -216,6 +240,9 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
     REQUIRE(child.version() == config.version);
     REQUIRE(child.name == config.name);
     REQUIRE_THAT(child.tags, ContainsSubset(*config.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(child.tags.count(tags::version) == 1);
+    REQUIRE(child.tags.find(tags::version)->second == config.version);
   }
 
   SECTION("can be overridden in a child span") {
@@ -243,6 +270,39 @@ TEST_CASE("tracer span defaults") {
     REQUIRE(child.version() == overrides.version);
     REQUIRE(child.name == overrides.name);
     REQUIRE_THAT(child.tags, ContainsSubset(overrides.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(child.tags.count(tags::version) == 1);
+    REQUIRE(child.tags.find(tags::version)->second == overrides.version);
+  }
+
+  SECTION("can be overridden in a child span with empty values") {
+    {
+      auto parent = tracer.create_span();
+      parent.create_child(overrides_with_empty_values);
+    }
+    REQUIRE(logger->error_count() == 0);
+
+    // Get the finished span from the collector and verify that its
+    // properties have the configured default values.
+    REQUIRE(collector->chunks.size() == 1);
+    const auto& chunk = collector->chunks.front();
+    // One span for the parent, and another for the child.
+    REQUIRE(chunk.size() == 2);
+    // The parent will be first, so the child is last.
+    auto& child_ptr = chunk.back();
+    REQUIRE(child_ptr);
+    const auto& child = *child_ptr;
+
+    REQUIRE(child.service ==
+            overrides_with_empty_values.service);  // only service is set
+    REQUIRE(child.service_type == config.service_type);
+    REQUIRE(child.environment() == config.environment);
+    REQUIRE(child.version() == nullopt);  // version is not inherited since the
+                                          // service name is different
+    REQUIRE(child.name == config.name);
+    REQUIRE_THAT(child.tags, ContainsSubset(*config.tags));
+
+    REQUIRE(child.tags.count(tags::version) == 0);
   }
 }