diff --git a/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/spring/integration/ApplicationContextInstrumentation.java b/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/spring/integration/ApplicationContextInstrumentation.java
index 0e8553d9c8db..8b3fc3cde277 100644
--- a/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/spring/integration/ApplicationContextInstrumentation.java
+++ b/instrumentation/spring/spring-integration-4.1/javaagent/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/javaagent/instrumentation/spring/integration/ApplicationContextInstrumentation.java
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ public static void onEnter(@Advice.Argument(0) ConfigurableListableBeanFactory b
             genericBeanDefinition(GlobalChannelInterceptorWrapper.class)
                 .addConstructorArgValue(SpringIntegrationSingletons.interceptor())
                 .addPropertyValue("patterns", SpringIntegrationSingletons.patterns())
+                // it is important for the tracing interceptor to run first for CONSUMER spans so
+                // that they capture the whole operation and also so that users can write their own
+                // interceptors to enrich the CONSUMER span (similar to writing a servlet filter to
+                // enrich the SERVER span)
+                .addPropertyValue("order", Integer.MIN_VALUE)
                 .getBeanDefinition();
 
         ((BeanDefinitionRegistry) beanFactory)