diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1b5f2cb4c64..a17a9015c23 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 - Custom attributes targeting metrics recorded by the `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/otelhttp` are not ignored anymore. (#5129)
 - Use `c.FullPath()` method to set `http.route` attribute in `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gin-gonic/gin/otelgin`. (#5734)
 - The double setup in `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace/example` that caused duplicate traces. (#5564)
+- Possible nil dereference panic in `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace`. (#5187)
 
 ### Deprecated
 
diff --git a/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace/clienttrace.go b/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace/clienttrace.go
index 67e03f24810..6ef23721cb7 100644
--- a/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace/clienttrace.go
+++ b/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace/clienttrace.go
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ func (ct *clientTracer) start(hook, spanName string, attrs ...attribute.KeyValue
 
 func (ct *clientTracer) end(hook string, err error, attrs ...attribute.KeyValue) {
 	if !ct.useSpans {
+		// sometimes end may be called without previous start
+		if ct.root == nil {
+			ct.root = trace.SpanFromContext(ct.Context)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			attrs = append(attrs, attribute.String(hook+".error", err.Error()))
 		}