diff --git a/src/database.ts b/src/database.ts
index a8c1cb079..7c0f0addb 100644
--- a/src/database.ts
+++ b/src/database.ts
@@ -3212,8 +3212,26 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
         ? (optionsOrRunFn as RunTransactionOptions)
         : {};
 
+    const retry = (span: Span) => {
+      this.runTransaction(options, (err, txn) => {
+        if (err) {
+          setSpanError(span, err);
+          runFn!(err, null);
+          return;
+        }
+
+        txn!.once('end', () => {
+          span.end();
+        });
+        txn!.once('error', () => {
+          span.end();
+        });
+        runFn!(null, txn!);
+      });
+    };
+
     startTrace('Database.runTransaction', this._traceConfig, span => {
-      this.pool_.getSession(async (err, session?, transaction?) => {
+      this.pool_.getSession((err, session?, transaction?) => {
         if (err) {
           setSpanError(span, err);
         }
@@ -3222,11 +3240,7 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
           span.addEvent('No session available', {
             'session.id': session?.id,
           });
-          // In this case we are invoking runTransaction afresh
-          // hence we have to wait for this call to complete before
-          // ending the span.
-          await this.runTransaction(options, runFn!);
-          span.end();
+          retry(span);
           return;
         }
 
@@ -3246,6 +3260,18 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
           transaction!.excludeTxnFromChangeStreams();
         }
 
+        // Our span should only be ended if the
+        // transaction either errored or was ended.
+        transaction!.once('error', err => {
+          setSpanError(span, err!);
+          span.end();
+        });
+
+        transaction!.once('end', err => {
+          setSpanError(span, err!);
+          span.end();
+        });
+
         const release = () => {
           this.pool_.release(session!);
         };
@@ -3253,17 +3279,7 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
         const runner = new TransactionRunner(
           session!,
           transaction!,
-          async (err, resp) => {
-            if (err) {
-              setSpanError(span, err!);
-            }
-            // It is paramount that we await
-            // the caller to return before
-            // exiting this function otherwise the span
-            // order will not be correct.
-            await runFn!(err, resp);
-            span.end();
-          },
+          runFn!,
           options
         );
 
@@ -3275,13 +3291,12 @@ class Database extends common.GrpcServiceObject {
               'session.id': session?.id,
             });
             release();
-            await this.runTransaction(options, runFn!);
+            retry(span);
           } else {
             setImmediate(runFn!, err);
             release();
+            span.end();
           }
-
-          span.end();
         });
       });
     });