diff --git a/ddtrace/contrib/internal/celery/utils.py b/ddtrace/contrib/internal/celery/utils.py
index 80a4046f191..e18f83ba0dc 100644
--- a/ddtrace/contrib/internal/celery/utils.py
+++ b/ddtrace/contrib/internal/celery/utils.py
@@ -128,9 +128,12 @@ def retrieve_task_id(context):
     """
     headers = context.get("headers")
     body = context.get("body")
-    if headers:
+    # Check if the id is in the headers, then check the body for it.
+    # If we don't check the id first, we could wrongly assume no task_id
+    # when the task_id is in the body.
+    if headers and "id" in headers:
         # Protocol Version 2 (default from Celery 4.0)
         return headers.get("id")
-    else:
+    elif body and "id" in body:
         # Protocol Version 1
         return body.get("id")
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-protocol-check-62ad7d096b1f36a9.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-protocol-check-62ad7d096b1f36a9.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e6dba7a3923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-protocol-check-62ad7d096b1f36a9.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    tracing(celery): Fixes an issue where ``celery.apply`` spans using task_protocol 1 didn't close by improving the check for the task id in the body.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/contrib/celery/test_utils.py b/tests/contrib/celery/test_utils.py
index 92a9405c99b..3bbeb959ce1 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/celery/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/celery/test_utils.py
@@ -131,9 +131,11 @@ def test_tags_from_context_empty_keys():
     assert {} == tags
 
 
-def test_task_id_from_protocol_v1():
+def test_task_id_from_protocol_v1_no_headers():
     # ensures a `task_id` is properly returned when Protocol v1 is used.
     # `context` is an example of an emitted Signal with Protocol v1
+    # this test assumes the headers are blank
+    test_id = "dffcaec1-dd92-4a1a-b3ab-d6512f4beeb7"
     context = {
         "body": {
             "expires": None,
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ def test_task_id_from_protocol_v1():
             "callbacks": None,
             "errbacks": None,
             "taskset": None,
-            "id": "dffcaec1-dd92-4a1a-b3ab-d6512f4beeb7",
+            "id": test_id,
             "retries": 0,
             "task": "tests.contrib.celery.test_integration.fn_task_parameters",
             "timelimit": (None, None),
@@ -159,12 +161,87 @@ def test_task_id_from_protocol_v1():
     }
 
     task_id = retrieve_task_id(context)
-    assert task_id == "dffcaec1-dd92-4a1a-b3ab-d6512f4beeb7"
+    assert task_id == test_id
 
 
-def test_task_id_from_protocol_v2():
+def test_task_id_from_protocol_v1_with_headers():
+    # ensures a `task_id` is properly returned when Protocol v1 is used with headers.
+    # `context` is an example of an emitted Signal with Protocol v1
+    # this tests ensures that the headers have other information
+    test_id = "dffcaec1-dd92-4a1a-b3ab-d6512f4beeb7"
+    context = {
+        "body": {
+            "expires": None,
+            "utc": True,
+            "args": ["user"],
+            "chord": None,
+            "callbacks": None,
+            "errbacks": None,
+            "taskset": None,
+            "id": test_id,
+            "retries": 0,
+            "task": "tests.contrib.celery.test_integration.fn_task_parameters",
+            "timelimit": (None, None),
+            "eta": None,
+            "kwargs": {"force_logout": True},
+        },
+        "sender": "tests.contrib.celery.test_integration.fn_task_parameters",
+        "exchange": "celery",
+        "routing_key": "celery",
+        "retry_policy": None,
+        "headers": {
+            "header1": "value",
+            "header2": "value",
+        },
+        "properties": {},
+    }
+
+    task_id = retrieve_task_id(context)
+    assert task_id == test_id
+
+
+def test_task_id_from_protocol_v2_no_body():
     # ensures a `task_id` is properly returned when Protocol v2 is used.
     # `context` is an example of an emitted Signal with Protocol v2
+    # this tests assumes the body has no data
+    test_id = "7e917b83-4018-431d-9832-73a28e1fb6c0"
+    context = {
+        "body": {},
+        "sender": "tests.contrib.celery.test_integration.fn_task_parameters",
+        "exchange": "",
+        "routing_key": "celery",
+        "retry_policy": None,
+        "headers": {
+            "origin": "gen83744@hostname",
+            "root_id": test_id,
+            "expires": None,
+            "shadow": None,
+            "id": test_id,
+            "kwargsrepr": "{'force_logout': True}",
+            "lang": "py",
+            "retries": 0,
+            "task": "tests.contrib.celery.test_integration.fn_task_parameters",
+            "group": None,
+            "timelimit": [None, None],
+            "parent_id": None,
+            "argsrepr": "['user']",
+            "eta": None,
+        },
+        "properties": {
+            "reply_to": "c3054a07-5b28-3855-b18c-1623a24aaeca",
+            "correlation_id": test_id,
+        },
+    }
+
+    task_id = retrieve_task_id(context)
+    assert task_id == test_id
+
+
+def test_task_id_from_protocol_v2_with_body():
+    # ensures a `task_id` is properly returned when Protocol v2 is used.
+    # `context` is an example of an emitted Signal with Protocol v2
+    # this tests assumes the body has data
+    test_id = "7e917b83-4018-431d-9832-73a28e1fb6c0"
     context = {
         "body": (
             ["user"],
@@ -177,10 +254,10 @@ def test_task_id_from_protocol_v2():
         "retry_policy": None,
         "headers": {
             "origin": "gen83744@hostname",
-            "root_id": "7e917b83-4018-431d-9832-73a28e1fb6c0",
+            "root_id": test_id,
             "expires": None,
             "shadow": None,
-            "id": "7e917b83-4018-431d-9832-73a28e1fb6c0",
+            "id": test_id,
             "kwargsrepr": "{'force_logout': True}",
             "lang": "py",
             "retries": 0,
@@ -193,9 +270,18 @@ def test_task_id_from_protocol_v2():
         },
         "properties": {
             "reply_to": "c3054a07-5b28-3855-b18c-1623a24aaeca",
-            "correlation_id": "7e917b83-4018-431d-9832-73a28e1fb6c0",
+            "correlation_id": test_id,
         },
     }
 
     task_id = retrieve_task_id(context)
-    assert task_id == "7e917b83-4018-431d-9832-73a28e1fb6c0"
+    assert task_id == test_id
+
+
+def test_task_id_from_blank_context():
+    # if there is no context (thus missing headers and body),
+    # no task_id is returned
+    context = {}
+
+    task_id = retrieve_task_id(context)
+    assert task_id is None