diff --git a/lib/ctraces/include/ctraces/ctr_attributes.h b/lib/ctraces/include/ctraces/ctr_attributes.h
index 1b14a4f40b9..e03eca57bf7 100644
--- a/lib/ctraces/include/ctraces/ctr_attributes.h
+++ b/lib/ctraces/include/ctraces/ctr_attributes.h
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@
 
 struct ctrace_attributes {
     struct cfl_kvlist *kv;
+    unsigned int ref_count;
 };
 
 struct ctrace_attributes *ctr_attributes_create();
 void ctr_attributes_destroy(struct ctrace_attributes *attr);
+struct ctrace_attributes *ctr_attributes_acquire(struct ctrace_attributes *attr);
 int ctr_attributes_count(struct ctrace_attributes *attr);
 int ctr_attributes_set_string(struct ctrace_attributes *attr, char *key, char *value);
 int ctr_attributes_set_bool(struct ctrace_attributes *attr, char *key, int b);
diff --git a/lib/ctraces/src/ctr_attributes.c b/lib/ctraces/src/ctr_attributes.c
index 67caebb88b7..3fdc3381900 100644
--- a/lib/ctraces/src/ctr_attributes.c
+++ b/lib/ctraces/src/ctr_attributes.c
@@ -35,17 +35,38 @@ struct ctrace_attributes *ctr_attributes_create()
         return NULL;
     }
 
+    attr->ref_count = 1;
+
     return attr;
 }
 
 void ctr_attributes_destroy(struct ctrace_attributes *attr)
 {
+    if (!attr) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (attr->ref_count > 1) {
+        attr->ref_count--;
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (attr->kv) {
         cfl_kvlist_destroy(attr->kv);
     }
     free(attr);
 }
 
+struct ctrace_attributes *ctr_attributes_acquire(struct ctrace_attributes *attr)
+{
+    if (!attr) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    attr->ref_count++;
+    return attr;
+}
+
 int ctr_attributes_count(struct ctrace_attributes *attr)
 {
     return cfl_kvlist_count(attr->kv);
diff --git a/plugins/processor_sampling/sampling_tail.c b/plugins/processor_sampling/sampling_tail.c
index c2d9fe76e9d..99c90b71456 100644
--- a/plugins/processor_sampling/sampling_tail.c
+++ b/plugins/processor_sampling/sampling_tail.c
@@ -57,10 +57,6 @@ static struct flb_config_map settings_config_map[] = {
     {0}
 };
 
-static struct cfl_array *copy_array(struct cfl_array *array);
-static struct cfl_variant *copy_variant(struct cfl_variant *val);
-static struct cfl_kvlist *copy_kvlist(struct cfl_kvlist *kv);
-
 /* delete a list ctrace entry */
 static void list_ctrace_delete_entry(struct sampling *ctx, struct sampling_ctrace_entry *ctrace_entry)
 {
@@ -96,176 +92,6 @@ static void list_ctrace_delete_all(struct sampling *ctx, struct sampling_setting
     }
 }
 
