diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5aa19bda25..e9120929bc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   ([#1212](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python-contrib/pull/1212))
 - `opentelemetry-instrumentation-aws-lambda` Flush `MeterProvider` at end of function invocation.
   ([#1613](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python-contrib/pull/1613))
+- Fix aiohttp bug with unset `trace_configs` ([#1592](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python-contrib/pull/1592))
 
 ### Fixed
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aiohttp-client/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aiohttp_client/__init__.py b/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aiohttp-client/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aiohttp_client/__init__.py
index a134f090fd..101e67f2ad 100644
--- a/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aiohttp-client/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aiohttp_client/__init__.py
+++ b/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-aiohttp-client/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/aiohttp_client/__init__.py
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ def instrumented_init(wrapped, instance, args, kwargs):
         if context_api.get_value(_SUPPRESS_INSTRUMENTATION_KEY):
             return wrapped(*args, **kwargs)
 
-        client_trace_configs = list(kwargs.get("trace_configs", ()))
+        client_trace_configs = list(kwargs.get("trace_configs") or [])
         client_trace_configs.extend(trace_configs)
 
         trace_config = create_trace_config(