diff --git a/internal/event/core/event.go b/internal/event/core/event.go
index 2f979bdf1e..29f293e62d 100644
--- a/internal/event/core/event.go
+++ b/internal/event/core/event.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const (
 
 // Event holds the information about an event of note that ocurred.
 type Event struct {
-	At time.Time
+	at time.Time
 
 	typ eventType
 
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ type eventLabelMap struct {
 	event Event
 }
 
+func (ev Event) At() time.Time { return ev.at }
+
 func (ev Event) IsLog() bool       { return ev.typ == LogType }
 func (ev Event) IsEndSpan() bool   { return ev.typ == EndSpanType }
 func (ev Event) IsStartSpan() bool { return ev.typ == StartSpanType }
@@ -55,8 +57,8 @@ func (ev Event) IsDetach() bool    { return ev.typ == DetachType }
 func (ev Event) IsRecord() bool    { return ev.typ == RecordType }
 
 func (ev Event) Format(f fmt.State, r rune) {
-	if !ev.At.IsZero() {
-		fmt.Fprint(f, ev.At.Format("2006/01/02 15:04:05 "))
+	if !ev.at.IsZero() {
+		fmt.Fprint(f, ev.at.Format("2006/01/02 15:04:05 "))
 	}
 	for index := 0; ev.Valid(index); index++ {
 		l := ev.Label(index)
@@ -96,3 +98,9 @@ func MakeEvent(typ eventType, static [3]label.Label, labels []label.Label) Event
 		dynamic: labels,
 	}
 }
+
+// CloneEvent event returns a copy of the event with the time adjusted to at.
+func CloneEvent(ev Event, at time.Time) Event {
+	ev.at = at
+	return ev
+}
diff --git a/internal/event/core/export.go b/internal/event/core/export.go
index f006ed14f6..05f3a9a579 100644
--- a/internal/event/core/export.go
+++ b/internal/event/core/export.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func SetExporter(e Exporter) {
 // it will fill in the time.
 func deliver(ctx context.Context, exporter Exporter, ev Event) context.Context {
 	// add the current time to the event
-	ev.At = time.Now()
+	ev.at = time.Now()
 	// hand the event off to the current exporter
 	return exporter(ctx, ev, ev)
 }
diff --git a/internal/event/export/log.go b/internal/event/export/log.go
index cf1708ef54..93abae49e6 100644
--- a/internal/event/export/log.go
+++ b/internal/event/export/log.go
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ func (w *logWriter) ProcessEvent(ctx context.Context, ev core.Event, lm label.Ma
 		defer w.mu.Unlock()
 
 		buf := w.buffer[:0]
-		if !ev.At.IsZero() {
-			w.writer.Write(ev.At.AppendFormat(buf, "2006/01/02 15:04:05 "))
+		if !ev.At().IsZero() {
+			w.writer.Write(ev.At().AppendFormat(buf, "2006/01/02 15:04:05 "))
 		}
 		msg := keys.Msg.Get(lm)
 		io.WriteString(w.writer, msg)
diff --git a/internal/event/export/log_test.go b/internal/event/export/log_test.go
index c1f6988425..8b553dbffe 100644
--- a/internal/event/export/log_test.go
+++ b/internal/event/export/log_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func ExampleLog() {
 func timeFixer(output event.Exporter) event.Exporter {
 	at, _ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, "2020-03-05T14:27:48Z")
 	return func(ctx context.Context, ev core.Event, lm label.Map) context.Context {
-		ev.At = at
-		return output(ctx, ev, lm)
+		copy := core.CloneEvent(ev, at)
+		return output(ctx, copy, lm)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/event/export/metric/exporter.go b/internal/event/export/metric/exporter.go
index 87563a41b3..121b0ee1e8 100644
--- a/internal/event/export/metric/exporter.go
+++ b/internal/event/export/metric/exporter.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func (e *Config) Exporter(output event.Exporter) event.Exporter {
 			id := l.Key()
 			if list := e.subscribers[id]; len(list) > 0 {
 				for _, s := range list {
-					metrics = append(metrics, s(ev.At, lm, l))
+					metrics = append(metrics, s(ev.At(), lm, l))
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent.go b/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent.go
index b1396f9e5b..46acca6f75 100644
--- a/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent.go
+++ b/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent.go
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ func convertSpan(span *export.Span) *wire.Span {
 		ParentSpanID:            span.ParentID[:],
 		Name:                    toTruncatableString(span.Name),
 		Kind:                    wire.UnspecifiedSpanKind,
-		StartTime:               convertTimestamp(span.Start().At),
-		EndTime:                 convertTimestamp(span.Finish().At),
+		StartTime:               convertTimestamp(span.Start().At()),
+		EndTime:                 convertTimestamp(span.Finish().At()),
 		Attributes:              convertAttributes(label.Filter(span.Start(), keys.Name)),
 		TimeEvents:              convertEvents(span.Events()),
 		SameProcessAsParentSpan: true,
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func convertEvents(events []core.Event) *wire.TimeEvents {
 
