diff --git a/Gopkg.toml b/Gopkg.toml
index 15856e36a..952f82398 100644
--- a/Gopkg.toml
+++ b/Gopkg.toml
@@ -70,10 +70,6 @@
   name = "github.com/gophercloud/gophercloud"
   revision = "954aa14363ced787c28efcfcd15ae6945eb862fb"
 
-[[constraint]]
-  name = "github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors"
-  version = "0.2.1"
-
 [[override]]
   name = "github.com/docker/docker"
   revision = "49bf474f9ed7ce7143a59d1964ff7b7fd9b52178"
diff --git a/providers/azure/metrics.go b/providers/azure/metrics.go
index eeb140d4a..893fe1c43 100644
--- a/providers/azure/metrics.go
+++ b/providers/azure/metrics.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors/status/ocstatus"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/azure-aci/client/aci"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ func (p *ACIProvider) GetStatsSummary(ctx context.Context) (summary *stats.Summa
 				Types:        []aci.MetricType{aci.MetricTypeCPUUsage, aci.MetricTypeMemoryUsage},
 			})
 			if err != nil {
-				span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+				span.SetStatus(err)
 				return errors.Wrapf(err, "error fetching cpu/mem stats for container group %s", cgName)
 			}
 			logger.Debug("Got system stats")
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ func (p *ACIProvider) GetStatsSummary(ctx context.Context) (summary *stats.Summa
 				Types:        []aci.MetricType{aci.MetricTyperNetworkBytesRecievedPerSecond, aci.MetricTyperNetworkBytesTransmittedPerSecond},
 			})
 			if err != nil {
-				span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+				span.SetStatus(err)
 				return errors.Wrapf(err, "error fetching network stats for container group %s", cgName)
 			}
 			logger.Debug("Got network stats")
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ func (p *ACIProvider) GetStatsSummary(ctx context.Context) (summary *stats.Summa
 	}
 
 	if err := errGroup.Wait(); err != nil {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "error in request to fetch container group metrics")
 	}
 	close(chResult)
diff --git a/providers/mock/mock.go b/providers/mock/mock.go
index 436a6abc6..6e40e60e6 100644
--- a/providers/mock/mock.go
+++ b/providers/mock/mock.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors/status/ocstatus"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/errdefs"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/trace"
@@ -201,7 +200,7 @@ func (p *MockProvider) DeletePod(ctx context.Context, pod *v1.Pod) (err error) {
 func (p *MockProvider) GetPod(ctx context.Context, namespace, name string) (pod *v1.Pod, err error) {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "GetPod")
 	defer func() {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		span.End()
 	}()
 
diff --git a/trace/nop.go b/trace/nop.go
index 2954ec63c..7a50bcf61 100644
--- a/trace/nop.go
+++ b/trace/nop.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
-	"go.opencensus.io/trace"
 )
 
 type nopTracer struct{}
@@ -15,9 +14,9 @@ func (nopTracer) StartSpan(ctx context.Context, _ string) (context.Context, Span
 
 type nopSpan struct{}
 
-func (nopSpan) End()                   {}
-func (nopSpan) SetStatus(trace.Status) {}
-func (nopSpan) Logger() log.Logger     { return nil }
+func (nopSpan) End()               {}
+func (nopSpan) SetStatus(error)    {}
+func (nopSpan) Logger() log.Logger { return nil }
 
 func (nopSpan) WithField(ctx context.Context, _ string, _ interface{}) context.Context { return ctx }
 func (nopSpan) WithFields(ctx context.Context, _ log.Fields) context.Context           { return ctx }
diff --git a/trace/opencensus/opencensus.go b/trace/opencensus/opencensus.go
index afaef4f4d..ae9023d4b 100644
--- a/trace/opencensus/opencensus.go
+++ b/trace/opencensus/opencensus.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/errdefs"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/trace"
 	octrace "go.opencensus.io/trace"
@@ -46,7 +47,30 @@ func (s *span) End() {
 	s.s.End()
 }
 
-func (s *span) SetStatus(status trace.Status) {
+func (s *span) SetStatus(err error) {
+	if !s.s.IsRecordingEvents() {
+		return
+	}
+
+	var status octrace.Status
+
+	if err == nil {
+		status.Code = octrace.StatusCodeOK
+		s.s.SetStatus(status)
+		return
+	}
+
+	switch {
+	case errdefs.IsNotFound(err):
+		status.Code = octrace.StatusCodeNotFound
+	case errdefs.IsInvalidInput(err):
+		status.Code = octrace.StatusCodeInvalidArgument
+		// TODO: other error types
+	default:
+		status.Code = octrace.StatusCodeUnknown
+	}
+
+	status.Message = err.Error()
 	s.s.SetStatus(status)
 }
 
diff --git a/trace/trace.go b/trace/trace.go
index 752432d4c..27e3ce27e 100644
--- a/trace/trace.go
+++ b/trace/trace.go
@@ -9,15 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
-	"go.opencensus.io/trace"
 )
 
