diff --git a/src/splunk_ao/converter/attribute_mapping.py b/src/splunk_ao/converter/attribute_mapping.py
index 77aa2efb..39b5dde9 100644
--- a/src/splunk_ao/converter/attribute_mapping.py
+++ b/src/splunk_ao/converter/attribute_mapping.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 SPLUNK_AO_SYSTEM = "splunk_ao.system"
 SPLUNK_AO_SYSTEM_VALUE = "splunk_ao_python"
-SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID = "splunk_ao.simulation.run_id"
 
 CONTENT_ALIAS_BY_GEN_AI: Mapping[str, str] = {
     "gen_ai.input.messages": "splunk_ao.input.messages",
diff --git a/src/splunk_ao/converter/span_converter.py b/src/splunk_ao/converter/span_converter.py
index 33da32a7..6b748975 100644
--- a/src/splunk_ao/converter/span_converter.py
+++ b/src/splunk_ao/converter/span_converter.py
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 from opentelemetry.trace import SpanContext, SpanKind, Status, StatusCode
 
 from galileo_core.schemas.logging.step import BaseStep, StepType
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID, build_span_attributes
-from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import validate_simulation_run_id
+from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import build_span_attributes
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID, validate_simulation_run_id
 from splunk_ao.utils.headers_data import get_package_version
 
 _EPOCH = datetime(1970, 1, 1, tzinfo=UTC)
diff --git a/src/splunk_ao/otel.py b/src/splunk_ao/otel.py
index 522e194f..d89f42bf 100644
--- a/src/splunk_ao/otel.py
+++ b/src/splunk_ao/otel.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 from galileo_core.schemas.logging.span import Span as SplunkAOSpan
 from splunk_ao.config import SplunkAOConfig
 from splunk_ao.converter import build_span_attributes
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 from splunk_ao.decorator import (
     _agent_stream_context,
     _dataset_input_context,
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@
 )
 from splunk_ao.exporter.diagnostics import get_export_health
 from splunk_ao.session_context import get_effective_session_id
-from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import get_simulation_run_id
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID, get_simulation_run_id
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/src/splunk_ao/session_context.py b/src/splunk_ao/session_context.py
index 98bd89f2..6717cf6f 100644
--- a/src/splunk_ao/session_context.py
+++ b/src/splunk_ao/session_context.py
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@
 from opentelemetry.context import Context
 from opentelemetry.propagators import textmap
 
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
-from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import get_baggage_simulation_run_id, get_simulation_run_id
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import (
+    SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID,
+    get_baggage_simulation_run_id,
+    get_simulation_run_id,
+)
 
 GEN_AI_CONVERSATION_ID = "gen_ai.conversation.id"
 
diff --git a/src/splunk_ao/simulation_run_context.py b/src/splunk_ao/simulation_run_context.py
index 9296d402..09735e5b 100644
--- a/src/splunk_ao/simulation_run_context.py
+++ b/src/splunk_ao/simulation_run_context.py
@@ -5,16 +5,16 @@
 from opentelemetry import baggage
 from opentelemetry.context import Context
 
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
+SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID = "splunk_ao.simulation.run_id"
 
 _simulation_run_id_context: ContextVar[str | None] = ContextVar("simulation_run_id_context", default=None)
 
 
 def validate_simulation_run_id(simulation_run_id: object) -> str:
-    """Validate a public simulation run ID and return it unchanged."""
+    """Validate a public simulation run ID and return its normalized value."""
     if not isinstance(simulation_run_id, str) or not simulation_run_id.strip():
         raise ValueError("simulation_run_id must be a non-empty string")
-    return simulation_run_id
+    return simulation_run_id.strip()
 
 
 def get_baggage_simulation_run_id(context: Context | None = None) -> str | None:
diff --git a/tests/test_http_instrumentation.py b/tests/test_http_instrumentation.py
index 6f10e030..c7997bc1 100644
--- a/tests/test_http_instrumentation.py
+++ b/tests/test_http_instrumentation.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 from yarl import URL
 
 from splunk_ao import configure_distributed_tracing, instrument_distributed_tracing, splunk_ao_context
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 from splunk_ao.http_instrumentation import (
     _client_providers,
     _configured_providers,
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@
 )
 from splunk_ao.logger.logger import SplunkAOLogger
 from splunk_ao.session_context import GEN_AI_CONVERSATION_ID, SplunkAOSessionPropagator, _session_id_context
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 
 
 class FakeTracerProvider:
diff --git a/tests/test_logger_otel_egress.py b/tests/test_logger_otel_egress.py
index eb59070a..427a006e 100644
--- a/tests/test_logger_otel_egress.py
+++ b/tests/test_logger_otel_egress.py
@@ -7,13 +7,12 @@
 from opentelemetry import context, propagate, trace
 from opentelemetry.sdk.trace import ReadableSpan
 
