diff --git a/go/trace/opentracing.go b/go/trace/opentracing.go
index 6b47177d45..4413d808a1 100644
--- a/go/trace/opentracing.go
+++ b/go/trace/opentracing.go
@@ -41,20 +41,25 @@ func (js openTracingSpan) Annotate(key string, value interface{}) {
 
 var _ tracingService = (*openTracingService)(nil)
 
+type tracer interface {
+	GetOpenTracingTracer() opentracing.Tracer
+	FromString(string) (opentracing.SpanContext, error)
+}
+
 type openTracingService struct {
-	Tracer     opentracing.Tracer
-	fromString func(string) (opentracing.SpanContext, error)
-	toString   func(Span) string
+	Tracer tracer
 }
 
 // AddGrpcServerOptions is part of an interface implementation
 func (jf openTracingService) AddGrpcServerOptions(addInterceptors func(s grpc.StreamServerInterceptor, u grpc.UnaryServerInterceptor)) {
-	addInterceptors(otgrpc.OpenTracingStreamServerInterceptor(jf.Tracer), otgrpc.OpenTracingServerInterceptor(jf.Tracer))
+	ot := jf.Tracer.GetOpenTracingTracer()
+	addInterceptors(otgrpc.OpenTracingStreamServerInterceptor(ot), otgrpc.OpenTracingServerInterceptor(ot))
 }
 
 // AddGrpcClientOptions is part of an interface implementation
 func (jf openTracingService) AddGrpcClientOptions(addInterceptors func(s grpc.StreamClientInterceptor, u grpc.UnaryClientInterceptor)) {
-	addInterceptors(otgrpc.OpenTracingStreamClientInterceptor(jf.Tracer), otgrpc.OpenTracingClientInterceptor(jf.Tracer))
+	ot := jf.Tracer.GetOpenTracingTracer()
+	addInterceptors(otgrpc.OpenTracingStreamClientInterceptor(ot), otgrpc.OpenTracingClientInterceptor(ot))
 }
 
 // NewClientSpan is part of an interface implementation
@@ -68,21 +73,21 @@ func (jf openTracingService) NewClientSpan(parent Span, serviceName, label strin
 func (jf openTracingService) New(parent Span, label string) Span {
 	var innerSpan opentracing.Span
 	if parent == nil {
-		innerSpan = jf.Tracer.StartSpan(label)
+		innerSpan = jf.Tracer.GetOpenTracingTracer().StartSpan(label)
 	} else {
 		jaegerParent := parent.(openTracingSpan)
 		span := jaegerParent.otSpan
-		innerSpan = jf.Tracer.StartSpan(label, opentracing.ChildOf(span.Context()))
+		innerSpan = jf.Tracer.GetOpenTracingTracer().StartSpan(label, opentracing.ChildOf(span.Context()))
 	}
 	return openTracingSpan{otSpan: innerSpan}
 }
 
 func (jf openTracingService) NewFromString(parent, label string) (Span, error) {
-	spanContext, err := jf.fromString(parent)
+	spanContext, err := jf.Tracer.FromString(parent)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, vterrors.Wrap(err, "failed to deserialize span context")
 	}
-	innerSpan := jf.Tracer.StartSpan(label, opentracing.ChildOf(spanContext))
+	innerSpan := jf.Tracer.GetOpenTracingTracer().StartSpan(label, opentracing.ChildOf(spanContext))
 	return openTracingSpan{otSpan: innerSpan}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/go/trace/plugin_jaeger.go b/go/trace/plugin_jaeger.go
index abae1bfbe6..b8053a4e2c 100644
--- a/go/trace/plugin_jaeger.go
+++ b/go/trace/plugin_jaeger.go
@@ -82,20 +82,23 @@ func newJagerTracerFromEnv(serviceName string) (tracingService, io.Closer, error
 
 	opentracing.SetGlobalTracer(tracer)
 
-	f1 := func(s string) (context opentracing.SpanContext, e error) {
-		// I don't understand why I have to do this and not just use `jaeger.ContextFromString` directly
-		return jaeger.ContextFromString(s)
-	}
-
-	f2 := func(in Span) string {
-		otSpan := in.(*openTracingSpan)
-		jaegerSpanContext := otSpan.otSpan.Context().(*jaeger.SpanContext)
-		return jaegerSpanContext.String()
-	}
-
-	return openTracingService{Tracer: tracer, fromString: f1, toString: f2}, closer, nil
+	return openTracingService{Tracer: &jaegerTracer{actual: tracer}}, closer, nil
 }
 
 func init() {
 	tracingBackendFactories["opentracing-jaeger"] = newJagerTracerFromEnv
 }
+
+var _ tracer = (*jaegerTracer)(nil)
+
+type jaegerTracer struct {
+	actual opentracing.Tracer
+}
+
+func (*jaegerTracer) FromString(s string) (opentracing.SpanContext, error) {
+	return jaeger.ContextFromString(s)
+}
+
+func (jt *jaegerTracer) GetOpenTracingTracer() opentracing.Tracer {
+	return jt.actual
+}