diff --git a/sdk/trace/span.go b/sdk/trace/span.go
index 4945f508303..88a92869d2d 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/span.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/span.go
@@ -469,7 +469,14 @@ func (s *recordingSpan) RecordError(err error, opts ...trace.EventOption) {
 	s.addEvent(semconv.ExceptionEventName, opts...)
 }
 
+type exceptionTyper interface {
+	ExceptionType() string
+}
+
 func typeStr(i interface{}) string {
+	if i, ok := i.(exceptionTyper); ok {
+		return i.ExceptionType()
+	}
 	t := reflect.TypeOf(i)
 	if t.PkgPath() == "" && t.Name() == "" {
 		// Likely a builtin type.
diff --git a/sdk/trace/trace_test.go b/sdk/trace/trace_test.go
index 87247d1f167..38628b244fe 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/trace_test.go
+++ b/sdk/trace/trace_test.go
@@ -1189,6 +1189,14 @@ func TestCustomStartEndTime(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+type errWithExceptionType struct {
+	error
+}
+
+func (errWithExceptionType) ExceptionType() string {
+	return "CustomExceptionType"
+}
+
 func TestRecordError(t *testing.T) {
 	scenarios := []struct {
 		err error
@@ -1205,6 +1213,11 @@ func TestRecordError(t *testing.T) {
 			typ: "*errors.errorString",
 			msg: "test error 2",
 		},
+		{
+			err: errWithExceptionType{errors.New("test error 3")},
+			typ: "CustomExceptionType",
+			msg: "test error 3",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, s := range scenarios {