diff --git a/apisix/plugins/opentelemetry.lua b/apisix/plugins/opentelemetry.lua
index 487c143819ce..b1c9c53b6d5d 100644
--- a/apisix/plugins/opentelemetry.lua
+++ b/apisix/plugins/opentelemetry.lua
@@ -56,6 +56,24 @@ local lrucache = core.lrucache.new({
 
 local asterisk = string.byte("*", 1)
 
+local function is_valid_trace_id(trace_id)
+    if not trace_id or #trace_id ~= 32 then
+        return false
+    end
+
+    -- must be lowercase hex
+    if not trace_id:match("^[0-9a-f]+$") then
+        return false
+    end
+
+    -- W3C Trace Context: all-zero trace_id is invalid
+    if trace_id == "00000000000000000000000000000000" then
+        return false
+    end
+
+    return true
+end
+
 local metadata_schema = {
     type = "object",
     properties = {
@@ -231,9 +249,17 @@ end
 
 local function create_tracer_obj(conf, plugin_info)
     if plugin_info.trace_id_source == "x-request-id" then
+        local _original_new_ids = id_generator.new_ids
+
         id_generator.new_ids = function()
-            local trace_id = core.request.headers()["x-request-id"] or ngx_var.request_id
-            return trace_id, id_generator.new_span_id()
+            local trace_id = core.request.headers()["x-request-id"]
+                            or ngx_var.request_id
+
+            if is_valid_trace_id(trace_id) then
+                return trace_id, id_generator.new_span_id()
+            end
+
+            return _original_new_ids()
         end
     end
     -- create exporter
diff --git a/t/plugin/opentelemetry.t b/t/plugin/opentelemetry.t
index daf91e39e8bd..4c78da4229e2 100644
--- a/t/plugin/opentelemetry.t
+++ b/t/plugin/opentelemetry.t
@@ -434,3 +434,104 @@ HEAD /specific_status
 tail -n 1 ci/pod/otelcol-contrib/data-otlp.json
 --- response_body eval
 qr/.*\/specific_status.*/
+
+
+
+=== TEST 20: recreate route for invalid x-request-id test
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
+            local code, body = t('/apisix/admin/routes/1',
+                ngx.HTTP_PUT,
+                [[{
+                    "plugins": {
+                        "opentelemetry": {
+                            "sampler": {
+                                "name": "always_on"
+                            }
+                        }
+                    },
+                    "upstream": {
+                        "nodes": {
+                            "127.0.0.1:1980": 1
+                        },
+                        "type": "roundrobin"
+                    },
+                    "uri": "/opentracing"
+                }]]
+            )
+
+            if code >= 300 then
+                ngx.status = code
+            end
+            ngx.say(body)
+        }
+    }
+--- request
+GET /t
+
+
+
+=== TEST 21: invalid x-request-id should not crash
+--- request
+GET /opentracing
+--- more_headers
+X-Request-Id: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
+--- wait: 2
+--- response_body
+opentracing
+--- no_error_log
+[error]
+
+
+
+=== TEST 22: invalid x-request-id should still generate a valid trace
+--- request
+GET /opentracing
+--- more_headers
+X-Request-Id: 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
+--- wait: 2
+--- exec
+tail -n 1 ci/pod/otelcol-contrib/data-otlp.json
+--- response_body eval
+qr/"traceId":"(?!0{32})[0-9a-f]{32}"/
+
+
+
+=== TEST 23: all-zero x-request-id should not be used as trace id
+--- request
+GET /opentracing
+--- more_headers
+X-Request-Id: 00000000000000000000000000000000
+--- wait: 2
+--- exec
+tail -n 1 ci/pod/otelcol-contrib/data-otlp.json
+--- response_body eval
+qr/"traceId":"(?!0{32})[0-9a-f]{32}"/
+
+
+
+=== TEST 24: uppercase x-request-id should still generate a valid trace id
+--- request
+GET /opentracing
+--- more_headers
+X-Request-Id: 550E8400-E29B-41D4-A716-446655440000
+--- wait: 2
+--- exec
+tail -n 1 ci/pod/otelcol-contrib/data-otlp.json
+--- response_body eval
+qr/"traceId":"(?!0{32})[0-9a-f]{32}"/
+
+
+
+=== TEST 25: malformed length x-request-id should still generate a valid trace id
+--- request
+GET /opentracing
+--- more_headers
+X-Request-Id: 550e8400e29b41d4a7164466
+--- wait: 2
+--- exec
+tail -n 1 ci/pod/otelcol-contrib/data-otlp.json
+--- response_body eval
+qr/"traceId":"(?!0{32})[0-9a-f]{32}"/