diff --git a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
index a00b575998d..9a1ac25d49a 100644
--- a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
@@ -76,4 +76,4 @@ java {
   toolchain {
     languageVersion.set(JavaLanguageVersion.of(17))
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sdk/trace/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpan.java b/sdk/trace/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpan.java
index 0d2c9ab83fd..ef1ba2c3c86 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpan.java
+++ b/sdk/trace/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpan.java
@@ -428,17 +428,38 @@ private void addTimedEvent(EventData timedEvent) {
   @Override
   public ReadWriteSpan setStatus(StatusCode statusCode, @Nullable String description) {
     if (statusCode == null) {
-      return this;
+      return this; // No action if statusCode is null
     }
     synchronized (lock) {
       if (!isModifiableByCurrentThread()) {
         logger.log(Level.FINE, "Calling setStatus() on an ended Span.");
         return this;
-      } else if (this.status.getStatusCode() == StatusCode.OK) {
+      }
+<<<<<<< HEAD
+      
+=======
+
+>>>>>>> d9e11e8e4aebfe44bc79436b8e7ee42344e4a5aa
+      StatusCode currentStatusCode = this.status.getStatusCode();
+
+      // Prevent setting a lower priority status.
+      if (currentStatusCode == StatusCode.OK) {
         logger.log(Level.FINE, "Calling setStatus() on a Span that is already set to OK.");
-        return this;
+        return this; // Do not allow lower priority status to override OK
+      } if (currentStatusCode == StatusCode.ERROR && statusCode == StatusCode.UNSET) {
+        logger.log(Level.FINE, "Cannot set status to UNSET when current status is ERROR.");
+        return this; // Do not allow UNSET to override ERROR
+      }
+
+      // Set the status, ignoring description if status is not ERROR.
+      if (statusCode == StatusCode.ERROR) {
+        this.status = StatusData.create(statusCode, description);
+      } else {
+        if (currentStatusCode != statusCode) {
+          this.status =
+              StatusData.create(statusCode, null);
+        }
       }
-      this.status = StatusData.create(statusCode, description);
     }
     return this;
   }
diff --git a/sdk/trace/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpanTest.java b/sdk/trace/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpanTest.java
index 7fbd86ef229..a5fad854241 100644
--- a/sdk/trace/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpanTest.java
+++ b/sdk/trace/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/sdk/trace/SdkSpanTest.java
@@ -119,11 +119,25 @@ void setUp() {
   @Test
   void nothingChangedAfterEnd() {
     SdkSpan span = createTestSpan(SpanKind.INTERNAL);
+
+    // Set an initial status before ending the span
+    span.setStatus(StatusCode.OK, "Initial status");
+    assertThat(span.toSpanData().getStatus().getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(StatusCode.OK);
+
+    // End the span
     span.end();
-    // Check that adding trace events or update fields after Span#end() does not throw any thrown
+
+    // Store the current status for verification
+    StatusData currentStatus = span.toSpanData().getStatus();
+
+    // Check that adding trace events or update fields after Span#end() does not throw any exception
     // and are ignored.
     spanDoWork(span, StatusCode.ERROR, "CANCELLED");
+
+    // Verify that the status has not changed after the span has ended
     SpanData spanData = span.toSpanData();
+    assertThat(spanData.getStatus()).isEqualTo(currentStatus);
+
     verifySpanData(
         spanData,
         Attributes.empty(),
@@ -1432,6 +1446,29 @@ private void verifySpanData(
     spanDataAttributes.forEach((key, value) -> assertThat(attributes.get(key)).isEqualTo(value));
   }
 
+
+  @Test
+void setStatusCannotOverrideStatusError() {
+    SdkSpan testSpan = createTestRootSpan();
+    
+    // Set an initial status to ERROR
+    testSpan.setStatus(StatusCode.ERROR, "Initial error status");
+    assertThat(testSpan.toSpanData().getStatus().getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(StatusCode.ERROR);
+    
+    // Attempt to set status to OK (should not change)
+    testSpan.setStatus(StatusCode.OK);
+    assertThat(testSpan.toSpanData().getStatus().getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(StatusCode.ERROR);
+    
+    // Attempt to set status to UNSET (should not change)
+    testSpan.setStatus(StatusCode.UNSET);
+    assertThat(testSpan.toSpanData().getStatus().getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(StatusCode.ERROR);
+    
+    // Attempt to set status to ERROR again (should remain ERROR)
+    testSpan.setStatus(StatusCode.ERROR, "Another error status");
+    assertThat(testSpan.toSpanData().getStatus().getStatusCode()).isEqualTo(StatusCode.ERROR);
+}
+
+
   @Test
   void testAsSpanData() {
     String name = "GreatSpan";