diff --git a/tracing-attributes/src/expand.rs b/tracing-attributes/src/expand.rs
index d4ef29fc7a..e98554a8b0 100644
--- a/tracing-attributes/src/expand.rs
+++ b/tracing-attributes/src/expand.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ use std::iter;
 
 use proc_macro2::TokenStream;
 use quote::{quote, quote_spanned, ToTokens};
+use syn::visit_mut::VisitMut;
 use syn::{
     punctuated::Punctuated, spanned::Spanned, Block, Expr, ExprAsync, ExprCall, FieldPat, FnArg,
     Ident, Item, ItemFn, Pat, PatIdent, PatReference, PatStruct, PatTuple, PatTupleStruct, PatType,
-    Path, Signature, Stmt, Token, TypePath,
+    Path, ReturnType, Signature, Stmt, Token, Type, TypePath,
 };
 
 use crate::{
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ pub(crate) fn gen_function<'a, B: ToTokens + 'a>(
     input: MaybeItemFnRef<'a, B>,
     args: InstrumentArgs,
     instrumented_function_name: &str,
-    self_type: Option<&syn::TypePath>,
+    self_type: Option<&TypePath>,
 ) -> proc_macro2::TokenStream {
     // these are needed ahead of time, as ItemFn contains the function body _and_
     // isn't representable inside a quote!/quote_spanned! macro
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ pub(crate) fn gen_function<'a, B: ToTokens + 'a>(
     } = input;
 
     let Signature {
-        output: return_type,
+        output,
         inputs: params,
         unsafety,
         asyncness,
@@ -49,8 +50,34 @@ pub(crate) fn gen_function<'a, B: ToTokens + 'a>(
 
     let warnings = args.warnings();
 
+    let block = if let ReturnType::Type(_, return_type) = &output {
+        let return_type = erase_impl_trait(return_type);
+        // Install a fake return statement as the first thing in the function
+        // body, so that we eagerly infer that the return type is what we
+        // declared in the async fn signature.
+        let fake_return_edge = quote_spanned! {return_type.span()=>
+            #[allow(unreachable_code)]
+            if false {
+                let __tracing_attr_fake_return: #return_type = panic!();
+                return __tracing_attr_fake_return;
+            }
+        };
+        quote! {
+            {
+                #fake_return_edge
+                #block
+            }
+        }
+    } else {
+        quote! {
+            {
+                let _: () = #block;
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
     let body = gen_block(
-        block,
+        &block,
         params,
         asyncness.is_some(),
         args,
@@ -60,7 +87,7 @@ pub(crate) fn gen_function<'a, B: ToTokens + 'a>(
 
     quote!(
         #(#attrs) *
-        #vis #constness #unsafety #asyncness #abi fn #ident<#gen_params>(#params) #return_type
+        #vis #constness #unsafety #asyncness #abi fn #ident<#gen_params>(#params) #output
         #where_clause
         {
             #warnings
@@ -76,7 +103,7 @@ fn gen_block<B: ToTokens>(
     async_context: bool,
     mut args: InstrumentArgs,
     instrumented_function_name: &str,
-    self_type: Option<&syn::TypePath>,
+    self_type: Option<&TypePath>,
 ) -> proc_macro2::TokenStream {
     // generate the span's name
     let span_name = args
@@ -393,11 +420,11 @@ impl RecordType {
         "Wrapping",
     ];
 
-    /// Parse `RecordType` from [syn::Type] by looking up
+    /// Parse `RecordType` from [Type] by looking up
     /// the [RecordType::TYPES_FOR_VALUE] array.
-    fn parse_from_ty(ty: &syn::Type) -> Self {
+    fn parse_from_ty(ty: &Type) -> Self {
         match ty {
-            syn::Type::Path(syn::TypePath { path, .. })
+            Type::Path(TypePath { path, .. })
                 if path
                     .segments
                     .iter()
@@ -410,9 +437,7 @@ impl RecordType {
             {
                 RecordType::Value
             }
-            syn::Type::Reference(syn::TypeReference { elem, .. }) => {
-                RecordType::parse_from_ty(&*elem)
-            }
+            Type::Reference(syn::TypeReference { elem, .. }) => RecordType::parse_from_ty(&*elem),
             _ => RecordType::Debug,
         }
     }
@@ -471,7 +496,7 @@ pub(crate) struct AsyncInfo<'block> {
     // statement that must be patched
     source_stmt: &'block Stmt,
     kind: AsyncKind<'block>,
-    self_type: Option<syn::TypePath>,
+    self_type: Option<TypePath>,
     input: &'block ItemFn,
 }
 
@@ -606,11 +631,11 @@ impl<'block> AsyncInfo<'block> {
                     if ident == "_self" {
                         let mut ty = *ty.ty.clone();
                         // extract the inner type if the argument is "&self" or "&mut self"
-                        if let syn::Type::Reference(syn::TypeReference { elem, .. }) = ty {
+                        if let Type::Reference(syn::TypeReference { elem, .. }) = ty {
                             ty = *elem;
                         }
 
-                        if let syn::Type::Path(tp) = ty {
+                        if let Type::Path(tp) = ty {
                             self_type = Some(tp);
                             break;
                         }
@@ -722,7 +747,7 @@ struct IdentAndTypesRenamer<'a> {
     idents: Vec<(Ident, Ident)>,
 }
 
-impl<'a> syn::visit_mut::VisitMut for IdentAndTypesRenamer<'a> {
+impl<'a> VisitMut for IdentAndTypesRenamer<'a> {
     // we deliberately compare strings because we want to ignore the spans
     // If we apply clippy's lint, the behavior changes
     #[allow(clippy::cmp_owned)]
@@ -734,11 +759,11 @@ impl<'a> syn::visit_mut::VisitMut for IdentAndTypesRenamer<'a> {
         }
     }
 
-    fn visit_type_mut(&mut self, ty: &mut syn::Type) {
+    fn visit_type_mut(&mut self, ty: &mut Type) {
         for (type_name, new_type) in &self.types {
-            if let syn::Type::Path(TypePath { path, .. }) = ty {
+            if let Type::Path(TypePath { path, .. }) = ty {
                 if path_to_string(path) == *type_name {
-                    *ty = syn::Type::Path(new_type.clone());
+                    *ty = Type::Path(new_type.clone());
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -751,10 +776,33 @@ struct AsyncTraitBlockReplacer<'a> {
     patched_block: Block,
 }
 
-impl<'a> syn::visit_mut::VisitMut for AsyncTraitBlockReplacer<'a> {
+impl<'a> VisitMut for AsyncTraitBlockReplacer<'a> {
     fn visit_block_mut(&mut self, i: &mut Block) {
         if i == self.block {
             *i = self.patched_block.clone();
         }
     }
 }
+
+// Replaces any `impl Trait` with `_` so it can be used as the type in
+// a `let` statement's LHS.
+struct ImplTraitEraser;
+
+impl VisitMut for ImplTraitEraser {
+    fn visit_type_mut(&mut self, t: &mut Type) {
+        if let Type::ImplTrait(..) = t {
+            *t = syn::TypeInfer {
+                underscore_token: Token![_](t.span()),
+            }
+            .into();
+        } else {
+            syn::visit_mut::visit_type_mut(self, t);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn erase_impl_trait(ty: &Type) -> Type {
+    let mut ty = ty.clone();
+    ImplTraitEraser.visit_type_mut(&mut ty);
+    ty
+}