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 from splunk_ao.deployment import DeploymentMode
 from splunk_ao.exceptions import SplunkAOLoggerException
 from splunk_ao.exporter.span_transform import copy_span_for_export
 from splunk_ao.logger import SplunkAOLogger
 from splunk_ao.shared.exceptions import MissingConfigurationError
-from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import _simulation_run_id_context
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID, _simulation_run_id_context
 from splunk_ao.utils.singleton import SplunkAOLoggerSingleton
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_otel_native_paths.py b/tests/test_otel_native_paths.py
index 01949d88..bc161ed7 100644
--- a/tests/test_otel_native_paths.py
+++ b/tests/test_otel_native_paths.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 from galileo_core.schemas.logging.span import WorkflowSpan
 from splunk_ao import get_tracing_headers
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 from splunk_ao.decorator import (
     _agent_stream_context,
     _dataset_input_context,
@@ -35,6 +34,7 @@
     start_splunk_ao_span,
 )
 from splunk_ao.shared.exceptions import MissingConfigurationError
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 
 ROUTING_KEYS = {
     "splunk_ao.project.name",
diff --git a/tests/test_span_converter.py b/tests/test_span_converter.py
index ab825e36..ea41543c 100644
--- a/tests/test_span_converter.py
+++ b/tests/test_span_converter.py
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@
 from galileo_core.schemas.logging.trace import Trace
 from galileo_core.schemas.shared.document import Document
 from splunk_ao.converter import SpanConverter, span_converter
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID, build_span_attributes
+from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import build_span_attributes
 from splunk_ao.logger.control import ControlAppliesTo, ControlCheckStage, ControlResult, ControlSpan
 from splunk_ao.schema.logged import LoggedControlSpan
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 from splunk_ao.utils.headers_data import get_package_version
 
 TRACE_ID = 0x1234567890ABCDEF1234567890ABCDEF
@@ -192,6 +193,15 @@ def test_simulation_run_id_is_a_direct_attribute_for_every_span_type(
     assert "splunk_ao.experiment.id" not in (result.attributes or {})
 
 
+def test_converter_normalizes_simulation_run_id_before_export() -> None:
+    result = convert(
+        WorkflowSpan(input="work", output="done", name="workflow", created_at=CREATED_AT),
+        simulation_run_id=" run-1 ",
+    )
+
+    assert (result.attributes or {})[SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID] == "run-1"
+
+
 def test_fully_populated_logged_control_span_preserves_otlp_envelope_and_attributes() -> None:
     parent_context = make_context(span_id=PARENT_SPAN_ID)
     span = LoggedControlSpan(
diff --git a/tests/test_splunk_ao_context.py b/tests/test_splunk_ao_context.py
index e0d70da7..14af4177 100644
--- a/tests/test_splunk_ao_context.py
+++ b/tests/test_splunk_ao_context.py
@@ -84,6 +84,16 @@ def test_simulation_run_scope_restores_the_previous_value() -> None:
         _simulation_run_id_context.reset(outer_token)
 
 
+def test_simulation_run_id_is_normalized_at_public_context_boundaries(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(splunk_ao_context, "get_logger_instance", Mock())
+
+    with splunk_ao_context.simulation_run("  run-1\n"):
+        assert _simulation_run_id_context.get() == "run-1"
+
+    with splunk_ao_context(simulation_run_id="\trun-2  "):
+        assert _simulation_run_id_context.get() == "run-2"
+
+
 def test_init_clears_active_simulation_run(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     logger = Mock()
     singleton = Mock()
diff --git a/tests/test_tracing.py b/tests/test_tracing.py
index 99685474..04e6f666 100644
--- a/tests/test_tracing.py
+++ b/tests/test_tracing.py
@@ -6,12 +6,11 @@
 from opentelemetry.trace import NonRecordingSpan, SpanContext, TraceFlags, TraceState
 
 from splunk_ao import extract_tracing_context, get_tracing_headers, splunk_ao_context
-from splunk_ao.converter.attribute_mapping import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID
 from splunk_ao.exceptions import SplunkAOLoggerException
 from splunk_ao.logger import SplunkAOLogger
 from splunk_ao.logger.logger import _otel_context_state
 from splunk_ao.session_context import GEN_AI_CONVERSATION_ID, _session_id_context
-from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import _simulation_run_id_context
+from splunk_ao.simulation_run_context import SPLUNK_AO_SIMULATION_RUN_ID, _simulation_run_id_context
 
 
 class RecordingSink: