diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/kata-check.go b/src/runtime/cli/kata-check.go
index 1a0b130d6b..66f6b2becb 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/kata-check.go
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/kata-check.go
@@ -389,13 +389,6 @@ EXAMPLES:
 		if verbose {
 			kataLog.Logger.SetLevel(logrus.InfoLevel)
 		}
-		ctx, err := cliContextToContext(context)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		span, _ := katautils.Trace(ctx, "check")
-		defer span.End()
 
 		if !context.Bool("no-network-checks") && os.Getenv(noNetworkEnvVar) == "" {
 			cmd := RelCmdCheck
@@ -407,8 +400,7 @@ EXAMPLES:
 			if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
 				kataLog.Warn("Not running network checks as super user")
 			} else {
-
-				err = HandleReleaseVersions(cmd, version, context.Bool("include-all-releases"))
+				err := HandleReleaseVersions(cmd, version, context.Bool("include-all-releases"))
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -424,7 +416,7 @@ EXAMPLES:
 			return errors.New("check: cannot determine runtime config")
 		}
 
-		err = setCPUtype(runtimeConfig.HypervisorType)
+		err := setCPUtype(runtimeConfig.HypervisorType)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -437,7 +429,6 @@ EXAMPLES:
 		}
 
 		err = hostIsVMContainerCapable(details)
-
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/kata-env.go b/src/runtime/cli/kata-env.go
index 1caac6ff19..2daf51d8d6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/kata-env.go
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/kata-env.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
-	"github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/pkg/katautils"
 	"github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/pkg/utils"
 	vc "github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/virtcontainers"
 	exp "github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/virtcontainers/experimental"
@@ -448,14 +447,6 @@ var kataEnvCLICommand = cli.Command{
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
-		ctx, err := cliContextToContext(context)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		span, _ := katautils.Trace(ctx, "kata-env")
-		defer span.End()
-
 		return handleSettings(defaultOutputFile, context)
 	},
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/kata-exec.go b/src/runtime/cli/kata-exec.go
index 6877071589..d556f782ac 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/kata-exec.go
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/kata-exec.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	clientUtils "github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/virtcontainers/pkg/agent/protocols/client"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
-	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/label"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -67,24 +66,15 @@ var kataExecCLICommand = cli.Command{
 		},
 	},
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
-		ctx, err := cliContextToContext(context)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		span, _ := katautils.Trace(ctx, subCommandName)
-		defer span.End()
-
 		namespace := context.String(paramRuntimeNamespace)
 		if namespace == "" {
 			namespace = defaultRuntimeNamespace
 		}
-		span.SetAttributes(label.Key("namespace").String(namespace))
 
 		port := context.Uint64(paramDebugConsolePort)
 		if port == 0 {
 			port = defaultKernelParamDebugConsoleVPortValue
 		}
-		span.SetAttributes(label.Key("port").Uint64(port))
 
 		sandboxID := context.Args().Get(0)
 
@@ -92,8 +82,6 @@ var kataExecCLICommand = cli.Command{
 			return err
 		}
 
-		span.SetAttributes(label.Key("sandbox").String(sandboxID))
-
 		conn, err := getConn(namespace, sandboxID, port)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/main.go b/src/runtime/cli/main.go
index 0c454f6608..b3c4e0f67f 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/main.go
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/main.go
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ import (
 	specs "github.com/opencontainers/runtime-spec/specs-go"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
-	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
-	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/label"
-	otelTrace "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
 )
 
 // specConfig is the name of the file holding the containers configuration
@@ -132,10 +129,6 @@ var runtimeCommands = []cli.Command{
 // parsing occurs.
 var runtimeBeforeSubcommands = beforeSubcommands
 
-// runtimeAfterSubcommands is the function to run after the command-line
-// has been parsed.
-var runtimeAfterSubcommands = afterSubcommands
-
 // runtimeCommandNotFound is the function to handle an invalid sub-command.
 var runtimeCommandNotFound = commandNotFound
 
@@ -168,10 +161,6 @@ func init() {
 
 // setupSignalHandler sets up signal handling, starting a go routine to deal
 // with signals as they arrive.
-//
-// Note that the specified context is NOT used to create a trace span (since the
-// first (root) span must be created in beforeSubcommands()): it is simply
-// used to pass to the crash handling functions to finalise tracing.
 func setupSignalHandler(ctx context.Context) {
 	signals.SetLogger(kataLog)
 
@@ -181,10 +170,6 @@ func setupSignalHandler(ctx context.Context) {
 		signal.Notify(sigCh, sig)
 	}
 
-	dieCb := func() {
-		katautils.StopTracing(ctx)
-	}
-
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			sig := <-sigCh
@@ -198,7 +183,6 @@ func setupSignalHandler(ctx context.Context) {
 
 			if signals.FatalSignal(nativeSignal) {
 				kataLog.WithField("signal", sig).Error("received fatal signal")
-				signals.Die(dieCb)
 			} else if debug && signals.NonFatalSignal(nativeSignal) {
 				kataLog.WithField("signal", sig).Debug("handling signal")
 				signals.Backtrace()
@@ -210,18 +194,6 @@ func setupSignalHandler(ctx context.Context) {
 // setExternalLoggers registers the specified logger with the external
 // packages which accept a logger to handle their own logging.
 func setExternalLoggers(ctx context.Context, logger *logrus.Entry) {
-	var span otelTrace.Span
-
-	// Only create a new span if a root span already exists. This is
-	// required to ensure that this function will not disrupt the root
-	// span logic by creating a span before the proper root span has been
-	// created.
-
-	if otelTrace.SpanFromContext(ctx) != nil {
-		span, ctx = katautils.Trace(ctx, "setExternalLoggers")
-		defer span.End()
-	}
-
 	// Set virtcontainers logger.
 	vci.SetLogger(ctx, logger)
 
