diff --git a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/create.go b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/create.go
index 143b2e3367..98079c53aa 100644
--- a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/create.go
+++ b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/create.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func SetEphemeralStorageType(ociSpec specs.Spec) specs.Spec {
 func CreateSandbox(ctx context.Context, vci vc.VC, ociSpec specs.Spec, runtimeConfig oci.RuntimeConfig, rootFs vc.RootFs,
 	containerID, bundlePath, console string, disableOutput, systemdCgroup bool) (_ vc.VCSandbox, _ vc.Process, err error) {
 	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, nil, "CreateSandbox", createTracingTags)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "container_id", containerID)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "container_id", containerID)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	sandboxConfig, err := oci.SandboxConfig(ociSpec, runtimeConfig, bundlePath, containerID, console, disableOutput, systemdCgroup)
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ func CreateSandbox(ctx context.Context, vci vc.VC, ociSpec specs.Spec, runtimeCo
 
 	sid := sandbox.ID()
 	kataUtilsLogger = kataUtilsLogger.WithField("sandbox", sid)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "sandbox_id", sid)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "sandbox_id", sid)
 
 	containers := sandbox.GetAllContainers()
 	if len(containers) != 1 {
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, sandbox vc.VCSandbox, ociSpec specs.Sp
 	var c vc.VCContainer
 
 	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, nil, "CreateContainer", createTracingTags)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "container_id", containerID)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "container_id", containerID)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	ociSpec = SetEphemeralStorageType(ociSpec)
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func CreateContainer(ctx context.Context, sandbox vc.VCSandbox, ociSpec specs.Sp
 		return vc.Process{}, err
 	}
 
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "sandbox_id", sandboxID)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "sandbox_id", sandboxID)
 
 	c, err = sandbox.CreateContainer(ctx, contConfig)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/hook.go b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/hook.go
index 7933a182e1..62eb81169c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/hook.go
+++ b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/hook.go
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ func hookLogger() *logrus.Entry {
 func runHook(ctx context.Context, hook specs.Hook, cid, bundlePath string) error {
 	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, hookLogger(), "runHook", hookTracingTags)
 	defer span.End()
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "path", hook.Path)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "args", hook.Args)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "path", hook.Path, "args", hook.Args)
 
 	state := specs.State{
 		Pid:    syscall.Gettid(),
@@ -93,7 +92,7 @@ func runHook(ctx context.Context, hook specs.Hook, cid, bundlePath string) error
 
 func runHooks(ctx context.Context, hooks []specs.Hook, cid, bundlePath, hookType string) error {
 	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, hookLogger(), "runHooks", hookTracingTags)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "type", hookType)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "type", hookType)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	for _, hook := range hooks {
diff --git a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/katatrace/tracing.go b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/katatrace/tracing.go
index f7f5f40c30..2c8b3945c2 100644
--- a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/katatrace/tracing.go
+++ b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/katatrace/tracing.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package katatrace
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
@@ -163,8 +164,77 @@ func Trace(parent context.Context, logger *logrus.Entry, name string, tags ...ma
 	return span, ctx
 }
 
-// AddTag adds an additional key-value pair to a tracing span. This can be used to
-// provide dynamic tags that are determined at runtime.
-func AddTag(span otelTrace.Span, key string, value interface{}) {
-	span.SetAttributes(label.Any(key, value))
+func addTag(span otelTrace.Span, key string, value interface{}) {
+	// do not append tags if tracing is disabled
+	if !tracing {
+		return
+	}
+	if value == nil {
+		span.SetAttributes(label.String(key, "nil"))
+		return
+	}
+
+	switch value := value.(type) {
+	case string:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.String(key, value))
+	case bool:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Bool(key, value))
+	case int:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Int(key, value))
+	case int8:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Int(key, int(value)))
+	case int16:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Int(key, int(value)))
+	case int32:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Int32(key, value))
+	case int64:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Int64(key, value))
+	case uint:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Uint(key, value))
+	case uint8:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Uint(key, uint(value)))
+	case uint16:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Uint(key, uint(value)))
+	case uint32:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Uint32(key, value))
+	case uint64:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Uint64(key, value))
+	case float32:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Float32(key, value))
+	case float64:
+		span.SetAttributes(label.Float64(key, value))
+	default:
+		content, err := json.Marshal(value)
+		if content == nil && err == nil {
+			span.SetAttributes(label.String(key, "nil"))
+		} else if content != nil && err == nil {
+			span.SetAttributes(label.String(key, string(content)))
+		} else {
+			kataTraceLogger.WithField("type", "bug").Error("span attribute value error")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// AddTag adds additional key-value pairs to a tracing span. This can be used to provide
+// dynamic tags that are determined at runtime and tags with a non-string value.
+// Must have an even number of keyValues with keys being strings.
+func AddTags(span otelTrace.Span, keyValues ...interface{}) {
+	if !tracing {
+		return
+	}
+	if len(keyValues) < 2 {
+		kataTraceLogger.WithField("type", "bug").Error("not enough inputs for attributes")
+		return
+	} else if len(keyValues)%2 != 0 {
+		kataTraceLogger.WithField("type", "bug").Error("number of attribute keyValues is not even")
+		return
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < len(keyValues); i++ {
+		if key, ok := keyValues[i].(string); ok {
+			addTag(span, key, keyValues[i+1])
+		} else {
+			kataTraceLogger.WithField("type", "bug").Error("key in attributes is not a string")
+		}
+		i++
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
index b553159fba..cd0336ee8d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ func (k *kataAgent) internalConfigure(ctx context.Context, h Hypervisor, id stri
 	}
 	k.keepConn = config.LongLiveConn
 
