diff --git a/Sources/Datadog/OpenTracing/OTTracer.swift b/Sources/Datadog/OpenTracing/OTTracer.swift
index 48c15c9ba3..d3dea59d09 100644
--- a/Sources/Datadog/OpenTracing/OTTracer.swift
+++ b/Sources/Datadog/OpenTracing/OTTracer.swift
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@ public protocol OTTracer {
     /// Start a new span with the given operation name.
     ///
     /// - parameter operationName: the operation name for the newly-started span
-    /// - parameter references:    an optional list of Reference instances to record causal relationships
-    /// - parameter tags:          a set of tag keys and values per OTSpan#setTag:value:, or nil to start with
+    /// - parameter references:    an optional list of Reference instances to record causal relationships. If no
+    ///                            reference is provided, and an active span exists in the current execution context
+    ///                            the active span will be used as the parent.
+    /// - parameter tags:          a set of tag keys and values per `OTSpan#setTag:value:`, or `nil` to start with
     ///                            an empty tag map
-    /// - parameter startTime:     an explicitly specified start timestamp for the OTSpan, or nil to use the
+    /// - parameter startTime:     an explicitly specified start timestamp for the `OTSpan`, or `nil` to use the
     ///                            current walltime
-    /// - returns:                 a valid Span instance; it is the caller's responsibility to call finish()
+    /// - returns:                 a valid Span instance; it is the caller's responsibility to call `finish()`.
     func startSpan(
         operationName: String,
         references: [OTReference]?,
@@ -21,6 +23,20 @@ public protocol OTTracer {
         startTime: Date?
     ) -> OTSpan
 
+    /// Start a new root span with the given operation name.
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///   - operationName: the operation name for the newly-started span
+    ///   - tags:          a set of tag keys and values per `OTSpan#setTag:value:`, or `nil` to start with
+    ///                    an empty tag map
+    ///   - startTime:     an explicitly specified start timestamp for the `OTSpan`, or `nil` to use the
+    ///                    current walltime
+    /// - returns:         a valid Span instance; it is the caller's responsibility to call `finish()`.
+    func startRootSpan(
+        operationName: String,
+        tags: [String: Encodable]?,
+        startTime: Date?
+    ) -> OTSpan
+
     /// Transfer the span information into the carrier of the given format.
     ///
     /// For example:
@@ -67,7 +83,9 @@ public extension OTTracer {
     /// Start a new span with the given operation name.
     ///
     /// - parameter operationName: the operation name for the newly-started span
-    /// - parameter parent:        span context that will be a parent reference
+    /// - parameter parent:        span context that will be a parent reference. If no
+    ///                            reference is provided, and an active span exists in the current execution context
+    ///                            the active span will be used as the parent.
     /// - parameter tags:          a set of tag keys and values per OTSpan#setTag:value:, or nil to start with
     ///                            an empty tag map
     /// - parameter startTime:     an explicitly specified start timestamp for the OTSpan, or nil to use the
@@ -87,4 +105,24 @@ public extension OTTracer {
             startTime: startTime
         )
     }
+
+    /// Start a new root span with the given operation name.
+    /// - Parameters:
+    ///   - operationName: the operation name for the newly-started span
+    ///   - tags:          a set of tag keys and values per `OTSpan#setTag:value:`, or `nil` to start with
+    ///                    an empty tag map
+    ///   - startTime:     an explicitly specified start timestamp for the `OTSpan`, or `nil` to use the
+    ///                    current walltime
+    /// - returns:         a valid Span instance; it is the caller's responsibility to call `finish()`.
+    func startRootSpan(
+        operationName: String,
+        tags: [String: Encodable]? = nil,
+        startTime: Date? = nil
+    ) -> OTSpan {
+        return self.startRootSpan(
+            operationName: operationName,
+            tags: tags,
+            startTime: startTime
+        )
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Sources/Datadog/Tracer.swift b/Sources/Datadog/Tracer.swift
index cc2ba1df6e..66a4e64415 100644
--- a/Sources/Datadog/Tracer.swift
+++ b/Sources/Datadog/Tracer.swift
@@ -134,10 +134,18 @@ public class Tracer: OTTracer {
     // MARK: - Open Tracing interface
 
