diff --git a/internal/datastore/spanner/reader.go b/internal/datastore/spanner/reader.go
index d8b4beb181..821de67035 100644
--- a/internal/datastore/spanner/reader.go
+++ b/internal/datastore/spanner/reader.go
@@ -182,6 +182,9 @@ func queryExecutor(txSource txFactory) common.ExecuteQueryFunc {
 			span.AddEvent("start reading iterator")
 			defer span.AddEvent("finished reading iterator")
 
+			relCount := 0
+			defer span.SetAttributes(attribute.Int("count", relCount))
+
 			if err := iter.Do(func(row *spanner.Row) error {
 				var resourceObjectType string
 				var resourceObjectID string
@@ -210,6 +213,7 @@ func queryExecutor(txSource txFactory) common.ExecuteQueryFunc {
 					return err
 				}
 
+				relCount++
 				if !yield(tuple.Relationship{
 					RelationshipReference: tuple.RelationshipReference{
 						Resource: tuple.ObjectAndRelation{
diff --git a/internal/services/v1/experimental_test.go b/internal/services/v1/experimental_test.go
index 252d20e442..b098909f51 100644
--- a/internal/services/v1/experimental_test.go
+++ b/internal/services/v1/experimental_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	v1 "github.com/authzed/authzed-go/proto/authzed/api/v1"
 	"github.com/authzed/grpcutil"
 	"github.com/ccoveille/go-safecast"
+	"github.com/jzelinskie/stringz"
 	"github.com/scylladb/go-set"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/goleak"
@@ -644,11 +645,7 @@ func TestBulkCheckPermission(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				}
 
-				rel := reqRel.Subject.Relation
-				if rel == tuple.Ellipsis {
-					rel = ""
-				}
-
+				rel := stringz.Default(reqRel.Subject.Relation, "", tuple.Ellipsis)
 				pair := &v1.BulkCheckPermissionPair{
 					Request: &v1.BulkCheckPermissionRequestItem{
 						Resource: &v1.ObjectReference{
@@ -701,10 +698,7 @@ func TestBulkCheckPermission(t *testing.T) {
 
 func relToBulkRequestItem(rel string) *v1.BulkCheckPermissionRequestItem {
 	r := tuple.MustParse(rel)
-	subjectRel := r.Subject.Relation
-	if subjectRel == tuple.Ellipsis {
-		subjectRel = ""
-	}
+	subjectRel := stringz.Default(r.Subject.Relation, "", tuple.Ellipsis)
 
 	item := &v1.BulkCheckPermissionRequestItem{
 		Resource: &v1.ObjectReference{