diff --git a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/DatadogBasePipelineLogic.java b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/DatadogBasePipelineLogic.java
index 64af28e1..45ff9441 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/DatadogBasePipelineLogic.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/DatadogBasePipelineLogic.java
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Set;
+import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import net.sf.json.JSONObject;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.DatadogUtilities;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.BuildData;
-import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.PipelineStepData;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.PipelineNodeInfoAction;
+import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.PipelineStepData;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.util.SuppressFBWarnings;
 
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ public abstract class DatadogBasePipelineLogic {
     protected static final String CI_PROVIDER = "jenkins";
     protected static final String HOSTNAME_NONE = "none";
 
+    @Nonnull
     public abstract JSONObject toJson(PipelineStepData current, Run<?, ?> run) throws IOException, InterruptedException;
 
     @SuppressFBWarnings("NP_NULL_ON_SOME_PATH_FROM_RETURN_VALUE")
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/AgentTraceWriteStrategy.java b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/AgentTraceWriteStrategy.java
index 6afa6746..80697e6f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/AgentTraceWriteStrategy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/AgentTraceWriteStrategy.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.clients.DatadogAgentClient;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.BuildData;
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ public Payload serialize(BuildData buildData, Run<?, ?> run) {
         return getCurrentStrategy().serialize(buildData, run);
     }
 
-    @Nullable
+    @Nonnull
     @Override
     public Payload serialize(PipelineStepData stepData, Run<?, ?> run) throws IOException, InterruptedException  {
         return getCurrentStrategy().serialize(stepData, run);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategy.java b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategy.java
index 68323ae8..f357195e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategy.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import hudson.model.Run;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.BuildData;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.model.PipelineStepData;
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ public interface TraceWriteStrategy {
     @Nullable
     Payload serialize(BuildData buildData, Run<?, ?> run);
 
-    @Nullable
+    @Nonnull
     Payload serialize(PipelineStepData stepData, Run<?, ?> run) throws IOException, InterruptedException;
 
     void send(Collection<Payload> spans);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategyImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategyImpl.java
index 57c0f3ae..b0f44226 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategyImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/traces/write/TraceWriteStrategyImpl.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
+import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import net.sf.json.JSONObject;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.DatadogUtilities;
@@ -52,11 +53,11 @@ public Payload serialize(final BuildData buildData, final Run<?, ?> run) {
         return buildSpan != null ? new Payload(buildSpan, track) : null;
     }
 
-    @Nullable
+    @Nonnull
     @Override
     public Payload serialize(PipelineStepData stepData, Run<?, ?> run) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
         JSONObject stepSpan = pipelineLogic.toJson(stepData, run);
-        return stepSpan != null ? new Payload(stepSpan, track) : null;
+        return new Payload(stepSpan, track);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/clients/DatadogClientStub.java b/src/test/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/clients/DatadogClientStub.java
index 9acc22a2..f2dff677 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/clients/DatadogClientStub.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/datadog/jenkins/plugins/datadog/clients/DatadogClientStub.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 import net.sf.json.JSONObject;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.DatadogClient;
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.traces.write.Payload;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.traces.write.TraceWriteStrategy;
 import org.datadog.jenkins.plugins.datadog.traces.write.Track;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 
 public class DatadogClientStub implements DatadogClient {
@@ -304,21 +306,15 @@ public Payload serialize(BuildData buildData, Run<?, ?> run) {
             }
         }
 
-        @Nullable
+        @Nonnull
         @Override
-        public Payload serialize(PipelineStepData stepData, Run<?, ?> run) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+        public @NotNull Payload serialize(PipelineStepData stepData, Run<?, ?> run) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
             if (isWebhook) {
                 JSONObject json = new DatadogWebhookPipelineLogic().toJson(stepData, run);
-                if (json == null) {
-                    return null;
-                }
                 webhooks.add(json);
                 return new Payload(json, Track.WEBHOOK);
             } else {
                 TraceSpan span = new DatadogTracePipelineLogic().toSpan(stepData, run);
-                if (span == null) {
-                    return null;
-                }
                 traces.add(span);
                 JSONObject json = new JsonTraceSpanMapper().map(span);
                 return new Payload(json, Track.APM);