diff --git a/modules/ingester/instance.go b/modules/ingester/instance.go
index 60c3d710c3f..abcd44c6397 100644
--- a/modules/ingester/instance.go
+++ b/modules/ingester/instance.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ var (
 
 type instance struct {
 	tracesMtx  sync.Mutex
-	traces     map[uint32]*trace
+	traces     map[uint32]trace
 	traceCount atomic.Int32
 
 	blocksMtx        sync.RWMutex
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ type instance struct {
 
 func newInstance(instanceID string, limiter *Limiter, writer tempodb.Writer, l *local.Backend) (*instance, error) {
 	i := &instance{
-		traces: map[uint32]*trace{},
+		traces: map[uint32]trace{},
 
 		instanceID:         instanceID,
 		tracesCreatedTotal: metricTracesCreatedTotal.WithLabelValues(instanceID),
@@ -105,15 +105,11 @@ func (i *instance) Push(ctx context.Context, req *tempopb.PushRequest) error {
 	i.tracesMtx.Lock()
 	defer i.tracesMtx.Unlock()
 
-	trace, err := i.getOrCreateTrace(req)
+	err = i.updateTrace(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := trace.Push(ctx, req); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -331,27 +327,29 @@ func (i *instance) AddCompletingBlock(b *wal.AppendBlock) {
 	i.completingBlocks = append(i.completingBlocks, b)
 }
 
-// getOrCreateTrace will return a new trace object for the given request
-//  It must be called under the i.tracesMtx lock
-func (i *instance) getOrCreateTrace(req *tempopb.PushRequest) (*trace, error) {
+// updateTrace updates the trace with the provided PushRequest
+func (i *instance) updateTrace(req *tempopb.PushRequest) error {
 	traceID, err := pushRequestTraceID(req)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "unable to extract traceID: %v", err)
+		return status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "unable to extract traceID: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	fp := i.tokenForTraceID(traceID)
 	trace, ok := i.traces[fp]
-	if ok {
-		return trace, nil
+	if !ok {
+		maxBytes := i.limiter.limits.MaxBytesPerTrace(i.instanceID)
+		trace = newTrace(maxBytes, fp, traceID)
+		i.tracesCreatedTotal.Inc()
+		i.traceCount.Inc()
+	}
+
+	if err := trace.Push(req); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	maxBytes := i.limiter.limits.MaxBytesPerTrace(i.instanceID)
-	trace = newTrace(maxBytes, fp, traceID)
 	i.traces[fp] = trace
-	i.tracesCreatedTotal.Inc()
-	i.traceCount.Inc()
 
-	return trace, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // tokenForTraceID hash trace ID, should be called under lock
@@ -369,12 +367,12 @@ func (i *instance) resetHeadBlock() error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func (i *instance) tracesToCut(cutoff time.Duration, immediate bool) []*trace {
+func (i *instance) tracesToCut(cutoff time.Duration, immediate bool) []trace {
 	i.tracesMtx.Lock()
 	defer i.tracesMtx.Unlock()
 
 	cutoffTime := time.Now().Add(cutoff)
-	tracesToCut := make([]*trace, 0, len(i.traces))
+	tracesToCut := make([]trace, 0, len(i.traces))
 
 	for key, trace := range i.traces {
 		if cutoffTime.After(trace.lastAppend) || immediate {
diff --git a/modules/ingester/instance_test.go b/modules/ingester/instance_test.go
index 0f478b02cc0..a0a11e6f90b 100644
--- a/modules/ingester/instance_test.go
+++ b/modules/ingester/instance_test.go
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ func TestInstanceCutCompleteTraces(t *testing.T) {
 	id := make([]byte, 16)
 	rand.Read(id)
 	tracepb := test.MakeTrace(10, id)
-	pastTrace := &trace{
+	pastTrace := trace{
 		traceID:    id,
 		trace:      tracepb,
 		lastAppend: time.Now().Add(-time.Hour),
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func TestInstanceCutCompleteTraces(t *testing.T) {
 
 	id = make([]byte, 16)
 	rand.Read(id)
-	nowTrace := &trace{
+	nowTrace := trace{
 		traceID:    id,
 		trace:      tracepb,
 		lastAppend: time.Now().Add(time.Hour),
@@ -340,9 +340,9 @@ func TestInstanceCutCompleteTraces(t *testing.T) {
 		name             string
 		cutoff           time.Duration
 		immediate        bool
-		input            []*trace
-		expectedExist    []*trace
-		expectedNotExist []*trace
+		input            []trace
+		expectedExist    []trace
+		expectedNotExist []trace
 	}{
 		{
 			name:      "empty",
@@ -353,23 +353,23 @@ func TestInstanceCutCompleteTraces(t *testing.T) {
 			name:             "cut immediate",
 			cutoff:           0,
 			immediate:        true,
-			input:            []*trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
-			expectedNotExist: []*trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
+			input:            []trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
+			expectedNotExist: []trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
 		},
 		{
 			name:             "cut recent",
 			cutoff:           0,
 			immediate:        false,
-			input:            []*trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
-			expectedExist:    []*trace{nowTrace},
-			expectedNotExist: []*trace{pastTrace},
+			input:            []trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
+			expectedExist:    []trace{nowTrace},
+			expectedNotExist: []trace{pastTrace},
 		},
 		{
 			name:             "cut all time",
 			cutoff:           2 * time.Hour,
 			immediate:        false,
-			input:            []*trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
-			expectedNotExist: []*trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
+			input:            []trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
+			expectedNotExist: []trace{pastTrace, nowTrace},
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/modules/ingester/trace.go b/modules/ingester/trace.go
index 0734d1bab39..8f67f5fb450 100644
--- a/modules/ingester/trace.go
+++ b/modules/ingester/trace.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package ingester
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gogo/status"
@@ -19,8 +18,8 @@ type trace struct {
 	currentBytes int
 }
 
-func newTrace(maxBytes int, token uint32, traceID []byte) *trace {
-	return &trace{
+func newTrace(maxBytes int, token uint32, traceID []byte) trace {
+	return trace{
 		token:      token,
 		trace:      &tempopb.Trace{},
 		lastAppend: time.Now(),
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ func newTrace(maxBytes int, token uint32, traceID []byte) *trace {
 	}
 }
 
-func (t *trace) Push(_ context.Context, req *tempopb.PushRequest) error {
+func (t *trace) Push(req *tempopb.PushRequest) error {
 	t.lastAppend = time.Now()
 	if t.maxBytes != 0 {
 		reqSize := req.Size()