-static struct cfl_kvlist *copy_kvlist(struct cfl_kvlist *kv)
-{
-    struct cfl_kvlist *kvlist = NULL;
-    struct cfl_kvpair *pair;
-    struct cfl_variant *v;
-    struct cfl_list *head;
-
-    kvlist = cfl_kvlist_create();
-    if (!kvlist) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    cfl_list_foreach(head, &kv->list) {
-        pair = cfl_list_entry(head, struct cfl_kvpair, _head);
-        v = copy_variant(pair->val);
-        if (!v) {
-            cfl_kvlist_destroy(kvlist);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        cfl_kvlist_insert(kvlist, pair->key, v);
-    }
-
-    return kvlist;
-}
-
-static struct cfl_variant *copy_variant(struct cfl_variant *val)
-{
-    struct cfl_kvlist *kvlist;
-    struct cfl_array *array;
-    struct cfl_variant *var = NULL;
-
-    switch (val->type) {
-    case CFL_VARIANT_STRING:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_string_s(val->data.as_string,
-                                               cfl_variant_size_get(val),
-                                               CFL_FALSE);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_BYTES:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_bytes(val->data.as_bytes,
-                                            cfl_variant_size_get(val),
-                                            CFL_FALSE);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_BOOL:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_bool(val->data.as_bool);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_INT:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_int64(val->data.as_int64);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_UINT:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_uint64(val->data.as_uint64);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_DOUBLE:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_double(val->data.as_double);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_NULL:
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_null();
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_ARRAY:
-        array = copy_array(val->data.as_array);
-        if (!array) {
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_array(array);
-        break;
-    case CFL_VARIANT_KVLIST:
-        kvlist = copy_kvlist(val->data.as_kvlist);
-        if (!kvlist) {
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        var = cfl_variant_create_from_kvlist(kvlist);
-        break;
-    default:
-        var = NULL;
-    }
-
-    return var;
-}
-
-static struct cfl_array *copy_array(struct cfl_array *array)
-{
-    int i;
-    struct cfl_array *copy;
-    struct cfl_variant *v ;
-
-    copy = cfl_array_create(array->entry_count);
-    if (!copy) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    for (i = 0; i < array->entry_count; i++) {
-        v = copy_variant(array->entries[i]);
-        if (!v) {
-            cfl_array_destroy(copy);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        cfl_array_append(copy, v);
-    }
-
-    return copy;
-}
-
-struct ctrace_attributes *copy_attributes(struct sampling *ctx, struct ctrace_attributes *attr)
-{
-    int ret = -1;
-    struct cfl_list *head;
-    struct cfl_kvpair *pair;
-    struct cfl_array *array;
-    struct cfl_kvlist *kvlist;
-    struct ctrace_attributes *attr_copy;
-
-    attr_copy = ctr_attributes_create();
-    if (!attr_copy) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    cfl_list_foreach(head, &attr->kv->list) {
-        pair = cfl_list_entry(head, struct cfl_kvpair, _head);
-
-        if (pair->val->type == CFL_VARIANT_STRING) {
-            ret = ctr_attributes_set_string(attr_copy, pair->key, pair->val->data.as_string);
-        }
-        else if (pair->val->type == CFL_VARIANT_BOOL) {
-            ret = ctr_attributes_set_bool(attr_copy, pair->key, pair->val->data.as_bool);
-        }
-        else if (pair->val->type == CFL_VARIANT_INT) {
-            ret = ctr_attributes_set_int64(attr_copy, pair->key, pair->val->data.as_int64);
-        }
-        else if (pair->val->type == CFL_VARIANT_DOUBLE) {
-            ret = ctr_attributes_set_double(attr_copy, pair->key, pair->val->data.as_double);
-        }
-        else if (pair->val->type == CFL_VARIANT_ARRAY) {
-            array = copy_array(pair->val->data.as_array);
-            if (!array) {
-                flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "could not copy array attribute");
-                ctr_attributes_destroy(attr_copy);
-                return NULL;
-            }
-
-            ret = ctr_attributes_set_array(attr_copy, pair->key, array);
-            if (ret != 0) {
-                cfl_array_destroy(array);
-            }
-        }
-        else if (pair->val->type == CFL_VARIANT_KVLIST) {
-            kvlist = copy_kvlist(pair->val->data.as_kvlist);
-            if (!kvlist) {
-                flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "could not copy kvlist attribute");
-                ctr_attributes_destroy(attr_copy);
-                return NULL;
-            }
-            ret = ctr_attributes_set_kvlist(attr_copy, pair->key, kvlist);
-            if (ret != 0) {
-                cfl_kvlist_destroy(kvlist);
-            }
-        }
-        else {
-            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unsupported attribute type %i", pair->val->type);
-            ctr_attributes_destroy(attr_copy);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (ret != 0) {
-        ctr_attributes_destroy(attr_copy);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    return attr_copy;
-};
-
 static struct ctrace *reconcile_and_create_ctrace(struct sampling *ctx, struct sampling_settings *settings, struct trace_entry *t_entry)
 {
     struct cfl_list *tmp;
@@ -312,11 +138,9 @@ static struct ctrace *reconcile_and_create_ctrace(struct sampling *ctx, struct s
             }
 
             /* resource attributes */
-            if (span->scope_span->resource_span->resource->attr) {
-                attr = copy_attributes(ctx, span->scope_span->resource_span->resource->attr);
-                if (attr) {
-                    ctr_resource_set_attributes(resource, attr);
-                }
+            attr = span->scope_span->resource_span->resource->attr;
+            if (attr) {
+                ctr_resource_set_attributes(resource, ctr_attributes_acquire(attr));
             }
 
             /* resource dropped attributes count */
@@ -344,7 +168,7 @@ static struct ctrace *reconcile_and_create_ctrace(struct sampling *ctx, struct s
             if (span->scope_span->instrumentation_scope) {
                 attr = NULL;
                 if (span->scope_span->instrumentation_scope->attr) {
-                    attr = copy_attributes(ctx, span->scope_span->instrumentation_scope->attr);
+                    attr = ctr_attributes_acquire(span->scope_span->instrumentation_scope->attr);
                 }
 
                 instrumentation_scope = ctr_instrumentation_scope_create(span->scope_span->instrumentation_scope->name,