diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 8779352da19e..955beb4aa08e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: /src
       - name: Summarise results.tap
         if: ${{ always() }}
-        run: /scripts/tap_to_gha.pl /logs/results.tap
+        run: /sytest/scripts/tap_to_gha.pl /logs/results.tap
       - name: Upload SyTest logs
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
         if: ${{ always() }}
diff --git a/synapse/logging/opentracing.py b/synapse/logging/opentracing.py
index 428831dad6ad..82aa26e9623a 100644
--- a/synapse/logging/opentracing.py
+++ b/synapse/logging/opentracing.py
@@ -220,9 +220,12 @@ class _DummyTagNames:
     import opentracing
 
     tags = opentracing.tags
+    Span = opentracing.Span
 except ImportError:
     opentracing = None
     tags = _DummyTagNames
+    Span = None
+
 try:
     from jaeger_client import Config as JaegerConfig
 
@@ -272,6 +275,12 @@ class SynapseTags:
     REQUEST_TAG = "request_tag"
 
 
+class SynapseBaggage:
+    """labels for synapse's baggage items"""
+
+    DEBUG_TRACING = "s"
+
+
 # Block everything by default
 # A regex which matches the server_names to expose traces for.
 # None means 'block everything'.
@@ -404,6 +413,13 @@ def whitelisted_homeserver(destination):
 
 # Start spans and scopes
 
+
+@only_if_tracing
+def active_span():
+    """Returns the active span, if any"""
+    return opentracing.tracer.active_span
+
+
 # Could use kwargs but I want these to be explicit
 def start_active_span(
     operation_name,
@@ -561,6 +577,22 @@ def set_operation_name(operation_name):
     opentracing.tracer.active_span.set_operation_name(operation_name)
 
 
+@ensure_active_span("set baggage on the trace")
+def set_baggage_item(key, value):
+    """Stores a Baggage item on the active span as a key/value pair.
+
+    Baggage is arbitrary data which is attached to a span, and inherited by
+    children of that span, including spans on remote servers.
+    """
+    return opentracing.tracer.active_span.set_baggage_item(key, value)
+
+
+@ensure_active_span("get baggage on the trace")
+def get_baggage_item(key):
+    """Get a Baggage item from the active span."""
+    return opentracing.tracer.active_span.set_baggage_item(key)
+
+
 # Injection and extraction
 
 
diff --git a/synapse/storage/database.py b/synapse/storage/database.py
index a761ad603bbb..4645415d6bde 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/database.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/database.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 
 from synapse.api.errors import StoreError
 from synapse.config.database import DatabaseConnectionConfig
+from synapse.logging import opentracing
 from synapse.logging.context import (
     LoggingContext,
     current_context,
@@ -707,6 +708,10 @@ async def runWithConnection(
 
         start_time = monotonic_time()
 
+        # if we have an active opentracing span, and that span has been prioritised,
+        # start a new span for the query.
+        opentracing.trace()
+
         def inner_func(conn, *args, **kwargs):
             # We shouldn't be in a transaction. If we are then something
             # somewhere hasn't committed after doing work. (This is likely only