diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0f6e808cd..627d088a9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 ### Fixed
 
 - The `Span.IsRecording` implementation from `go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace` always returns false when not being sampled. (#1750)
+- The Jaeger exporter now correctly sets tags for the Span status code and message.
+  This means it uses the correct tag keys (`"otel.status_code"`, `"otel.status_description"`) and does not set the status message as a tag unless it is set on the span. (#1761)
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger.go b/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger.go
index b1b9960da..9ac12cc3b 100644
--- a/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger.go
+++ b/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger.go
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ import (
 const (
 	keyInstrumentationLibraryName    = "otel.library.name"
 	keyInstrumentationLibraryVersion = "otel.library.version"
+	keyError                         = "error"
+	keySpanKind                      = "span.kind"
+	keyStatusCode                    = "otel.status_code"
+	keyStatusMessage                 = "otel.status_description"
 )
 
 type Option func(*options)
@@ -269,18 +273,18 @@ func spanSnapshotToThrift(ss *export.SpanSnapshot) *gen.Span {
 
 	if ss.SpanKind != trace.SpanKindInternal {
 		tags = append(tags,
-			getStringTag("span.kind", ss.SpanKind.String()),
+			getStringTag(keySpanKind, ss.SpanKind.String()),
 		)
 	}
 
 	if ss.StatusCode != codes.Unset {
-		tags = append(tags,
-			getInt64Tag("status.code", int64(ss.StatusCode)),
-			getStringTag("status.message", ss.StatusMessage),
-		)
+		tags = append(tags, getInt64Tag(keyStatusCode, int64(ss.StatusCode)))
+		if ss.StatusMessage != "" {
+			tags = append(tags, getStringTag(keyStatusMessage, ss.StatusMessage))
+		}
 
 		if ss.StatusCode == codes.Error {
-			tags = append(tags, getBoolTag("error", true))
+			tags = append(tags, getBoolTag(keyError, true))
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger_test.go b/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger_test.go
index a107af00a..4c5911bf8 100644
--- a/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger_test.go
+++ b/exporters/trace/jaeger/jaeger_test.go
@@ -363,6 +363,40 @@ func Test_spanSnapshotToThrift(t *testing.T) {
 		data *export.SpanSnapshot
 		want *gen.Span
 	}{
+		{
+			name: "no status description",
+			data: &export.SpanSnapshot{
+				SpanContext: trace.NewSpanContext(trace.SpanContextConfig{
+					TraceID: traceID,
+					SpanID:  spanID,
+				}),
+				Name:       "/foo",
+				StartTime:  now,
+				EndTime:    now,
+				StatusCode: codes.Error,
+				SpanKind:   trace.SpanKindClient,
+				InstrumentationLibrary: instrumentation.Library{
+					Name:    instrLibName,
+					Version: instrLibVersion,
+				},
+			},
+			want: &gen.Span{
+				TraceIdLow:    651345242494996240,
+				TraceIdHigh:   72623859790382856,
+				SpanId:        72623859790382856,
+				OperationName: "/foo",
+				StartTime:     now.UnixNano() / 1000,
+				Duration:      0,
+				Tags: []*gen.Tag{
+					{Key: keyError, VType: gen.TagType_BOOL, VBool: &boolTrue},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryName, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryVersion, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
+					{Key: keyStatusCode, VType: gen.TagType_LONG, VLong: &statusCodeValue},
+					// Should not have a status message because it was unset
+					{Key: keySpanKind, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &spanKind},
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "no parent",
 			data: &export.SpanSnapshot{
@@ -408,12 +442,12 @@ func Test_spanSnapshotToThrift(t *testing.T) {
 					{Key: "double", VType: gen.TagType_DOUBLE, VDouble: &doubleValue},
 					{Key: "key", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &keyValue},
 					{Key: "int", VType: gen.TagType_LONG, VLong: &intValue},
-					{Key: "error", VType: gen.TagType_BOOL, VBool: &boolTrue},
-					{Key: "otel.library.name", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
-					{Key: "otel.library.version", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
-					{Key: "status.code", VType: gen.TagType_LONG, VLong: &statusCodeValue},
-					{Key: "status.message", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &statusMessage},
-					{Key: "span.kind", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &spanKind},
+					{Key: keyError, VType: gen.TagType_BOOL, VBool: &boolTrue},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryName, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryVersion, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
+					{Key: keyStatusCode, VType: gen.TagType_LONG, VLong: &statusCodeValue},
+					{Key: keyStatusMessage, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &statusMessage},
+					{Key: keySpanKind, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &spanKind},
 				},
 				References: []*gen.SpanRef{
 					{
@@ -486,8 +520,8 @@ func Test_spanSnapshotToThrift(t *testing.T) {
 				Tags: []*gen.Tag{
 					// status code, message and span kind should NOT be populated
 					{Key: "arr", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &arrValue},
-					{Key: "otel.library.name", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
-					{Key: "otel.library.version", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryName, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryVersion, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
 				},
 				References: []*gen.SpanRef{
 					{
@@ -535,8 +569,8 @@ func Test_spanSnapshotToThrift(t *testing.T) {
 				StartTime:     now.UnixNano() / 1000,
 				Duration:      0,
 				Tags: []*gen.Tag{
-					{Key: "otel.library.name", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
-					{Key: "otel.library.version", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryName, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibName},
+					{Key: keyInstrumentationLibraryVersion, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &instrLibVersion},
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -649,7 +683,7 @@ func TestJaegerBatchList(t *testing.T) {
 						{
 							OperationName: "s1",
 							Tags: []*gen.Tag{
-								{Key: "span.kind", VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &spanKind},
+								{Key: keySpanKind, VType: gen.TagType_STRING, VStr: &spanKind},
 							},
 							StartTime: now.UnixNano() / 1000,
 						},