diff --git a/beacon_node/http_api/src/publish_blocks.rs b/beacon_node/http_api/src/publish_blocks.rs
index 05a4a4b7a4a..bfe41c8706c 100644
--- a/beacon_node/http_api/src/publish_blocks.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/http_api/src/publish_blocks.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::time::Duration;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc::UnboundedSender;
-use tracing::{Span, debug, debug_span, error, info, instrument, warn};
+use tracing::{Span, debug, debug_span, error, field, info, instrument, warn};
 use tree_hash::TreeHash;
 use types::{
     AbstractExecPayload, BeaconBlockRef, BlobSidecar, BlobsList, BlockImportSource,
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ impl<T: BeaconChainTypes> ProvenancedBlock<T, Arc<SignedBeaconBlock<T::EthSpec>>
     name = SPAN_PUBLISH_BLOCK,
     level = "info",
     skip_all,
-    fields(?block_root, ?validation_level, provenance = tracing::field::Empty)
+    fields(block_root = field::Empty, ?validation_level, block_slot = field::Empty, provenance = field::Empty)
 )]
 pub async fn publish_block<T: BeaconChainTypes, B: IntoGossipVerifiedBlock<T>>(
     block_root: Option<Hash256>,
@@ -103,12 +103,16 @@ pub async fn publish_block<T: BeaconChainTypes, B: IntoGossipVerifiedBlock<T>>(
     } else {
         "builder"
     };
-    let current_span = Span::current();
-    current_span.record("provenance", provenance);
 
     let block = unverified_block.inner_block();
+    let block_root = block_root.unwrap_or_else(|| block.canonical_root());
+
+    let current_span = Span::current();
+    current_span.record("provenance", provenance);
+    current_span.record("block_root", field::display(block_root));
+    current_span.record("block_slot", field::display(block.slot()));
 
-    debug!(slot = %block.slot(), "Signed block received in HTTP API");
+    debug!("Signed block received in HTTP API");
 
     /* actually publish a block */
     let publish_block_p2p = move |block: Arc<SignedBeaconBlock<T::EthSpec>>,
@@ -152,12 +156,6 @@ pub async fn publish_block<T: BeaconChainTypes, B: IntoGossipVerifiedBlock<T>>(
 
     // Gossip verify the block and blobs/data columns separately.
     let gossip_verified_block_result = unverified_block.into_gossip_verified_block(&chain);
-    let block_root = block_root.unwrap_or_else(|| {
-        gossip_verified_block_result.as_ref().map_or_else(
-            |_| block.canonical_root(),
-            |verified_block| verified_block.block_root,
-        )
-    });
 
     let should_publish_block = gossip_verified_block_result.is_ok();
     if BroadcastValidation::Gossip == validation_level && should_publish_block {
@@ -309,9 +307,8 @@ pub async fn publish_block<T: BeaconChainTypes, B: IntoGossipVerifiedBlock<T>>(
                 .into_response())
             }
         }
-        Err(BlockError::DuplicateImportStatusUnknown(root)) => {
+        Err(BlockError::DuplicateImportStatusUnknown(_)) => {
             debug!(
-                block_root = ?root,
                 slot = %block.slot(),
                 "Block previously seen"
             );