diff --git a/src/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py b/src/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py
index dd902998..800eab46 100644
--- a/src/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py
+++ b/src/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py
@@ -29,12 +29,9 @@ def execute_with_instana(
         try:
             span_context = None
             tracer = get_tracer()
-            if (
-                hasattr(instance.request.headers, "__dict__")
-                and "_dict" in instance.request.headers.__dict__
-            ):
+            if instance.request.headers:
                 span_context = tracer.extract(
-                    Format.HTTP_HEADERS, instance.request.headers.__dict__["_dict"]
+                    Format.HTTP_HEADERS, dict(instance.request.headers.items())
                 )
 
             span = tracer.start_span("tornado-server", span_context=span_context)
diff --git a/tests/frameworks/test_tornado_client.py b/tests/frameworks/test_tornado_client.py
index a038728f..65166b7d 100644
--- a/tests/frameworks/test_tornado_client.py
+++ b/tests/frameworks/test_tornado_client.py
@@ -83,13 +83,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_post(self) -> None:
@@ -140,13 +140,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_get_301(self) -> None:
@@ -242,13 +242,13 @@ def filter(span):
         assert type(client301_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client301_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_get_405(self) -> None:
@@ -302,13 +302,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_get_500(self) -> None:
@@ -362,13 +362,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_get_504(self) -> None:
@@ -422,13 +422,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_get_with_params_to_scrub(self) -> None:
@@ -480,13 +480,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
     def test_request_header_capture(self) -> None:
@@ -547,13 +547,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
         assert "X-Capture-This" in client_span.data["http"]["header"]
@@ -622,13 +622,13 @@ async def test():
         assert type(client_span.stack) is list
         assert len(client_span.stack) > 1
 
-        assert "X-INSTANA-T" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-T")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-T"] == hex_id(traceId)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-S" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-S")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-S"] == hex_id(server_span.s)
-        assert "X-INSTANA-L" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("X-INSTANA-L")
         assert response.headers["X-INSTANA-L"] == "1"
-        assert "Server-Timing" in response.headers
+        assert response.headers.get("Server-Timing")
         assert response.headers["Server-Timing"] == f"intid;desc={hex_id(traceId)}"
 
         assert "X-Capture-This-Too" in client_span.data["http"]["header"]