 func convertEvent(ev core.Event) wire.TimeEvent {
 	return wire.TimeEvent{
-		Time:       convertTimestamp(ev.At),
+		Time:       convertTimestamp(ev.At()),
 		Annotation: convertAnnotation(ev),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent_test.go b/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent_test.go
index fa88f35d51..0979f530bb 100644
--- a/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent_test.go
+++ b/internal/event/export/ocagent/ocagent_test.go
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ func timeFixer(output event.Exporter) event.Exporter {
 	return func(ctx context.Context, ev core.Event, lm label.Map) context.Context {
 		switch {
 		case ev.IsStartSpan():
-			ev.At = start
+			ev = core.CloneEvent(ev, start)
 		case ev.IsEndSpan():
-			ev.At = end
+			ev = core.CloneEvent(ev, end)
 		default:
-			ev.At = at
+			ev = core.CloneEvent(ev, at)
 		}
 		return output(ctx, ev, lm)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/lsp/debug/rpc.go b/internal/lsp/debug/rpc.go
index de90a6cf32..f15f6cabb6 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/debug/rpc.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/debug/rpc.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func endRPC(ctx context.Context, ev core.Event, span *export.Span, stats *rpcSta
 	}
 
 	// calculate latency if this was an rpc span
-	elapsedTime := span.Finish().At.Sub(span.Start().At)
+	elapsedTime := span.Finish().At().Sub(span.Start().At())
 	latencyMillis := timeUnits(elapsedTime) / timeUnits(time.Millisecond)
 	if stats.Latency.Count == 0 {
 		stats.Latency.Min = latencyMillis
diff --git a/internal/lsp/debug/trace.go b/internal/lsp/debug/trace.go
index 8213df758d..36dd530f60 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/debug/trace.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/debug/trace.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (t *traces) ProcessEvent(ctx context.Context, ev core.Event, lm label.Map)
 			SpanID:   span.ID.SpanID,
 			ParentID: span.ParentID,
 			Name:     span.Name,
-			Start:    span.Start().At,
+			Start:    span.Start().At(),
 			Tags:     renderLabels(span.Start()),
 		}
 		t.unfinished[span.ID] = td
@@ -118,13 +118,13 @@ func (t *traces) ProcessEvent(ctx context.Context, ev core.Event, lm label.Map)
 		}
 		delete(t.unfinished, span.ID)
 
-		td.Finish = span.Finish().At
-		td.Duration = span.Finish().At.Sub(span.Start().At)
+		td.Finish = span.Finish().At()
+		td.Duration = span.Finish().At().Sub(span.Start().At())
 		events := span.Events()
 		td.Events = make([]traceEvent, len(events))
 		for i, event := range events {
 			td.Events[i] = traceEvent{
-				Time: event.At,
+				Time: event.At(),
 				Tags: renderLabels(event),
 			}
 		}