diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog for hs-opentelemetry-api
 
+## 0.0.3.1
+
+- `adjustContext` uses an empty context if one hasn't been created on the current thread yet instead of acting as a no-op.
+
 ## 0.0.2.1
 
 - Doc enhancements
diff --git a/hs-opentelemetry-api.cabal b/hs-opentelemetry-api.cabal
--- a/hs-opentelemetry-api.cabal
+++ b/hs-opentelemetry-api.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           hs-opentelemetry-api
-version:        0.0.3.0
+version:        0.0.3.1
 synopsis:       OpenTelemetry API for use by libraries for direct instrumentation or wrapper packages.
 description:    Please see the README on GitHub at <https://github.com/iand675/hs-opentelemetry/tree/main/api#readme>
 category:       OpenTelemetry, Telemetry, Monitoring, Observability, Metrics
diff --git a/src/OpenTelemetry/Context/ThreadLocal.hs b/src/OpenTelemetry/Context/ThreadLocal.hs
--- a/src/OpenTelemetry/Context/ThreadLocal.hs
+++ b/src/OpenTelemetry/Context/ThreadLocal.hs
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 -- import Control.Monad
 import System.IO.Unsafe
 import Prelude hiding (lookup)
+import Control.Monad (void)
 
 type ThreadContextMap = ThreadStorageMap Context
 
@@ -111,7 +112,9 @@
 --
 -- @since 0.0.1.0
 adjustContext :: MonadIO m => (Context -> Context) -> m ()
-adjustContext = adjust threadContextMap
+adjustContext f = liftIO $ do
+  ctxt <- getContext
+  void $ attachContext $ f ctxt
 
 -- | Alter the context
 --