diff --git a/src/telemetry.ts b/src/telemetry.ts
index 30bb180..555f5f1 100644
--- a/src/telemetry.ts
+++ b/src/telemetry.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@ class Span {
         ?.getTransaction()
         ?.startChild(data);
 
-      this.otelSpan = opentelemetry.trace.getTracer('biothings-explorer-thread').startSpan((data as any).description ?? "", undefined, Telemetry.getOtelContext());
-      // if spans should be nested, use the following line
-      //Telemetry.setOtelContext(opentelemetry.trace.setSpan(opentelemetry.context.active(), this.otelSpan));
+      this.otelSpan = opentelemetry.trace.getTracer('biothings-explorer-thread').startSpan((data as any).description ?? "", undefined, opentelemetry.trace.setSpan(opentelemetry.context.active(), Telemetry.getOtelSpan()));
     } catch (error) {
       debug(`Sentry span start error. ${reassurance}`);
       debug(error);
@@ -37,7 +35,6 @@ class Span {
     try {
       this.span?.finish();
       this.otelSpan?.end();
-      Telemetry.removeOtelContext();
     } catch (error) {
       debug(`Sentry finish error. ${reassurance}`);
       debug(error);
@@ -46,8 +43,6 @@ class Span {
 }
 
 export class Telemetry {
-  static otelCtx: OtelContext[] = [];
-
   static startSpan(data: unknown) {
     return new Span(data);
   }
@@ -62,13 +57,13 @@ export class Telemetry {
       debug(error);
     }
   }
-  static setOtelContext(newCtx: OtelContext) {
-    this.otelCtx.push(newCtx);
+  static setOtelSpan(newOtelSpan: OtelSpan) {
+    global.otelSpan = newOtelSpan;
   }
-  static getOtelContext() {
-    return this.otelCtx.length > 0 ? this.otelCtx[this.otelCtx.length-1] : undefined;
+  static getOtelSpan(): OtelSpan {
+    return global.otelSpan;
   }
-  static removeOtelContext() {
-    this.otelCtx.pop();
+  static removeOtelSpan() {
+    global.otelSpan = undefined;
   }
 }