-// Status is an alias to opencensus's trace status.
-// The main reason we use this instead of implementing our own is library re-use,
-// namely for converting an error to a tracing status.
-// In the future this may be defined completely in this package.
-type Status = trace.Status
-
 // Tracer is the interface used for creating a tracing span
 type Tracer interface {
 	// StartSpan starts a new span. The span details are emebedded into the returned
@@ -41,7 +34,13 @@ func StartSpan(ctx context.Context, name string) (context.Context, Span) {
 // Span encapsulates a tracing event
 type Span interface {
 	End()
-	SetStatus(Status)
+
+	// SetStatus sets the final status of the span.
+	// errors passed to this should use interfaces defined in
+	// github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/errdefs
+	//
+	// If the error is nil, the span should be considered successful.
+	SetStatus(err error)
 
 	// WithField and WithFields adds attributes to an entire span
 	//
diff --git a/vkubelet/node.go b/vkubelet/node.go
index 12c1923cf..4fa73bc21 100644
--- a/vkubelet/node.go
+++ b/vkubelet/node.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors/status/ocstatus"
 	pkgerrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/trace"
@@ -275,7 +274,7 @@ func (n *Node) handlePing(ctx context.Context) (retErr error) {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "node.handlePing")
 	defer span.End()
 	defer func() {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(retErr))
+		span.SetStatus(retErr)
 	}()
 
 	if err := n.p.Ping(ctx); err != nil {
@@ -367,7 +366,7 @@ func UpdateNodeLease(ctx context.Context, leases v1beta1.LeaseInterface, lease *
 			l, err = ensureLease(ctx, leases, lease)
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+			span.SetStatus(err)
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		log.G(ctx).Debug("created new lease")
@@ -429,7 +428,7 @@ func UpdateNodeStatus(ctx context.Context, nodes v1.NodeInterface, n *corev1.Nod
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "UpdateNodeStatus")
 	defer func() {
 		span.End()
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(retErr))
+		span.SetStatus(retErr)
 	}()
 
 	var node *corev1.Node
diff --git a/vkubelet/pod.go b/vkubelet/pod.go
index b0a31c010..2473ebbfc 100644
--- a/vkubelet/pod.go
+++ b/vkubelet/pod.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"hash/fnv"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors/status/ocstatus"
 	"github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew"
 	pkgerrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
@@ -44,7 +43,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) createOrUpdatePod(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod)
 	})
 
 	if err := populateEnvironmentVariables(ctx, pod, pc.resourceManager, pc.recorder); err != nil {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) handleProviderError(ctx context.Context, span trace.Spa
 	} else {
 		logger.Info("Updated k8s pod status")
 	}
-	span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(origErr))
+	span.SetStatus(origErr)
 }
 
 func (pc *PodController) deletePod(ctx context.Context, namespace, name string) error {
@@ -132,7 +131,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) deletePod(ctx context.Context, namespace, name string)
 
 	var delErr error
 	if delErr = pc.provider.DeletePod(ctx, pod); delErr != nil && errors.IsNotFound(delErr) {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(delErr))
+		span.SetStatus(delErr)
 		return delErr
 	}
 
@@ -140,7 +139,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) deletePod(ctx context.Context, namespace, name string)
 
 	if !errors.IsNotFound(delErr) {
 		if err := pc.forceDeletePodResource(ctx, namespace, name); err != nil {
-			span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+			span.SetStatus(err)
 			return err
 		}
 		log.G(ctx).Info("Deleted pod from Kubernetes")
@@ -163,7 +162,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) forceDeletePodResource(ctx context.Context, namespace,
 			log.G(ctx).Debug("Pod does not exist in Kubernetes, nothing to delete")
 			return nil
 		}
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		return pkgerrors.Wrap(err, "Failed to delete Kubernetes pod")
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) updatePodStatuses(ctx context.Context, q workqueue.Rate
 	pods, err := pc.podsLister.List(labels.Everything())
 	if err != nil {
 		err = pkgerrors.Wrap(err, "error getting pod list")
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		log.G(ctx).WithError(err).Error("Error updating pod statuses")
 		return
 	}
@@ -208,7 +207,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) updatePodStatus(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod) e
 
 	status, err := pc.provider.GetPodStatus(ctx, pod.Namespace, pod.Name)
 	if err != nil {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		return pkgerrors.Wrap(err, "error retreiving pod status")
 	}
 
