diff --git a/bridge/opentracing/bridge.go b/bridge/opentracing/bridge.go
index e326be19daf..fd84fa5062f 100644
--- a/bridge/opentracing/bridge.go
+++ b/bridge/opentracing/bridge.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -497,8 +498,9 @@ func otTagsToOTelAttributesKindAndError(tags map[string]interface{}) ([]attribut
 	for k, v := range tags {
 		switch k {
 		case string(otext.SpanKind):
-			if s, ok := v.(otext.SpanKindEnum); ok {
-				switch strings.ToLower(string(s)) {
+			refValue := reflect.ValueOf(v)
+			if refValue.Kind() == reflect.String {
+				switch strings.ToLower(refValue.String()) {
 				case "client":
 					kind = trace.SpanKindClient
 				case "server":
diff --git a/bridge/opentracing/mix_test.go b/bridge/opentracing/mix_test.go
index 0cd5a667ca5..1692a4e1a5b 100644
--- a/bridge/opentracing/mix_test.go
+++ b/bridge/opentracing/mix_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	ot "github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go"
+	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go/ext"
 
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
@@ -637,7 +638,7 @@ func runOtelOTOtel(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, name string, callback func
 
 func runOTOtelOT(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, name string, callback func(*testing.T, context.Context) context.Context) {
 	tr := otel.Tracer("")
-	span, ctx := ot.StartSpanFromContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("%s_OT_OtelOT", name), ot.Tag{Key: "span.kind", Value: "client"})
+	span, ctx := ot.StartSpanFromContext(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("%s_OT_OtelOT", name), ot.Tag{Key: "span.kind", Value: ext.SpanKindRPCClient.Value})
 	defer span.Finish()
 	ctx = callback(t, ctx)
 	func(ctx2 context.Context) {