diff --git a/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ApiTracer.java b/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ApiTracer.java
index 4407f79a85..6755575080 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ApiTracer.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/ApiTracer.java
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
  */
 package com.google.api.gax.tracing;
 
+import static com.google.api.gax.util.TimeConversionUtils.toThreetenDuration;
+
 import com.google.api.core.InternalApi;
 import com.google.api.core.ObsoleteApi;
 
@@ -121,7 +123,13 @@ default Scope inScope() {
    * @param error the transient error that caused the attempt to fail.
    * @param delay the amount of time to wait before the next attempt will start.
    */
-  default void attemptFailedDuration(Throwable error, java.time.Duration delay) {};
+  default void attemptFailedDuration(Throwable error, java.time.Duration delay) {
+    // Defaults to do the same as attemptFailed(Throwable, org.threeten.bp.Duration). This
+    // is because customers may have older/legacy code that directly implements
+    // attemptFailed(Throwable, org.threeten.bp.Duration)} and their overridden logic should be
+    // invoked in gax.
+    attemptFailed(error, toThreetenDuration(delay));
+  };
 
   /**
    * Adds an annotation that the attempt failed and that no further attempts will be made because
diff --git a/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/BaseApiTracer.java b/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/BaseApiTracer.java
index 8feb1286d2..cffa4c744e 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/BaseApiTracer.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/tracing/BaseApiTracer.java
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
  */
 package com.google.api.gax.tracing;
 
-import static com.google.api.gax.util.TimeConversionUtils.toThreetenDuration;
-
 import com.google.api.core.InternalApi;
 import com.google.api.core.ObsoleteApi;
 
@@ -105,12 +103,6 @@ public void attemptCancelled() {
     // noop
   }
 
-  @Override
-  public void attemptFailedDuration(Throwable error, java.time.Duration delay) {
-    // noop via attemptFailed(Throwable error, org.threeten.Duration)
-    attemptFailed(error, toThreetenDuration(delay));
-  }
-
   /**
    * This method is obsolete. Use {@link #attemptFailedDuration(Throwable, java.time.Duration)}
    * instead.