@@ -238,7 +237,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) updatePodStatus(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod) e
 	}
 
 	if _, err := pc.client.Pods(pod.Namespace).UpdateStatus(pod); err != nil {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		return pkgerrors.Wrap(err, "error while updating pod status in kubernetes")
 	}
 
@@ -265,7 +264,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) podStatusHandler(ctx context.Context, key string) (retE
 	ctx = span.WithField(ctx, "key", key)
 	log.G(ctx).Debug("processing pod status update")
 	defer func() {
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(retErr))
+		span.SetStatus(retErr)
 		if retErr != nil {
 			log.G(ctx).WithError(retErr).Error("Error processing pod status update")
 		}
diff --git a/vkubelet/podcontroller.go b/vkubelet/podcontroller.go
index 96205216b..503c78f8b 100644
--- a/vkubelet/podcontroller.go
+++ b/vkubelet/podcontroller.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors/status/ocstatus"
 	pkgerrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/errdefs"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
@@ -261,14 +260,14 @@ func (pc *PodController) syncHandler(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
 			// We've failed to fetch the pod from the lister, but the error is not a 404.
 			// Hence, we add the key back to the work queue so we can retry processing it later.
 			err := pkgerrors.Wrapf(err, "failed to fetch pod with key %q from lister", key)
-			span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+			span.SetStatus(err)
 			return err
 		}
 		// At this point we know the Pod resource doesn't exist, which most probably means it was deleted.
 		// Hence, we must delete it from the provider if it still exists there.
 		if err := pc.deletePod(ctx, namespace, name); err != nil {
 			err := pkgerrors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete pod %q in the provider", loggablePodNameFromCoordinates(namespace, name))
-			span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+			span.SetStatus(err)
 			return err
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -290,7 +289,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) syncPodInProvider(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod)
 	if pod.DeletionTimestamp != nil {
 		if err := pc.deletePod(ctx, pod.Namespace, pod.Name); err != nil {
 			err := pkgerrors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete pod %q in the provider", loggablePodName(pod))
-			span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+			span.SetStatus(err)
 			return err
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -305,7 +304,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) syncPodInProvider(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod)
 	// Create or update the pod in the provider.
 	if err := pc.createOrUpdatePod(ctx, pod); err != nil {
 		err := pkgerrors.Wrapf(err, "failed to sync pod %q in the provider", loggablePodName(pod))
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -320,7 +319,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) deleteDanglingPods(ctx context.Context, threadiness int
 	pps, err := pc.provider.GetPods(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		err := pkgerrors.Wrap(err, "failed to fetch the list of pods from the provider")
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		log.G(ctx).Error(err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -339,7 +338,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) deleteDanglingPods(ctx context.Context, threadiness int
 			}
 			// For some reason we couldn't fetch the pod from the lister, so we propagate the error.
 			err := pkgerrors.Wrap(err, "failed to fetch pod from the lister")
-			span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+			span.SetStatus(err)
 			log.G(ctx).Error(err)
 			return
 		}
@@ -367,7 +366,7 @@ func (pc *PodController) deleteDanglingPods(ctx context.Context, threadiness int
 			ctx = addPodAttributes(ctx, span, pod)
 			// Actually delete the pod.
 			if err := pc.deletePod(ctx, pod.Namespace, pod.Name); err != nil {
-				span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+				span.SetStatus(err)
 				log.G(ctx).Errorf("failed to delete pod %q in provider", loggablePodName(pod))
 			} else {
 				log.G(ctx).Infof("deleted leaked pod %q in provider", loggablePodName(pod))
diff --git a/vkubelet/queue.go b/vkubelet/queue.go
index 790f07a50..854fe4d39 100644
--- a/vkubelet/queue.go
+++ b/vkubelet/queue.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/cpuguy83/strongerrors/status/ocstatus"
 	pkgerrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/log"
 	"github.com/virtual-kubelet/virtual-kubelet/trace"
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ func handleQueueItem(ctx context.Context, q workqueue.RateLimitingInterface, han
 
 	if err != nil {
 		// We've actually hit an error, so we set the span's status based on the error.
-		span.SetStatus(ocstatus.FromError(err))
+		span.SetStatus(err)
 		log.G(ctx).Error(err)
 		return true
 	}