diff --git a/src/xrpld/app/misc/NetworkOPs.cpp b/src/xrpld/app/misc/NetworkOPs.cpp
index f14e9c51a7..54733cf3e0 100644
--- a/src/xrpld/app/misc/NetworkOPs.cpp
+++ b/src/xrpld/app/misc/NetworkOPs.cpp
@@ -1624,8 +1624,7 @@ NetworkOPsImp::apply(std::unique_lock<std::mutex>& batchLock)
             // Non-owning: the span is still owned/ended by e.span. Scoped to
             // one loop iteration, so each tx's span is ambient only for its
             // own processing. No yield in this loop.
-            auto txActivation =
-                (e.span && *e.span) ? e.span->activate() : telemetry::ScopedActivation{};
+            auto txActivation = telemetry::activateIfLive(e.span);
 
             if (e.span && *e.span)
             {
diff --git a/src/xrpld/overlay/detail/PeerImp.cpp b/src/xrpld/overlay/detail/PeerImp.cpp
index c2ad6d49f1..0ff824e0bc 100644
--- a/src/xrpld/overlay/detail/PeerImp.cpp
+++ b/src/xrpld/overlay/detail/PeerImp.cpp
@@ -1436,7 +1436,7 @@ PeerImp::handleTransaction(
                     // Activate the tx.receive span so checkTransaction's log
                     // lines carry its trace_id. Non-owning; sp still owns/ends
                     // the span. This job body runs to completion on one worker.
-                    auto activation = (sp && *sp) ? sp->activate() : telemetry::ScopedActivation{};
+                    auto activation = telemetry::activateIfLive(sp);
                     if (auto peer = weak.lock())
                         peer->checkTransaction(flags, checkSignature, stx, batch);
                 });