diff --git a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilter.java b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilter.java
index 390d122ed..062d1f229 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilter.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilter.java
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import org.springframework.cloud.sleuth.event.ServerReceivedEvent;
 import org.springframework.cloud.sleuth.event.ServerSentEvent;
 import org.springframework.cloud.sleuth.instrument.TraceKeys;
 import org.springframework.cloud.sleuth.sampler.IsTracingSampler;
-import org.springframework.cloud.sleuth.trace.SpanContextHolder;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEvent;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisher;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationEventPublisherAware;
@@ -106,8 +105,6 @@ public class TraceFilter extends OncePerRequestFilter
 			HttpServletResponse response, FilterChain filterChain)
 					throws ServletException, IOException {
 
-		// TODO: this should not be necessary
-		SpanContextHolder.removeCurrentSpan();
 		String uri = this.urlPathHelper.getPathWithinApplication(request);
 		boolean skip = this.skipPattern.matcher(uri).matches()
 				|| getHeader(request, response, Span.NOT_SAMPLED_NAME) != null;
diff --git a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilterTests.java b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilterTests.java
index e48742bcf..b9e8401e5 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilterTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-sleuth-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/sleuth/instrument/web/TraceFilterTests.java
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ public class TraceFilterTests {
 
 		Span span = this.tracer.startTrace("foo");
 		this.request.setAttribute(TraceFilter.TRACE_REQUEST_ATTR, span);
+		// It should have been removed from the thread local context so simulate that
+		SpanContextHolder.removeCurrentSpan();
 
 		TraceFilter filter = new TraceFilter(this.tracer, this.traceKeys);
 		filter.doFilter(this.request, this.response, this.filterChain);