diff --git a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler.go b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler.go
index f27f5560c89..0e684f60406 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler.go
@@ -36,16 +36,22 @@ func (h *Handler) GetTrace(request *api_v3.GetTraceRequest, stream api_v3.QueryS
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("cannot retrieve trace: %w", err)
 	}
-	td, err := modelToOTLP(trace.GetSpans())
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	td := modelToOTLP(trace.GetSpans())
 	tracesData := api_v3.TracesData(td)
 	return stream.Send(&tracesData)
 }
 
 // FindTraces implements api_v3.QueryServiceServer's FindTraces
 func (h *Handler) FindTraces(request *api_v3.FindTracesRequest, stream api_v3.QueryService_FindTracesServer) error {
+	return h.internalFindTraces(stream.Context(), request, stream.Send)
+}
+
+// separated for testing
+func (h *Handler) internalFindTraces(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	request *api_v3.FindTracesRequest,
+	streamSend func(*api_v3.TracesData) error,
+) error {
 	query := request.GetQuery()
 	if query == nil {
 		return status.Error(codes.InvalidArgument, "missing query")
@@ -74,17 +80,17 @@ func (h *Handler) FindTraces(request *api_v3.FindTracesRequest, stream api_v3.Qu
 		queryParams.DurationMax = d
 	}
 
-	traces, err := h.QueryService.FindTraces(stream.Context(), queryParams)
+	traces, err := h.QueryService.FindTraces(ctx, queryParams)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, t := range traces {
-		td, err := modelToOTLP(t.GetSpans())
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		td := modelToOTLP(t.GetSpans())
 		tracesData := api_v3.TracesData(td)
-		stream.Send(&tracesData)
+		if err := streamSend(&tracesData); err != nil {
+			return status.Error(codes.Internal,
+				fmt.Sprintf("failed to send response stream chunk to client: %v", err))
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler_test.go b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler_test.go
index 6534df23fe6..dbd0c48c82b 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler_test.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/grpc_handler_test.go
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ func TestFindTraces(t *testing.T) {
 			Attributes:    map[string]string{"foo": "bar"},
 			StartTimeMin:  time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Hour),
 			StartTimeMax:  time.Now(),
+			DurationMin:   1 * time.Second,
+			DurationMax:   2 * time.Second,
+			SearchDepth:   10,
 		},
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -164,6 +167,40 @@ func TestFindTraces(t *testing.T) {
 	require.EqualValues(t, 1, td.SpanCount())
 }
 
+func TestFindTracesSendError(t *testing.T) {
+	reader := new(spanstoremocks.Reader)
+	reader.On("FindTraces", mock.Anything, mock.AnythingOfType("*spanstore.TraceQueryParameters")).Return(
+		[]*model.Trace{
+			{
+				Spans: []*model.Span{
+					{
+						OperationName: "name",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}, nil).Once()
+	h := &Handler{
+		QueryService: querysvc.NewQueryService(
+			factoryadapter.NewTraceReader(reader),
+			new(dependencyStoreMocks.Reader),
+			querysvc.QueryServiceOptions{},
+		),
+	}
+	err := h.internalFindTraces(context.Background(),
+		&api_v3.FindTracesRequest{
+			Query: &api_v3.TraceQueryParameters{
+				StartTimeMin: time.Now().Add(-2 * time.Hour),
+				StartTimeMax: time.Now(),
+			},
+		},
+		/* streamSend= */ func(*api_v3.TracesData) error {
+			return errors.New("send_error")
+		},
+	)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "send_error")
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "failed to send response")
+}
+
 func TestFindTracesQueryNil(t *testing.T) {
 	tsc := newTestServerClient(t)
 	responseStream, err := tsc.client.FindTraces(context.Background(), &api_v3.FindTracesRequest{})
diff --git a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway.go b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway.go
index 1abbcece1f8..24f0e6c4396 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway.go
@@ -112,12 +112,9 @@ func (h *HTTPGateway) returnSpans(spans []*model.Span, w http.ResponseWriter) {
 func (h *HTTPGateway) returnSpansTestable(
 	spans []*model.Span,
 	w http.ResponseWriter,
-	modelToOTLP func(_ []*model.Span) (ptrace.Traces, error),
+	modelToOTLP func(_ []*model.Span) ptrace.Traces,
 ) {
-	td, err := modelToOTLP(spans)
-	if h.tryHandleError(w, err, http.StatusInternalServerError) {
-		return
-	}
+	td := modelToOTLP(spans)
 	tracesData := api_v3.TracesData(td)
 	response := &api_v3.GRPCGatewayWrapper{
 		Result: &tracesData,
diff --git a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway_test.go b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway_test.go
index f0abbeb3307..c395715b662 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway_test.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/http_gateway_test.go
@@ -15,11 +15,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/pdata/ptrace"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/cmd/query/app/querysvc"
-	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/model"
 	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/pkg/jtracer"
 	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/pkg/testutils"
 	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/storage/spanstore"
@@ -92,20 +90,6 @@ func TestHTTPGatewayTryHandleError(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, string(w.Body.String()), e, "writes error message to body")
 }
 
-func TestHTTPGatewayOTLPError(t *testing.T) {
-	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
-	gw := &HTTPGateway{
-		Logger: zap.NewNop(),
-	}
-	const simErr = "simulated error"
-	gw.returnSpansTestable(nil, w,
-		func(_ []*model.Span) (ptrace.Traces, error) {
-			return ptrace.Traces{}, errors.New(simErr)
-		},
-	)
-	assert.Contains(t, w.Body.String(), simErr)
-}
-
 func TestHTTPGatewayGetTraceErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	gw := setupHTTPGatewayNoServer(t, "")
 
diff --git a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/otlp_translator.go b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/otlp_translator.go
index 9fa952a3cc3..1a39ca79845 100644
--- a/cmd/query/app/apiv3/otlp_translator.go
+++ b/cmd/query/app/apiv3/otlp_translator.go
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jaegertracing/jaeger/model"
 )
 
-func modelToOTLP(spans []*model.Span) (ptrace.Traces, error) {
+func modelToOTLP(spans []*model.Span) ptrace.Traces {
 	batch := &model.Batch{Spans: spans}
-	return model2otel.ProtoToTraces([]*model.Batch{batch})
+	// there is never an error returned from ProtoToTraces
+	tr, _ := model2otel.ProtoToTraces([]*model.Batch{batch})
+	return tr
 }