@@ -244,7 +216,6 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 	var configFile string
 	var runtimeConfig oci.RuntimeConfig
 	var err error
-	var traceFlushFunc func()
 
 	katautils.SetConfigOptions(name, defaultRuntimeConfiguration, defaultSysConfRuntimeConfiguration)
 
@@ -270,7 +241,6 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 	// Issue: https://github.com/kata-containers/runtime/issues/2428
 
 	ignoreConfigLogs := false
-	var traceRootSpan string
 
 	subCmdIsCheckCmd := (c.NArg() >= 1 && ((c.Args()[0] == "kata-check") || (c.Args()[0] == "check")))
 	if subCmdIsCheckCmd {
@@ -302,16 +272,13 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 		cmdName := c.Args().First()
 		if c.App.Command(cmdName) != nil {
 			kataLog = kataLog.WithField("command", cmdName)
-
-			// Name for the root span (used for tracing) now the
-			// sub-command name is known.
-			traceRootSpan = name + " " + cmdName
 		}
 
-		// Since a context is required, pass a new (throw-away) one - we
-		// cannot use the main context as tracing hasn't been enabled yet
-		// (meaning any spans created at this point will be silently ignored).
-		setExternalLoggers(context.Background(), kataLog)
+		ctx, err := cliContextToContext(c)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		setExternalLoggers(ctx, kataLog)
 
 		if c.NArg() == 1 && (c.Args()[0] == "kata-env" || c.Args()[0] == "env") {
 			// simply report the logging setup
@@ -325,20 +292,6 @@ func beforeSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 	if !subCmdIsCheckCmd {
 		debug = runtimeConfig.Debug
-
-		if traceRootSpan != "" {
-			// Create the tracer.
-			//
-			// Note: no spans are created until the command-line has been parsed.
-			// This delays collection of trace data slightly but benefits the user by
-			// ensuring the first span is the name of the sub-command being
-			// invoked from the command-line.
-			traceFlushFunc, err = setupTracing(c, traceRootSpan, &runtimeConfig)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			defer traceFlushFunc()
-		}
 	}
 
 	args := strings.Join(c.Args(), " ")
@@ -377,36 +330,6 @@ func handleShowConfig(context *cli.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
-func setupTracing(context *cli.Context, rootSpanName string, config *oci.RuntimeConfig) (func(), error) {
-	flush, err := katautils.CreateTracer(name, config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	ctx, err := cliContextToContext(context)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	// Create the root span now that the sub-command name is
-	// known.
-	//
-	// Note that this "Before" function is called (and returns)
-	// before the subcommand handler is called. As such, we cannot
-	// "Finish()" the span here - that is handled in the .After
-	// function.
-	tracer := otel.Tracer("kata")
-	newCtx, span := tracer.Start(ctx, rootSpanName)
-
-	span.SetAttributes(label.Key("subsystem").String("runtime"))
-
-	// Add tracer to metadata and update the context
-	context.App.Metadata["tracer"] = tracer
-	context.App.Metadata["context"] = newCtx
-
-	return flush, nil
-}
-
 // add supported experimental features in context
 func addExpFeatures(clictx *cli.Context, runtimeConfig oci.RuntimeConfig) error {
 	ctx, err := cliContextToContext(clictx)
@@ -420,22 +343,11 @@ func addExpFeatures(clictx *cli.Context, runtimeConfig oci.RuntimeConfig) error
 	}
 
 	ctx = exp.ContextWithExp(ctx, exps)
-	// Add tracer to metadata and update the context
+	// Add experimental features to metadata and update the context
 	clictx.App.Metadata["context"] = ctx
 	return nil
 }
 
-func afterSubcommands(c *cli.Context) error {
-	ctx, err := cliContextToContext(c)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	katautils.StopTracing(ctx)
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 // function called when an invalid command is specified which causes the
 // runtime to error.
 func commandNotFound(c *cli.Context, command string) {
@@ -502,7 +414,6 @@ func createRuntimeApp(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 	app.Flags = runtimeFlags
 	app.Commands = runtimeCommands
 	app.Before = runtimeBeforeSubcommands
-	app.After = runtimeAfterSubcommands
 	app.EnableBashCompletion = true
 
 	// allow sub-commands to access context
@@ -578,12 +489,5 @@ func cliContextToContext(c *cli.Context) (context.Context, error) {
 func main() {
 	// create a new empty context
 	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	dieCb := func() {
-		katautils.StopTracing(ctx)
-	}
-
-	defer signals.HandlePanic(dieCb)
-
 	createRuntime(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/version.go b/src/runtime/cli/version.go
index 9acd0e80c5..d743ef6715 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/version.go
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/version.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"github.com/kata-containers/kata-containers/src/runtime/pkg/katautils"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
 
@@ -14,14 +13,6 @@ var versionCLICommand = cli.Command{
 	Name:  "version",
 	Usage: "display version details",
 	Action: func(context *cli.Context) error {
-		ctx, err := cliContextToContext(context)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		span, _ := katautils.Trace(ctx, "version")
-		defer span.End()
-
 		cli.VersionPrinter(context)
 		return nil
 	},