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "socket", k.vmSocket)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "socket", k.vmSocket)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network.go
index c682418f3b..bf2b09a3ae 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/network.go
@@ -1304,10 +1304,10 @@ func getNetworkTrace(networkType EndpointType) func(ctx context.Context, name st
 	return func(ctx context.Context, name string, endpoint interface{}) (otelTrace.Span, context.Context) {
 		span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, networkLogger(), name, networkTracingTags)
 		if networkType != "" {
-			katatrace.AddTag(span, "type", string(networkType))
+			katatrace.AddTags(span, "type", string(networkType))
 		}
 		if endpoint != nil {
-			katatrace.AddTag(span, "endpoint", endpoint)
+			katatrace.AddTags(span, "endpoint", endpoint)
 		}
 		return span, ctx
 	}
@@ -1315,7 +1315,7 @@ func getNetworkTrace(networkType EndpointType) func(ctx context.Context, name st
 
 func closeSpan(span otelTrace.Span, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
-		katatrace.AddTag(span, "error", err)
+		katatrace.AddTags(span, "error", err.Error())
 	}
 	span.End()
 }
@@ -1333,15 +1333,14 @@ func (n *Network) Run(ctx context.Context, networkNSPath string, cb func() error
 // Add adds all needed interfaces inside the network namespace.
 func (n *Network) Add(ctx context.Context, config *NetworkConfig, s *Sandbox, hotplug bool) ([]Endpoint, error) {
 	span, ctx := n.trace(ctx, "Add")
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "type", config.InterworkingModel.GetModel())
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "type", config.InterworkingModel.GetModel())
 	defer span.End()
 
 	endpoints, err := createEndpointsFromScan(config.NetNSPath, config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return endpoints, err
 	}
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "endpoints", endpoints)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "hotplug", hotplug)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "endpoints", endpoints, "hotplug", hotplug)
 
 	err = doNetNS(config.NetNSPath, func(_ ns.NetNS) error {
 		for _, endpoint := range endpoints {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index 25c9b093f2..e3e6ade866 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -1726,8 +1726,8 @@ func (q *qemu) hotplugDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, devType D
 }
 
 func (q *qemu) HotplugAddDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, devType DeviceType) (interface{}, error) {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "HotplugAddDevice", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "device", devInfo)
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "HotplugAddDevice", qemuTracingTags)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "sandbox_id", q.id, "device", devInfo)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	data, err := q.hotplugDevice(ctx, devInfo, devType, AddDevice)
@@ -1739,8 +1739,8 @@ func (q *qemu) HotplugAddDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, devTyp
 }
 
 func (q *qemu) HotplugRemoveDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, devType DeviceType) (interface{}, error) {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "HotplugRemoveDevice", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "device", devInfo)
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "HotplugRemoveDevice", qemuTracingTags)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "sandbox_id", q.id, "device", devInfo)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	data, err := q.hotplugDevice(ctx, devInfo, devType, RemoveDevice)
@@ -1968,8 +1968,8 @@ func (q *qemu) ResumeVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 // addDevice will add extra devices to Qemu command line.
 func (q *qemu) AddDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, devType DeviceType) error {
 	var err error
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "AddDevice", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "device", devInfo)
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "AddDevice", qemuTracingTags)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "sandbox_id", q.id, "device", devInfo)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	switch v := devInfo.(type) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
index 66f1a367ba..6b34d597c6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
@@ -822,8 +822,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) createNetwork(ctx context.Context) error {
 		NetNsCreated: s.config.NetworkConfig.NetNsCreated,
 	}
 
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "networkNS", s.networkNS)
-	katatrace.AddTag(span, "NetworkConfig", s.config.NetworkConfig)
+	katatrace.AddTags(span, "networkNS", s.networkNS, "NetworkConfig", s.config.NetworkConfig)
 
 	// In case there is a factory, network interfaces are hotplugged
 	// after vm is started.