diff --git a/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor.go b/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor.go
index 8607142d976..302c4559dea 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor.go
@@ -132,8 +132,10 @@ func (bsp *BatchSpanProcessor) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) error {
 		go func() {
 			close(bsp.stopCh)
 			bsp.stopWait.Wait()
-			if err := bsp.e.Shutdown(ctx); err != nil {
-				otel.Handle(err)
+			if bsp.e != nil {
+				if err := bsp.e.Shutdown(ctx); err != nil {
+					otel.Handle(err)
+				}
 			}
 			close(wait)
 		}()
diff --git a/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor_test.go b/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor_test.go
index ccab718e5ff..263d8dbad3f 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor_test.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/batch_span_processor_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 
 	export "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/export/trace"