diff --git a/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/jinja2/__init__.py b/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/jinja2/__init__.py
index 8ad883b27..4123f7de5 100644
--- a/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/jinja2/__init__.py
+++ b/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/src/opentelemetry/instrumentation/jinja2/__init__.py
@@ -78,39 +78,44 @@ def _with_tracer_wrapper(func):
 def _wrap_render(tracer, wrapped, instance, args, kwargs):
     """Wrap `Template.render()` or `Template.generate()`
     """
-    template_name = instance.name or DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_NAME
-    attributes = {ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_NAME: template_name}
     with tracer.start_as_current_span(
-        "jinja2.render", kind=SpanKind.INTERNAL, attributes=attributes
-    ):
+        "jinja2.render", kind=SpanKind.INTERNAL,
+    ) as span:
+        if span.is_recording():
+            template_name = instance.name or DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_NAME
+            span.set_attribute(ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_NAME, template_name)
         return wrapped(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
 @_with_tracer_wrapper
 def _wrap_compile(tracer, wrapped, _, args, kwargs):
-    template_name = (
-        args[1] if len(args) > 1 else kwargs.get("name", DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_NAME)
-    )
-    attributes = {ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_NAME: template_name}
     with tracer.start_as_current_span(
-        "jinja2.compile", kind=SpanKind.INTERNAL, attributes=attributes
-    ):
+        "jinja2.compile", kind=SpanKind.INTERNAL,
+    ) as span:
+        if span.is_recording():
+            template_name = (
+                args[1]
+                if len(args) > 1
+                else kwargs.get("name", DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_NAME)
+            )
+            span.set_attribute(ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_NAME, template_name)
         return wrapped(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
 @_with_tracer_wrapper
 def _wrap_load_template(tracer, wrapped, _, args, kwargs):
-    template_name = kwargs.get("name", args[0])
-    attributes = {ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_NAME: template_name}
     with tracer.start_as_current_span(
-        "jinja2.load", kind=SpanKind.INTERNAL, attributes=attributes
+        "jinja2.load", kind=SpanKind.INTERNAL,
     ) as span:
+        if span.is_recording():
+            template_name = kwargs.get("name", args[0])
+            span.set_attribute(ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_NAME, template_name)
         template = None
         try:
             template = wrapped(*args, **kwargs)
             return template
         finally:
-            if template:
+            if template and span.is_recording():
                 span.set_attribute(
                     ATTRIBUTE_JINJA2_TEMPLATE_PATH, template.filename
                 )
diff --git a/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/tests/test_jinja2.py b/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/tests/test_jinja2.py
index 717431abb..5de1d598c 100644
--- a/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/tests/test_jinja2.py
+++ b/instrumentation/opentelemetry-instrumentation-jinja2/tests/test_jinja2.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import os
+from unittest import mock
 
 import jinja2
 
@@ -53,6 +54,21 @@ class TestJinja2Instrumentor(TestBase):
         self.assertIs(template.parent, root.get_span_context())
         self.assertIsNone(root.parent)
 
+    def test_render_not_recording(self):
+        mock_tracer = mock.Mock()
+        mock_span = mock.Mock()
+        mock_span.is_recording.return_value = False
+        mock_tracer.start_span.return_value = mock_span
+        mock_tracer.use_span.return_value.__enter__ = mock_span
+        mock_tracer.use_span.return_value.__exit__ = mock_span
+        with mock.patch("opentelemetry.trace.get_tracer") as tracer:
+            tracer.return_value = mock_tracer
+            jinja2.environment.Template("Hello {{name}}!")
+            self.assertFalse(mock_span.is_recording())
+            self.assertTrue(mock_span.is_recording.called)
+            self.assertFalse(mock_span.set_attribute.called)
+            self.assertFalse(mock_span.set_status.called)
+
     def test_render_inline_template(self):
         template = jinja2.environment.Template("Hello {{name}}!")
         self.assertEqual(template.render(name="Jinja"), "Hello Jinja!")