diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/inline/telemetry/meta_reference/sqlite_span_processor.py b/llama_stack/providers/inline/telemetry/meta_reference/sqlite_span_processor.py
index b329a363c..8ab491189 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/inline/telemetry/meta_reference/sqlite_span_processor.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/inline/telemetry/meta_reference/sqlite_span_processor.py
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import SpanProcessor
 from opentelemetry.trace import Span
 from opentelemetry.trace.span import format_span_id, format_trace_id
 
+from llama_stack.providers.utils.telemetry.tracing import LOCAL_ROOT_SPAN_MARKER
+
 
 class SQLiteSpanProcessor(SpanProcessor):
     def __init__(self, conn_string):
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ class SQLiteSpanProcessor(SpanProcessor):
                 (
                     trace_id,
                     service_name,
-                    (span_id if span.attributes.get("__root_span__") == "true" else None),
+                    (span_id if span.attributes.get(LOCAL_ROOT_SPAN_MARKER) else None),
                     datetime.fromtimestamp(span.start_time / 1e9, UTC).isoformat(),
                     datetime.fromtimestamp(span.end_time / 1e9, UTC).isoformat(),
                 ),
diff --git a/llama_stack/providers/utils/telemetry/tracing.py b/llama_stack/providers/utils/telemetry/tracing.py
index 4ae68ee1d..c85722bdc 100644
--- a/llama_stack/providers/utils/telemetry/tracing.py
+++ b/llama_stack/providers/utils/telemetry/tracing.py
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ INVALID_SPAN_ID = 0x0000000000000000
 INVALID_TRACE_ID = 0x00000000000000000000000000000000
 
 ROOT_SPAN_MARKERS = ["__root__", "__root_span__"]
+# The logical root span may not be visible to this process if a parent context
+# is passed in. The local root span is the first local span in a trace.
+LOCAL_ROOT_SPAN_MARKER = "__local_root_span__"
 
 
 def trace_id_to_str(trace_id: int) -> str:
@@ -180,7 +183,13 @@ async def start_trace(name: str, attributes: dict[str, Any] = None) -> TraceCont
 
     trace_id = generate_trace_id()
     context = TraceContext(BACKGROUND_LOGGER, trace_id)
-    attributes = dict.fromkeys(ROOT_SPAN_MARKERS, True) | (attributes or {})
+    # Mark this span as the root for the trace for now. The processing of
+    # traceparent context if supplied comes later and will result in the
+    # ROOT_SPAN_MARKERS being removed. Also mark this is the 'local' root,
+    # i.e. the root of the spans originating in this process as this is
+    # needed to ensure that we insert this 'local' root span's id into
+    # the trace record in sqlite store.
+    attributes = dict.fromkeys(ROOT_SPAN_MARKERS, True) | {LOCAL_ROOT_SPAN_MARKER: True} | (attributes or {})
     context.push_span(name, attributes)
 
     CURRENT_TRACE_CONTEXT.set(context)