diff --git a/instrumentation/java-streams/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/hypertrace/java/inputstream/InputStreamUtils.java b/instrumentation/java-streams/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/hypertrace/java/inputstream/InputStreamUtils.java
index 9fda5290..d3436067 100644
--- a/instrumentation/java-streams/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/hypertrace/java/inputstream/InputStreamUtils.java
+++ b/instrumentation/java-streams/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/hypertrace/java/inputstream/InputStreamUtils.java
@@ -46,21 +46,7 @@ private InputStreamUtils() {}
       GlobalOpenTelemetry.get().getTracer("org.hypertrace.java.inputstream");
 
   private static Method getAttribute = null;
-
-  static {
-    try {
-      getAttribute =
-          Class.forName("io.opentelemetry.sdk.trace.SdkSpan")
-              .getDeclaredMethod("getAttribute", AttributeKey.class);
-    } catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
-      log.error("getAttribute method not found in SdkSpan class", e);
-    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
-      log.error("SdkSpan class not found", e);
-    }
-    if (getAttribute != null) {
-      getAttribute.setAccessible(true);
-    }
-  }
+  private static boolean hasGetAttributeMethod = true;
 
   /**
    * Adds an attribute to span. If the span is ended it adds the attributed to a newly created
@@ -77,24 +63,36 @@ public static void addAttribute(Span span, AttributeKey<String> attributeKey, St
               .setAttribute(attributeKey, value);
 
       // Also add content type if present
-      if (getAttribute != null
-          && span.getClass().getName().equals("io.opentelemetry.sdk.trace.SdkSpan")) {
+      if (span.getClass().getName().equals("io.opentelemetry.sdk.trace.SdkSpan")) {
         try {
-          Object reqContentType =
-              getAttribute.invoke(
-                  span, HypertraceSemanticAttributes.HTTP_REQUEST_HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE);
-          if (reqContentType != null) {
-            spanBuilder.setAttribute("http.request.header.content-type", (String) reqContentType);
+          if (getAttribute == null) {
+            if (hasGetAttributeMethod) {
+              getAttribute = span.getClass().getDeclaredMethod("getAttribute", AttributeKey.class);
+              getAttribute.setAccessible(true);
+            }
           }
-          Object resContentType =
-              getAttribute.invoke(
-                  span, HypertraceSemanticAttributes.HTTP_RESPONSE_HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE);
-          if (resContentType != null) {
-            spanBuilder.setAttribute("http.response.header.content-type", (String) resContentType);
+          if (getAttribute != null) {
+            Object reqContentType =
+                getAttribute.invoke(
+                    span, HypertraceSemanticAttributes.HTTP_REQUEST_HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE);
+            if (reqContentType != null) {
+              spanBuilder.setAttribute("http.request.header.content-type", (String) reqContentType);
+            }
+            Object resContentType =
+                getAttribute.invoke(
+                    span, HypertraceSemanticAttributes.HTTP_RESPONSE_HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE);
+            if (resContentType != null) {
+              spanBuilder.setAttribute(
+                  "http.response.header.content-type", (String) resContentType);
+            }
           }
         } catch (IllegalAccessException | InvocationTargetException e) {
           // ignore and continue
           log.debug("Could not invoke getAttribute on SdkSpan", e);
+        } catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
+          log.debug("getAttribute method not found in SdkSpan class", e);
+          // do not attempt to get this method again
+          hasGetAttributeMethod = false;
         }
       }
       spanBuilder.startSpan().end();