diff --git a/opentelemetry-jaeger/src/exporter/mod.rs b/opentelemetry-jaeger/src/exporter/mod.rs
index 087e11c459..8a526f84dd 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-jaeger/src/exporter/mod.rs
+++ b/opentelemetry-jaeger/src/exporter/mod.rs
@@ -623,11 +623,6 @@ fn build_span_tags(
         }
     }
 
-    // Ensure error status is set
-    if status_code == StatusCode::Error && !user_overrides.error {
-        tags.push(Key::new(ERROR).bool(true).into())
-    }
-
     if !user_overrides.span_kind {
         tags.push(Key::new(SPAN_KIND).string(kind.to_string()).into());
     }
@@ -636,8 +631,31 @@ fn build_span_tags(
         tags.push(KeyValue::new(STATUS_CODE, status_code as i64).into());
     }
 
-    if !user_overrides.status_message {
-        tags.push(Key::new(STATUS_MESSAGE).string(status_message).into());
+    if status_code != StatusCode::Unset {
+        // Ensure error status is set
+        if status_code == StatusCode::Error {
+            tags.push(Key::new(ERROR).bool(true).into());
+        }
+        tags.push(
+            Key::new(OTEL_STATUS_CODE)
+                .string::<String>(status_code.into())
+                .into(),
+        );
+        // set status message if there is one
+        if status_message.len() > 0 {
+            if !user_overrides.status_message {
+                tags.push(
+                    Key::new(STATUS_MESSAGE)
+                        .string(status_message.clone())
+                        .into(),
+                );
+            }
+            tags.push(
+                Key::new(OTEL_STATUS_DESCRIPTION)
+                    .string(status_message)
+                    .into(),
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     Some(tags)
@@ -647,6 +665,8 @@ const ERROR: &str = "error";
 const SPAN_KIND: &str = "span.kind";
 const STATUS_CODE: &str = "status.code";
 const STATUS_MESSAGE: &str = "status.message";
+const OTEL_STATUS_CODE: &str = "otel.status_code";
+const OTEL_STATUS_DESCRIPTION: &str = "otel.status_description";
 
 #[derive(Default)]
 struct UserOverrides {
diff --git a/opentelemetry-zipkin/src/exporter/model/mod.rs b/opentelemetry-zipkin/src/exporter/model/mod.rs
index 2d0d7de43f..9eb7fd356c 100644
--- a/opentelemetry-zipkin/src/exporter/model/mod.rs
+++ b/opentelemetry-zipkin/src/exporter/model/mod.rs
@@ -12,11 +12,10 @@ pub(crate) mod span;
 
 use endpoint::Endpoint;
 
-/// Instrument Library name MUST be reported in Jaeger Span tags with the following key
 const INSTRUMENTATION_LIBRARY_NAME: &str = "otel.library.name";
-
-/// Instrument Library version MUST be reported in Jaeger Span tags with the following key
 const INSTRUMENTATION_LIBRARY_VERSION: &str = "otel.library.version";
+const OTEL_ERROR_DESCRIPTION: &str = "error";
+const OTEL_STATUS_CODE: &str = "otel.status_code";
 
 /// Converts `Event` into an `annotation::Annotation`
 impl Into<annotation::Annotation> for Event {
@@ -88,15 +87,17 @@ pub(crate) fn into_zipkin_span(local_endpoint: Endpoint, span_data: trace::SpanD
                 ]
                 .iter()
                 .filter_map(|(key, val)| val.map(|val| KeyValue::new(*key, val))),
-            ),
+            )
+            .filter(|kv| kv.key.as_str() == "error" && kv.value.as_str() == "false"),
     );
 
     if let Some(status_code) = from_statuscode_to_str(span_data.status_code) {
-        tags.insert("otel.status_code".into(), status_code.into());
+        if status_code == "ERROR" {
+            tags.insert(OTEL_ERROR_DESCRIPTION.into(), span_data.status_message);
+        }
+        tags.insert(OTEL_STATUS_CODE.into(), status_code.into());
     }
 
-    tags.insert("otel.status_description".into(), span_data.status_message);
-
     span::Span::builder()
         .trace_id(span_data.span_context.trace_id().to_hex())
         .parent_id(span_data.parent_span_id.to_hex())
diff --git a/opentelemetry/src/api/trace/span.rs b/opentelemetry/src/api/trace/span.rs
index 390993ddf2..abfba20f84 100644
--- a/opentelemetry/src/api/trace/span.rs
+++ b/opentelemetry/src/api/trace/span.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ pub trait Span: fmt::Debug + 'static + Send + Sync {
     fn set_attribute(&self, attribute: KeyValue);
 
     /// Sets the status of the `Span`. If used, this will override the default `Span`
-    /// status, which is `OK`.
+    /// status, which is `Unset`. `message` MUST be ignored when the status is `OK` or `Unset`
     ///
     /// Only the value of the last call will be recorded, and implementations are free
     /// to ignore previous calls.
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for SpanKind {
 /// It's composed of a canonical code in conjunction with an optional
 /// descriptive message.
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "serialize", derive(Deserialize, Serialize))]
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Copy)]
 pub enum StatusCode {
     /// The default status.
     Unset = 0,
@@ -250,3 +250,13 @@ pub enum StatusCode {
     /// The operation contains an error.
     Error = 2,
 }
+
+impl Into<String> for StatusCode {
+    fn into(self) -> String {
+        match self {
+            StatusCode::Unset => "".to_string(),
+            StatusCode::Ok => "OK".to_string(),
+            StatusCode::Error => "Error".to_string(),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/opentelemetry/src/sdk/trace/span.rs b/opentelemetry/src/sdk/trace/span.rs
index 8fc8e042f4..ffeab0d45d 100644
--- a/opentelemetry/src/sdk/trace/span.rs
+++ b/opentelemetry/src/sdk/trace/span.rs
@@ -129,11 +129,13 @@ impl crate::trace::Span for Span {
     }
 
     /// Sets the status of the `Span`. If used, this will override the default `Span`
-    /// status, which is `Unset`.
+    /// status, which is `Unset`. `message` MUST be ignored when the status is `OK` or `Unset`
     fn set_status(&self, code: StatusCode, message: String) {
         self.with_data(|data| {
+            if code == StatusCode::Error {
+                data.status_message = message;
+            }
             data.status_code = code;
-            data.status_message = message
         });
     }