     public func startSpan(operationName: String, references: [OTReference]? = nil, tags: [String: Encodable]? = nil, startTime: Date? = nil) -> OTSpan {
-        let parentSpanContext = references?.compactMap { $0.context.dd }.last
-        let spanContext = createSpanContext(parentSpanContext: parentSpanContext)
+        let parentSpanContext = references?.compactMap { $0.context.dd }.last ?? activeSpan?.context as? DDSpanContext
         return startSpan(
-            spanContext: spanContext,
+            spanContext: createSpanContext(parentSpanContext: parentSpanContext),
+            operationName: operationName,
+            tags: tags,
+            startTime: startTime
+        )
+    }
+
+    public func startRootSpan(operationName: String, tags: [String: Encodable]? = nil, startTime: Date? = nil) -> OTSpan {
+        return startSpan(
+            spanContext: createSpanContext(parentSpanContext: nil),
             operationName: operationName,
             tags: tags,
             startTime: startTime
@@ -160,12 +168,11 @@ public class Tracer: OTTracer {
     // MARK: - Internal
 
     internal func createSpanContext(parentSpanContext: DDSpanContext? = nil) -> DDSpanContext {
-        let parentContext = parentSpanContext ?? activeSpan?.context as? DDSpanContext
         return DDSpanContext(
-            traceID: parentContext?.traceID ?? tracingUUIDGenerator.generateUnique(),
+            traceID: parentSpanContext?.traceID ?? tracingUUIDGenerator.generateUnique(),
             spanID: tracingUUIDGenerator.generateUnique(),
-            parentSpanID: parentContext?.spanID,
-            baggageItems: BaggageItems(targetQueue: queue, parentSpanItems: parentContext?.baggageItems)
+            parentSpanID: parentSpanContext?.spanID,
+            baggageItems: BaggageItems(targetQueue: queue, parentSpanItems: parentSpanContext?.baggageItems)
         )
     }
 
diff --git a/Tests/DatadogTests/Datadog/TracerTests.swift b/Tests/DatadogTests/Datadog/TracerTests.swift
index 8d4e02dd39..34ae289572 100644
--- a/Tests/DatadogTests/Datadog/TracerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/DatadogTests/Datadog/TracerTests.swift
@@ -280,6 +280,37 @@ class TracerTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertEqual(try spanMatchers[1].parentSpanID(), "0")
     }
 
+    func testStartingRootActiveSpanInAsynchronousJobs() throws {
+        TracingFeature.instance = .mockByRecordingSpanMatchers(directory: temporaryDirectory)
+        defer { TracingFeature.instance = nil }
+
+        let tracer = Tracer.initialize(configuration: .init())
+        let queue = DispatchQueue(label: "\(#function)")
+
+        func makeFakeAPIRequest(on queue: DispatchQueue, completion: @escaping () -> Void) {
+            let requestSpan = tracer.startRootSpan(operationName: "request").setActive()
+            queue.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 1) {
+                let responseDecodingSpan = tracer.startSpan(operationName: "response decoding")
+                responseDecodingSpan.finish()
+                requestSpan.finish()
+                completion()
+            }
+        }
+        makeFakeAPIRequest(on: queue) {}
+        makeFakeAPIRequest(on: queue) {}
+
+        let spanMatchers = try TracingFeature.waitAndReturnSpanMatchers(count: 4)
+        let response1Matcher = spanMatchers[0]
+        let request1Matcher = spanMatchers[1]
+        let response2Matcher = spanMatchers[2]
+        let request2Matcher = spanMatchers[3]
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(try response1Matcher.parentSpanID(), try request1Matcher.spanID())
+        XCTAssertEqual(try request1Matcher.parentSpanID(), "0")
+        XCTAssertEqual(try response2Matcher.parentSpanID(), try request2Matcher.spanID())
+        XCTAssertEqual(try request2Matcher.parentSpanID(), "0")
+    }
+
     // MARK: - Sending user info
 
     func testSendingUserInfo() throws {