diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f4d25b1f6a4..9b66ef0eb4c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 - Use `c.FullPath()` method to set `http.route` attribute in `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gin-gonic/gin/otelgin`. (#5734)
 - The double setup in `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/net/http/httptrace/otelhttptrace/example` that caused duplicate traces. (#5564)
 - Out-of-bounds panic in case of invalid span ID in `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/propagators/b3`. (#5754)
+- Do not panic if a zero-value `SpanProcessor` is used from `go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/processors/baggage/baggagetrace`. (#5811)
 
 ### Deprecated
 
diff --git a/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor.go b/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor.go
index 0542907df93..c899e7bda6e 100644
--- a/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor.go
+++ b/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ var _ trace.SpanProcessor = (*SpanProcessor)(nil)
 // The Baggage span processor duplicates onto a span the attributes found
 // in Baggage in the parent context at the moment the span is started.
 // The passed filter determines which baggage members are added to the span.
+//
+// If filter is nil, all baggage members will be added.
 func New(filter Filter) *SpanProcessor {
 	return &SpanProcessor{
 		filter: filter,
@@ -39,8 +41,13 @@ func New(filter Filter) *SpanProcessor {
 
 // OnStart is called when a span is started and adds span attributes for baggage contents.
 func (processor SpanProcessor) OnStart(ctx context.Context, span trace.ReadWriteSpan) {
+	filter := processor.filter
+	if filter == nil {
+		filter = AllowAllBaggageKeys
+	}
+
 	for _, entry := range baggage.FromContext(ctx).Members() {
-		if processor.filter(entry.Key()) {
+		if filter(entry.Key()) {
 			span.SetAttributes(attribute.String(entry.Key(), entry.Value()))
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor_test.go b/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor_test.go
index f16feb7dcac..f39e6d4f771 100644
--- a/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor_test.go
+++ b/processors/baggage/baggagetrace/processor_test.go
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/attribute"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/baggage"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/sdk/trace/tracetest"
 )
 
 var _ trace.SpanExporter = &testExporter{}
@@ -151,3 +153,28 @@ func addEntryToBaggage(t *testing.T, b baggage.Baggage, key, value string) bagga
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return b
 }
+
+func TestZeroSpanProcessorNoPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	sp := new(SpanProcessor)
+
+	m, err := baggage.NewMember("key", "val")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	b, err := baggage.New(m)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	ctx := baggage.ContextWithBaggage(context.Background(), b)
+	roS := (tracetest.SpanStub{}).Snapshot()
+	rwS := rwSpan{}
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		sp.OnStart(ctx, rwS)
+		sp.OnEnd(roS)
+		_ = sp.ForceFlush(ctx)
+		_ = sp.Shutdown(ctx)
+	})
+}
+
+type rwSpan struct {
+	trace.ReadWriteSpan
+}
+
+func (s rwSpan) SetAttributes(kv ...attribute.KeyValue) {}