diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/common/client/NettySslInstrumentationHandler.java b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/common/client/NettySslInstrumentationHandler.java
index b52e7c4e6e4a..b63260246ce1 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/common/client/NettySslInstrumentationHandler.java
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/common/client/NettySslInstrumentationHandler.java
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelDuplexHandler;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
+import io.netty.util.concurrent.Future;
+import io.netty.util.concurrent.GenericFutureListener;
 import io.opentelemetry.context.Context;
 import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandle;
 import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles;
@@ -75,17 +77,7 @@ public void connect(
     // netty SslHandler starts the handshake after it receives the channelActive() signal; this
     // happens just after the connection is established
     // this makes connect() promise a good place to start the SSL handshake span
-    promise.addListener(
-        future -> {
-          // there won't be any SSL handshake if the channel fails to connect
-          if (!future.isSuccess()) {
-            return;
-          }
-          request = NettySslRequest.create(ctx.channel());
-          if (instrumenter.shouldStart(parentContext, request)) {
-            context = instrumenter.start(parentContext, request);
-          }
-        });
+    promise.addListener(new StartListener(ctx));
     ctx.connect(remoteAddress, localAddress, promise);
   }
 
@@ -112,4 +104,25 @@ private static Throwable getCause(Object evt) {
       return null;
     }
   }
+
+  private class StartListener implements GenericFutureListener<Future<Void>> {
+
+    private final ChannelHandlerContext ctx;
+
+    private StartListener(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
+      this.ctx = ctx;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void operationComplete(Future<Void> future) {
+      // there won't be any SSL handshake if the channel fails to connect
+      if (!future.isSuccess()) {
+        return;
+      }
+      request = NettySslRequest.create(ctx.channel());
+      if (instrumenter.shouldStart(parentContext, request)) {
+        context = instrumenter.start(parentContext, request);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/InstrumentedAddressResolverGroup.java b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/InstrumentedAddressResolverGroup.java
index 3607fce2e83d..8fb635ad550e 100644
--- a/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/InstrumentedAddressResolverGroup.java
+++ b/instrumentation/netty/netty-4.1-common/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/netty/v4_1/InstrumentedAddressResolverGroup.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import io.netty.resolver.AddressResolverGroup;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.EventExecutor;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.Future;
+import io.netty.util.concurrent.GenericFutureListener;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.Promise;
 import io.opentelemetry.context.Context;
 import io.opentelemetry.javaagent.instrumentation.netty.common.NettyConnectionRequest;
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ private <U> Future<U> instrumentResolve(
       Context context = instrumenter.start(parentContext, request);
       try {
         Future<U> future = resolveFunc.get();
-        return future.addListener(f -> instrumenter.end(context, request, null, f.cause()));
+        return future.addListener(new OnEndListener<>(request, context));
       } catch (Throwable t) {
         instrumenter.end(context, request, null, t);
         throw t;
@@ -117,5 +118,22 @@ private <U> Future<U> instrumentResolve(
     public void close() {
       delegate.close();
     }
+
+    // currently cannot use lambda for this
+    private class OnEndListener<U> implements GenericFutureListener<Future<U>> {
+
+      private final NettyConnectionRequest request;
+      private final Context context;
+
+      private OnEndListener(NettyConnectionRequest request, Context context) {
+        this.request = request;
+        this.context = context;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public void operationComplete(Future<U> future) {
+        instrumenter.end(context, request, null, future.cause());
+      }
+    }
   }
 }