diff --git a/pdata/pcommon/spanid.go b/pdata/pcommon/spanid.go
index 8163646fc09..3ceae2c3aca 100644
--- a/pdata/pcommon/spanid.go
+++ b/pdata/pcommon/spanid.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func (ms SpanID) Bytes() [8]byte {
 
 // HexString returns hex representation of the SpanID.
 func (ms SpanID) HexString() string {
+	if ms.IsEmpty() {
+		return ""
+	}
 	return hex.EncodeToString(ms.orig[:])
 }
 
diff --git a/pdata/pcommon/spanid_test.go b/pdata/pcommon/spanid_test.go
index 6a8b2d87ccb..a81cf01af49 100644
--- a/pdata/pcommon/spanid_test.go
+++ b/pdata/pcommon/spanid_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestNewSpanID(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSpanIDHexString(t *testing.T) {
 	sid := NewSpanID([8]byte{})
-	assert.Equal(t, "0000000000000000", sid.HexString())
+	assert.Equal(t, "", sid.HexString())
 
 	sid = NewSpanID([8]byte{0x12, 0x23, 0xAD, 0x12, 0x23, 0xAD, 0x12, 0x23})
 	assert.Equal(t, "1223ad1223ad1223", sid.HexString())
diff --git a/pdata/pcommon/traceid.go b/pdata/pcommon/traceid.go
index 4a12199893f..e3a0dbf45d4 100644
--- a/pdata/pcommon/traceid.go
+++ b/pdata/pcommon/traceid.go
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ func (ms TraceID) Bytes() [16]byte {
 
 // HexString returns hex representation of the TraceID.
 func (ms TraceID) HexString() string {
+	if ms.IsEmpty() {
+		return ""
+	}
 	return hex.EncodeToString(ms.orig[:])
 }
 
diff --git a/pdata/pcommon/traceid_test.go b/pdata/pcommon/traceid_test.go
index 8159904abb4..2e4ee382df8 100644
--- a/pdata/pcommon/traceid_test.go
+++ b/pdata/pcommon/traceid_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func TestNewTraceID(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestTraceIDHexString(t *testing.T) {
 	tid := NewTraceID([16]byte{})
-	assert.Equal(t, "00000000000000000000000000000000", tid.HexString())
+	assert.Equal(t, "", tid.HexString())
 
 	tid = NewTraceID([16]byte{0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78})
 	assert.Equal(t, "12345678123456781234567812345678", tid.HexString())