diff --git a/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/lib/opentelemetry_phoenix.ex b/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/lib/opentelemetry_phoenix.ex
index 9027b55..ed8abdf 100644
--- a/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/lib/opentelemetry_phoenix.ex
+++ b/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/lib/opentelemetry_phoenix.ex
@@ -164,21 +164,23 @@ defmodule OpentelemetryPhoenix do
         %{kind: kind, reason: reason, stacktrace: stacktrace} = meta,
         _config
       ) do
-    ctx = OpentelemetryTelemetry.set_current_telemetry_span(@tracer_id, meta)
+    if OpenTelemetry.Span.is_recording(OpenTelemetry.Tracer.current_span_ctx()) do
+      ctx = OpentelemetryTelemetry.set_current_telemetry_span(@tracer_id, meta)
 
-    {[reason: reason], attrs} =
-      Reason.normalize(reason)
-      |> Keyword.split([:reason])
+      {[reason: reason], attrs} =
+        Reason.normalize(reason)
+        |> Keyword.split([:reason])
 
-    # try to normalize all errors to Elixir exceptions
-    exception = Exception.normalize(kind, reason, stacktrace)
+      # try to normalize all errors to Elixir exceptions
+      exception = Exception.normalize(kind, reason, stacktrace)
 
-    # record exception and mark the span as errored
-    Span.record_exception(ctx, exception, stacktrace, attrs)
-    Span.set_status(ctx, OpenTelemetry.status(:error, ""))
+      # record exception and mark the span as errored
+      Span.record_exception(ctx, exception, stacktrace, attrs)
+      Span.set_status(ctx, OpenTelemetry.status(:error, ""))
 
-    # do not close the span as endpoint stop will still be called with
-    # more info, including the status code, which is nil at this stage
+      # do not close the span as endpoint stop will still be called with
+      # more info, including the status code, which is nil at this stage
+    end
   end
 
   defp http_flavor({_adapter_name, meta}) do
diff --git a/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/test/opentelemetry_phoenix_test.exs b/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/test/opentelemetry_phoenix_test.exs
index 2742b52..526d360 100644
--- a/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/test/opentelemetry_phoenix_test.exs
+++ b/instrumentation/opentelemetry_phoenix/test/opentelemetry_phoenix_test.exs
@@ -167,6 +167,44 @@ defmodule OpentelemetryPhoenixTest do
              Map.keys(:otel_attributes.map(event_attributes))
   end
 
+  test "records exceptions for nested Phoenix routers" do
+    OpentelemetryPhoenix.setup()
+
+    :telemetry.execute(
+      [:phoenix, :endpoint, :start],
+      %{system_time: System.system_time()},
+      Meta.endpoint_start(:exception)
+    )
+
+    :telemetry.execute(
+      [:phoenix, :router_dispatch, :start],
+      %{system_time: System.system_time()},
+      Meta.router_dispatch_start(:exception)
+    )
+
+    :telemetry.execute(
+      [:phoenix, :router_dispatch, :exception],
+      %{duration: 222},
+      Meta.router_dispatch_exception(:normal)
+    )
+
+    :telemetry.execute(
+      [:phoenix, :endpoint, :stop],
+      %{duration: 444},
+      Meta.endpoint_stop(:exception)
+    )
+
+    :telemetry.execute(
+      [:phoenix, :router_dispatch, :exception],
+      %{duration: 222},
+      Meta.router_dispatch_exception(:normal)
+    )
+
+    assert_receive {:span, _}
+
+    assert [_ | _] = :telemetry.list_handlers([:phoenix, :router_dispatch, :exception])
+  end
+
   test "records exceptions for Phoenix web requests with plug wrappers" do
     OpentelemetryPhoenix.setup()