diff --git a/opencensus/trace/internal/span.cc b/opencensus/trace/internal/span.cc
index b36d66e7..4342c5cc 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/internal/span.cc
+++ b/opencensus/trace/internal/span.cc
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ class SpanGenerator {
     SpanContext context(trace_id, span_id, trace_options);
     SpanImpl* impl = nullptr;
     if (trace_options.IsSampled()) {
-      // Only Spans that are sampled are backed by a SpanImpl.
+      // Only Spans that started off sampled are backed by a SpanImpl.
+      // They can be abandoned later.
       impl =
           new SpanImpl(context, TraceConfigImpl::Get()->current_trace_params(),
                        name, parent_span_id, has_remote_parent);
@@ -216,10 +217,20 @@ void Span::End() const {
     }
     exporter::RunningSpanStoreImpl::Get()->RemoveSpan(span_impl_);
     exporter::LocalSpanStoreImpl::Get()->AddSpan(span_impl_);
+    // SpanExporterImpl checks if span_impl_ is sampled for export.
     exporter::SpanExporterImpl::Get()->AddSpan(span_impl_);
   }
 }
 
+void Span::Abandon() {
+  if (IsRecording()) {
+    context_ = SpanContext(context_.trace_id(), context_.span_id(),
+                           context_.trace_options().WithSampling(false));
+    span_impl_->MarkAbandoned();
+    End();
+  }
+}
+
 const SpanContext& Span::context() const { return context_; }
 
 bool Span::IsSampled() const { return context_.trace_options().IsSampled(); }
diff --git a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_exporter_impl.cc b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_exporter_impl.cc
index 19ae19f0..ecbafe55 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_exporter_impl.cc
+++ b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_exporter_impl.cc
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ void SpanExporterImpl::AddSpan(
     const std::shared_ptr<opencensus::trace::SpanImpl>& span_impl) {
   absl::MutexLock l(&span_mu_);
   if (!collect_spans_) return;
+  if (!span_impl->IsSampled()) return;
   spans_.emplace_back(span_impl);
 }
 
diff --git a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.cc b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.cc
index d32b3c8b..7272e109 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.cc
+++ b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.cc
@@ -144,6 +144,12 @@ void SpanImpl::SetName(absl::string_view name) {
   }
 }
 
+void SpanImpl::MarkAbandoned() {
+  absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
+  context_ = SpanContext(context_.trace_id(), context_.span_id(),
+                         context_.trace_options().WithSampling(false));
+}
+
 bool SpanImpl::End() {
   absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
   if (has_ended_) {
@@ -161,6 +167,15 @@ bool SpanImpl::HasEnded() const {
   return has_ended_;
 }
 
+bool SpanImpl::IsSampled() const {
+  return context().trace_options().IsSampled();
+}
+
+SpanContext SpanImpl::context() const {
+  absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
+  return context_;
+}
+
 exporter::SpanData SpanImpl::ToSpanData() const {
   absl::MutexLock l(&mu_);
   // Make a deep copy of attributes.
diff --git a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.h b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.h
index 5ff62493..b4b28475 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.h
+++ b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_impl.h
@@ -87,20 +87,27 @@ class SpanImpl final {
 
   void SetName(absl::string_view name) LOCKS_EXCLUDED(mu_);
 
+  void MarkAbandoned() LOCKS_EXCLUDED(mu_);
+
   // Returns true on success (if this is the first time the Span has ended) and
   // also marks the end of the Span and sets its end_time_.
   bool End() LOCKS_EXCLUDED(mu_);
 
-  // Returns true if the span has ended.
+  // Returns true if the Span has ended.
   bool HasEnded() const LOCKS_EXCLUDED(mu_);
 
+  // Returns true if the Span is sampled for export. Returns false if the Span
+  // was abandoned.
+  bool IsSampled() const LOCKS_EXCLUDED(mu_);
+
   absl::string_view name() const { return name_; }
 
   // Returns the name of the span as a constref string.
   const std::string& name_constref() const { return name_; }
 
   // Returns the SpanContext associated with this Span.
-  SpanContext context() const { return context_; }
+  // The trace_options do reflect MarkAbandoned().
+  SpanContext context() const LOCKS_EXCLUDED(mu_);
 
   SpanId parent_span_id() const { return parent_span_id_; }
 
@@ -126,7 +133,7 @@ class SpanImpl final {
   // a root span.
   const SpanId parent_span_id_;
   // TraceId, SpanId, and TraceOptions for the current span.
-  const SpanContext context_;
+  SpanContext context_ GUARDED_BY(mu_);
   // Queue of recorded annotations.
   TraceEvents<EventWithTime<exporter::Annotation>> annotations_ GUARDED_BY(mu_);
   // Queue of recorded network events.
@@ -138,6 +145,8 @@ class SpanImpl final {
   AttributeList attributes_ GUARDED_BY(mu_);
   // Marks if the span has ended.
   bool has_ended_ GUARDED_BY(mu_);
+  // Marks if the span was abandoned.
+  bool is_abandoned_ GUARDED_BY(mu_);
   // True if the parent Span is in a different process.
   const bool remote_parent_;
 };
diff --git a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_test.cc b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_test.cc
index c1ef5b8b..e96019dd 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/internal/span_test.cc
+++ b/opencensus/trace/internal/span_test.cc
@@ -365,6 +365,16 @@ TEST(SpanTest, BlankSpan) {
   span.End();
 }
 
+TEST(SpanTest, Abandon) {
+  AlwaysSampler sampler;
+  auto span = Span::StartSpan("SpanName", /*parent=*/nullptr, {&sampler});
+  EXPECT_TRUE(span.IsSampled());
+  span.Abandon();
+  EXPECT_FALSE(span.IsSampled());
+  auto data = SpanTestPeer::ToSpanData(&span);
+  EXPECT_FALSE(data.context().trace_options().IsSampled());
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace trace
 }  // namespace opencensus
diff --git a/opencensus/trace/span.h b/opencensus/trace/span.h
index 0607bab8..d409d8c9 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/span.h
+++ b/opencensus/trace/span.h
@@ -79,10 +79,11 @@ struct StartSpanOptions {
 // implementation-defined data structure, hence all operations on it are marked
 // const.
 //
-// Span is thread-compatible. If swap() and operator= are avoided, everything
-// else is thread-safe. Avoid mutating Span objects in-place; treat them like
-// read-only handles. When using multiple threads, give each thread a copy of
-// the Span.
+// Span is thread-compatible. Avoid mutating Span objects in-place; treat them
+// like read-only handles. When using multiple threads, give each thread a copy
+// of the Span.
+//
+// Almost everything is thread-safe except: swap(), operator=, Abandon().
 //
 // As an alternative to explicitly passing Span objects between functions,
 // consider using Context. (see the ../context/ directory).
@@ -154,13 +155,18 @@ class Span final {
   void SetStatus(StatusCode canonical_code,
                  absl::string_view message = "") const;
 
-  // Set the span name.
+  // Set the Span name.
   void SetName(absl::string_view name) const;
 
   // Marks the end of a Span. No further changes can be made to the Span after
   // End is called.
   void End() const;
 
+  // If the Span was sampled, un-samples it and End()s it. Note that other
+  // copies of this Span, and child spans, do not become unsampled.
+  // TODO(opencensus-specs): Should Abandon() not call End()?
+  void Abandon();
+
   // Returns the SpanContext associated with this Span.
   const SpanContext& context() const;