diff --git a/observer.go b/observer.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0b5da6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/observer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package zipkintracer
+
+import (
+	opentracing "github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go"
+	otobserver "github.com/opentracing-contrib/go-observer"
+)
+
+// observer is a dispatcher to other observers
+type observer struct {
+	observers []otobserver.Observer
+}
+
+// spanObserver is a dispatcher to other span observers
+type spanObserver struct {
+	observers []otobserver.SpanObserver
+}
+
+func (o observer) OnStartSpan(sp opentracing.Span, operationName string, options opentracing.StartSpanOptions) (otobserver.SpanObserver, bool) {
+	var spanObservers []otobserver.SpanObserver
+	for _, obs := range o.observers {
+		spanObs, ok := obs.OnStartSpan(sp, operationName, options)
+		if ok {
+			if spanObservers == nil {
+				spanObservers = make([]otobserver.SpanObserver, 0, len(o.observers))
+			}
+			spanObservers = append(spanObservers, spanObs)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(spanObservers) == 0 {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	return spanObserver{observers: spanObservers}, true
+}
+
+func (o spanObserver) OnSetOperationName(operationName string) {
+	for _, obs := range o.observers {
+		obs.OnSetOperationName(operationName)
+	}
+}
+
+func (o spanObserver) OnSetTag(key string, value interface{}) {
+	for _, obs := range o.observers {
+		obs.OnSetTag(key, value)
+	}
+}
+
+func (o spanObserver) OnFinish(options opentracing.FinishOptions) {
+	for _, obs := range o.observers {
+		obs.OnFinish(options)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/span.go b/span.go
index 7fa78a9..0f5a669 100644
--- a/span.go
+++ b/span.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go/log"
 
 	"github.com/openzipkin/zipkin-go-opentracing/_thrift/gen-go/zipkincore"
+	otobserver "github.com/opentracing-contrib/go-observer"
 )
 
 // Span provides access to the essential details of the span, for use
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ type Span interface {
 type spanImpl struct {
 	tracer     *tracerImpl
 	event      func(SpanEvent)
+	observer   otobserver.SpanObserver
 	sync.Mutex // protects the fields below
 	raw        RawSpan
 	// The number of logs dropped because of MaxLogsPerSpan.
@@ -63,6 +65,9 @@ func (s *spanImpl) reset() {
 }
 
 func (s *spanImpl) SetOperationName(operationName string) opentracing.Span {
+	if s.observer != nil {
+		s.observer.OnSetOperationName(operationName)
+	}
 	s.Lock()
 	defer s.Unlock()
 	s.raw.Operation = operationName
@@ -75,6 +80,10 @@ func (s *spanImpl) trim() bool {
 
 func (s *spanImpl) SetTag(key string, value interface{}) opentracing.Span {
 	defer s.onTag(key, value)
+	if s.observer != nil {
+		s.observer.OnSetTag(key, value)
+	}
+
 	s.Lock()
 	defer s.Unlock()
 	if key == string(ext.SamplingPriority) {
@@ -190,6 +199,10 @@ func (s *spanImpl) FinishWithOptions(opts opentracing.FinishOptions) {
 	}
 	duration := finishTime.Sub(s.raw.Start)
 
+	if s.observer != nil {
+		s.observer.OnFinish(opts)
+	}
+
 	s.Lock()
 	defer s.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/tracer.go b/tracer.go
index e9c4f0c..1e4393d 100644
--- a/tracer.go
+++ b/tracer.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go/ext"
 
 	"github.com/openzipkin/zipkin-go-opentracing/flag"
+	otobserver "github.com/opentracing-contrib/go-observer"
 )
 
 // ErrInvalidEndpoint will be thrown if hostPort parameter is corrupted or host
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@ type TracerOptions struct {
 	// Regardless of this setting, the library will propagate and support both
 	// 64 and 128 bit incoming traces from upstream sources.
 	traceID128Bit bool
+
+	observer otobserver.Observer
 }
 
 // TracerOption allows for functional options.
@@ -228,6 +231,7 @@ func NewTracer(recorder SpanRecorder, options ...TracerOption) (opentracing.Trac
 		debugMode:                  false,
 		traceID128Bit:              false,
 		maxLogsPerSpan:             10000,
+		observer:                   nil,
 	}
 	for _, o := range options {
 		err := o(opts)
@@ -286,6 +290,11 @@ func (t *tracerImpl) startSpanWithOptions(
 	// Build the new span. This is the only allocation: We'll return this as
 	// an opentracing.Span.
 	sp := t.getSpan()
+
+	if t.options.observer != nil {
+		sp.observer, _ = t.options.observer.OnStartSpan(sp, operationName, opts)
+	}
+
 	// Look for a parent in the list of References.
 	//
 	// TODO: would be nice if basictracer did something with all
@@ -376,6 +385,7 @@ func (t *tracerImpl) startSpanInternal(
 	sp.raw.Start = startTime
 	sp.raw.Duration = -1
 	sp.raw.Tags = tags
+
 	if t.options.debugAssertSingleGoroutine {
 		sp.SetTag(debugGoroutineIDTag, curGoroutineID())
 	}
@@ -417,3 +427,11 @@ func (t *tracerImpl) Extract(format interface{}, carrier interface{}) (opentraci
 func (t *tracerImpl) Options() TracerOptions {
 	return t.options
 }
+
+// WithObserver assigns an initialized observer to opts.observer
+func WithObserver(observer otobserver.Observer) TracerOption {
+	return func(opts *TracerOptions) error {
+		opts.observer = observer
+		return nil
+	}
+}