diff --git a/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/client/telemetry.py b/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/client/telemetry.py
index e66cd7b47..d6a866098 100644
--- a/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/client/telemetry.py
+++ b/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/client/telemetry.py
@@ -23,24 +23,25 @@ def client_span(
 
     Automatically records any exception on the span and sets error status.
     """
+    attrs: dict[str, str] = {
+        # MCP semantic conventions
+        "mcp.method.name": method,
+        # FastMCP-specific attributes
+        "fastmcp.component.key": component_key,
+    }
+    if session_id is not None:
+        attrs["mcp.session.id"] = session_id
+    if resource_uri:
+        attrs["mcp.resource.uri"] = resource_uri
+    if tool_name is not None:
+        attrs["gen_ai.tool.name"] = tool_name
+    if prompt_name is not None:
+        attrs["gen_ai.prompt.name"] = prompt_name
+
     tracer = get_tracer()
-    with tracer.start_as_current_span(name, kind=SpanKind.CLIENT) as span:
-        if span.is_recording():
-            attrs: dict[str, str] = {
-                # MCP semantic conventions
-                "mcp.method.name": method,
-                # FastMCP-specific attributes
-                "fastmcp.component.key": component_key,
-            }
-            if session_id is not None:
-                attrs["mcp.session.id"] = session_id
-            if resource_uri:
-                attrs["mcp.resource.uri"] = resource_uri
-            if tool_name is not None:
-                attrs["gen_ai.tool.name"] = tool_name
-            if prompt_name is not None:
-                attrs["gen_ai.prompt.name"] = prompt_name
-            span.set_attributes(attrs)
+    with tracer.start_as_current_span(
+        name, kind=SpanKind.CLIENT, attributes=attrs
+    ) as span:
         try:
             yield span
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/server/telemetry.py b/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/server/telemetry.py
index eeaa0aeb7..3b8455c8b 100644
--- a/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/server/telemetry.py
+++ b/fastmcp_slim/fastmcp/server/telemetry.py
@@ -119,22 +119,20 @@ def seam_span(method: str, server_name: str) -> Generator[Span, None, None]:
     rejections *before* the high-level path (auth, not-found, middleware vetoes)
     that would otherwise produce no SERVER span at all — are recorded here.
     """
+    attrs = {
+        SEAM_SPAN_MARKER: True,
+        "mcp.method.name": method,
+        "fastmcp.server.name": server_name,
+        **get_auth_span_attributes(),
+        **get_session_span_attributes(),
+    }
     tracer = get_tracer()
     with tracer.start_as_current_span(
         method,
         context=_get_parent_trace_context(),
         kind=SpanKind.SERVER,
+        attributes=attrs,
     ) as span:
-        if span.is_recording():
-            span.set_attribute(SEAM_SPAN_MARKER, True)
-            span.set_attributes(
-                {
-                    "mcp.method.name": method,
-                    "fastmcp.server.name": server_name,
-                    **get_auth_span_attributes(),
-                    **get_session_span_attributes(),
-                }
-            )
         token = _active_seam_span.set(span)
         try:
             yield span
@@ -201,9 +199,8 @@ def server_span(
         name,
         context=_get_parent_trace_context(),
         kind=SpanKind.SERVER,
+        attributes=attrs,
     ) as span:
-        if span.is_recording():
-            span.set_attributes(attrs)
         try:
             yield span
         except Exception as e:
@@ -223,16 +220,15 @@ def delegate_span(
     Used by FastMCPProvider when delegating to mounted servers.
     Automatically records any exception on the span and sets error status.
     """
+    attrs: dict[str, str] = {
+        "fastmcp.provider.type": provider_type,
+        "fastmcp.component.key": component_key,
+    }
+    if method is not None:
+        attrs["mcp.method.name"] = method
+
     tracer = get_tracer()
-    with tracer.start_as_current_span(f"delegate {name}") as span:
-        if span.is_recording():
-            attrs: dict[str, str] = {
-                "fastmcp.provider.type": provider_type,
-                "fastmcp.component.key": component_key,
-            }
-            if method is not None:
-                attrs["mcp.method.name"] = method
-            span.set_attributes(attrs)
+    with tracer.start_as_current_span(f"delegate {name}", attributes=attrs) as span:
         try:
             yield span
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/tests/telemetry/test_span_attributes.py b/tests/telemetry/test_span_attributes.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82fde174e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/telemetry/test_span_attributes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import pytest
+from opentelemetry.context import Context
+from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import Span, SpanProcessor, TracerProvider
+
+from fastmcp.client.telemetry import client_span
+from fastmcp.server.telemetry import delegate_span, seam_span, server_span
+
+
+class OnStartRecorder(SpanProcessor):
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.attributes: dict[str, dict[str, object]] = {}
+
+    def on_start(self, span: Span, parent_context: Context | None = None) -> None:
+        self.attributes[span.name] = dict(span.attributes or {})
+
+
+def test_known_span_attributes_are_available_on_start(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    recorder = OnStartRecorder()
+    provider = TracerProvider()
+    provider.add_span_processor(recorder)
+    tracer = provider.get_tracer("test")
+    monkeypatch.setattr("fastmcp.client.telemetry.get_tracer", lambda: tracer)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("fastmcp.server.telemetry.get_tracer", lambda: tracer)
+
+    with client_span(
+        "client test",
+        method="tools/call",
+        component_key="tool:echo@",
+        tool_name="echo",
+    ):
+        pass
+    with server_span(
+        "server test",
+        method="tools/call",
+        server_name="test-server",
+        component_type="tool",
+        component_key="tool:echo@",
+        tool_name="echo",
+    ):
+        pass
+    with seam_span("initialize test", server_name="test-server"):
+        pass
+    with delegate_span(
+        "delegate test",
+        provider_type="LocalProvider",
+        component_key="tool:echo@",
+        method="tools/call",
+    ):
+        pass
+
+    assert recorder.attributes["client test"] == {
+        "mcp.method.name": "tools/call",
+        "fastmcp.component.key": "tool:echo@",
+        "gen_ai.tool.name": "echo",
+    }
+    assert recorder.attributes["server test"] == {
+        "mcp.method.name": "tools/call",
+        "fastmcp.server.name": "test-server",
+        "fastmcp.component.type": "tool",
+        "fastmcp.component.key": "tool:echo@",
+        "gen_ai.tool.name": "echo",
+    }
+    assert recorder.attributes["initialize test"] == {
+        "fastmcp.span.seam": True,
+        "mcp.method.name": "initialize test",
+        "fastmcp.server.name": "test-server",
+    }
+    assert recorder.attributes["delegate delegate test"] == {
+        "fastmcp.provider.type": "LocalProvider",
+        "fastmcp.component.key": "tool:echo@",
+        "mcp.method.name": "tools/call",
+    }