diff --git a/receiver/zipkinreceiver/trace_receiver.go b/receiver/zipkinreceiver/trace_receiver.go
index 1fa76a7c1a3..beee491ee62 100644
--- a/receiver/zipkinreceiver/trace_receiver.go
+++ b/receiver/zipkinreceiver/trace_receiver.go
@@ -49,9 +49,6 @@ var errNextConsumerRespBody = []byte(`"Internal Server Error"`)
 
 // ZipkinReceiver type is used to handle spans received in the Zipkin format.
 type ZipkinReceiver struct {
-	// mu protects the fields of this struct
-	mu sync.Mutex
-
 	// addr is the address onto which the HTTP server will be bound
 	host         component.Host
 	nextConsumer consumer.Traces
@@ -95,9 +92,6 @@ func (zr *ZipkinReceiver) Start(_ context.Context, host component.Host) error {
 		return errors.New("nil host")
 	}
 
-	zr.mu.Lock()
-	defer zr.mu.Unlock()
-
 	zr.host = host
 	zr.server = zr.config.HTTPServerSettings.ToServer(zr)
 	var listener net.Listener