diff --git a/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/spring/integration/TracingChannelInterceptor.java b/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/spring/integration/TracingChannelInterceptor.java
index 3144cfa9f957..c08f200f9986 100644
--- a/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/spring/integration/TracingChannelInterceptor.java
+++ b/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/library/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/instrumentation/spring/integration/TracingChannelInterceptor.java
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ private static Class<?> getDirectWithAttributesChannelClass() {
   }
 
   private static MethodHandle getChannelAttributeMh(Class<?> directWithAttributesChannelClass) {
+    if (directWithAttributesChannelClass == null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
     try {
       return MethodHandles.lookup()
           .findVirtual(