diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 0661ef2057e..8868f343adf 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/api v0.9.0
 	google.golang.org/genproto v0.0.0-20190926190326-7ee9db18f195 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.24.0
+	gopkg.in/DataDog/dd-trace-go.v1 v1.17.0
 	gopkg.in/asn1-ber.v1 v1.0.0-20150924051756-4e86f4367175 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/ldap.v2 v2.5.0
 	honnef.co/go/tools v0.0.1-2019.2.3
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index cb9c1f13a95..8ea036903a7 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -617,13 +617,13 @@ golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190628153133-6cdbf07be9d0/go.mod h1:/rFqwRUd4F7ZHNgw
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190719005602-e377ae9d6386/go.mod h1:jcCCGcm9btYwXyDqrUWc6MKQKKGJCWEQ3AfLSRIbEuI=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190830154057-c17b040389b9 h1:5/jaG/gKlo3xxvUn85ReNyTlN7BvlPPsxC6sHZKjGEE=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190830154057-c17b040389b9/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191209225234-22774f7dae43 h1:NfPq5mgc5ArFgVLCpeS4z07IoxSAqVfV/gQ5vxdgaxI=
-golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191209225234-22774f7dae43/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190910044552-dd2b5c81c578/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190911151314-feee8acb394c/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20190930201159-7c411dea38b0/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191010075000-0337d82405ff h1:XdBG6es/oFDr1HwaxkxgVve7NB281QhxgK/i4voubFs=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191010075000-0337d82405ff/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191209225234-22774f7dae43 h1:NfPq5mgc5ArFgVLCpeS4z07IoxSAqVfV/gQ5vxdgaxI=
+golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191209225234-22774f7dae43/go.mod h1:b+2E5dAYhXwXZwtnZ6UAqBI28+e2cm9otk0dWdXHAEo=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191217033636-bbbf87ae2631/go.mod h1:TB2adYChydJhpapKDTa4BR/hXlZSLoq2Wpct/0txZ28=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191219041853-979b82bfef62 h1:vDaiisQl0rGVXqk3wT2yc43gSnwlj4haEG5J78IGZP4=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20191219041853-979b82bfef62/go.mod h1:TB2adYChydJhpapKDTa4BR/hXlZSLoq2Wpct/0txZ28=
@@ -658,6 +658,7 @@ google.golang.org/grpc v1.21.1 h1:j6XxA85m/6txkUCHvzlV5f+HBNl/1r5cZ2A/3IEFOO8=
 google.golang.org/grpc v1.21.1/go.mod h1:oYelfM1adQP15Ek0mdvEgi9Df8B9CZIaU1084ijfRaM=
 google.golang.org/grpc v1.24.0 h1:vb/1TCsVn3DcJlQ0Gs1yB1pKI6Do2/QNwxdKqmc/b0s=
 google.golang.org/grpc v1.24.0/go.mod h1:XDChyiUovWa60DnaeDeZmSW86xtLtjtZbwvSiRnRtcA=
+gopkg.in/DataDog/dd-trace-go.v1 v1.17.0/go.mod h1:DVp8HmDh8PuTu2Z0fVVlBsyWaC++fzwVCaGWylTe3tg=
 gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2 v2.2.6 h1:jMFz6MfLP0/4fUyZle81rXUoxOBFi19VUFKVDOQfozc=
 gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2 v2.2.6/go.mod h1:FMv+mEhP44yOT+4EoQTLFTRgOQ1FBLkstjWtayDeSgw=
 gopkg.in/asn1-ber.v1 v1.0.0-20150924051756-4e86f4367175 h1:nn6Zav2sOQHCFJHEspya8KqxhFwKci30UxHy3HXPTyQ=
diff --git a/go/trace/plugin_datadog.go b/go/trace/plugin_datadog.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..87809d9bc50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/trace/plugin_datadog.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package trace
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go"
+	"gopkg.in/DataDog/dd-trace-go.v1/ddtrace/opentracer"
+	ddtracer "gopkg.in/DataDog/dd-trace-go.v1/ddtrace/tracer"
+)
+
+var (
+	dataDogHost = flag.String("datadog-agent-host", "", "host to send spans to. if empty, no tracing will be done")
+	dataDogPort = flag.String("datadog-agent-port", "", "port to send spans to. if empty, no tracing will be done")
+)
+
+func newDatadogTracer(serviceName string) (tracingService, io.Closer, error) {
+	if *dataDogHost == "" || *dataDogPort == "" {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("need host and port to datadog agent to use datadog tracing")
+	}
+
+	t := opentracer.New(
+		ddtracer.WithAgentAddr(*dataDogHost+":"+*dataDogPort),
+		ddtracer.WithServiceName(serviceName),
+		ddtracer.WithDebugMode(true),
+		ddtracer.WithSampler(ddtracer.NewRateSampler(*samplingRate)),
+	)
+
+	opentracing.SetGlobalTracer(t)
+
+	return openTracingService{Tracer: &datadogTracer{actual: t}}, &ddCloser{}, nil
+}
+
+var _ io.Closer = (*ddCloser)(nil)
+
+type ddCloser struct{}
+
+func (ddCloser) Close() error {
+	ddtracer.Stop()
+	return nil
+}
+
+func init() {
+	tracingBackendFactories["opentracing-datadog"] = newDatadogTracer
+}
+
+var _ tracer = (*datadogTracer)(nil)
+
+type datadogTracer struct {
+	actual opentracing.Tracer
+}
+
+func (dt *datadogTracer) GetOpenTracingTracer() opentracing.Tracer {
+	return dt.actual
+}