diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
index 31deb88261da..8c6854143b29 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/DefaultWebClient.java
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ public Mono<ClientResponse> exchange() {
 				final AtomicBoolean responseReceived = new AtomicBoolean();
 				return responseMono
 						.doOnNext(response -> responseReceived.set(true))
-						.doOnError(observationContext::setError)
+						.doOnError(observation::error)
 						.doFinally(signalType -> {
 							if (signalType == SignalType.CANCEL && !responseReceived.get()) {
 								observationContext.setAborted(true);
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientObservationTests.java b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientObservationTests.java
index 4cd8900ce82a..c3a9460f3c55 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientObservationTests.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClientObservationTests.java
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ void recordsObservationForErrorExchange() {
 		StepVerifier.create(client.get().uri("/path").retrieve().bodyToMono(Void.class))
 				.expectError(IllegalStateException.class)
 				.verify(Duration.ofSeconds(5));
-		assertThatHttpObservation().hasLowCardinalityKeyValue("exception", "IllegalStateException")
+		assertThatHttpObservation().hasError()
+				.hasLowCardinalityKeyValue("exception", "IllegalStateException")
 				.hasLowCardinalityKeyValue("status", "CLIENT_ERROR");
 	}
 
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ void recordsObservationWithResponseDetailsWhenFilterFunctionErrors() {
 		StepVerifier.create(responseMono)
 				.expectError(IllegalStateException.class)
 				.verify(Duration.ofSeconds(5));
-		assertThatHttpObservation()
+		assertThatHttpObservation().hasError()
 				.hasLowCardinalityKeyValue("exception", "IllegalStateException")
 				.hasLowCardinalityKeyValue("status", "200");
 	}