diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 5c34752b..696c6749 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -18,17 +18,22 @@ BugReports: https://github.com/r-lib/callr/issues
 Depends:
     R (>= 3.4)
 Imports:
+    otel,
     processx (>= 3.6.1),
     R6,
     utils
 Suggests:
     asciicast (>= 2.3.1),
     cli (>= 1.1.0),
+    otelsdk,
     ps,
     rprojroot,
     spelling,
     testthat (>= 3.2.0),
     withr (>= 2.3.0)
+Remotes:
+    r-lib/otel,
+    r-lib/otelsdk
 Config/Needs/website:
     r-lib/asciicast,
     glue,
diff --git a/R/callr-package.R b/R/callr-package.R
index dbd2579d..93ffca7b 100644
--- a/R/callr-package.R
+++ b/R/callr-package.R
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #' @keywords internal
 "_PACKAGE"
 
+otel_tracer_name <- "org.r-lib.callr"
+
 ## usethis namespace: start
 ## usethis namespace: end
 NULL
diff --git a/R/eval.R b/R/eval.R
index 70fdcad6..36916e7c 100644
--- a/R/eval.R
+++ b/R/eval.R
@@ -201,6 +201,13 @@ r <- function(
   options <- setup_callbacks(options)
   options <- setup_r_binary_and_args(options)
 
+  if (otel::is_tracing()) {
+    otel::start_span("callr::r", attributes = otel::as_attributes(options))
+    hdrs <- otel::pack_http_context()
+    names(hdrs) <- toupper(names(hdrs))
+    options$env[names(hdrs)] <- hdrs
+  }
+
   out <- run_r(options)
 
   get_result(output = out, options)
diff --git a/R/hook.R b/R/hook.R
index c5241b1b..780d7e01 100644
--- a/R/hook.R
+++ b/R/hook.R
@@ -6,6 +6,34 @@ common_hook <- function() {
         detach("tools:callr")
       }
       env <- readRDS(`__envfile__`)
+
+      # OpenTelemetry setup
+      has_otel <- nzchar(Sys.getenv("TRACEPARENT")) &&
+        requireNamespace("otel", quietly = TRUE)
+      assign(envir = env$`__callr_data__`, "has_otel", has_otel)
+      if (has_otel) {
+        hdrs <- as.list(c(
+          traceparent = Sys.getenv("TRACEPARENT"),
+          tracestate = Sys.getenv("TRACESTATE"),
+          baggage = Sys.getenv("BAGGAGE")
+        ))
+        prtctx <- otel::extract_http_context(hdrs)
+        reg.finalizer(
+          env$`__callr_data__`,
+          function(e) e$otel_span$end(),
+          onexit = TRUE
+        )
+        assign(
+          envir = env$`__callr_data__`,
+          "otel_span",
+          otel::start_span(
+            "callr subprocess",
+            options = list(parent = prtctx),
+            scope = .GlobalEnv
+          )
+        )
+      }
+
       do.call("attach", list(env, pos = length(search()), name = "tools:callr"))
       data <- env$`__callr_data__`
       data$pxlib <- data$load_client_lib(
@@ -13,7 +41,7 @@ common_hook <- function() {
         data$pxdir
       )
       options(error = function() invokeRestart("abort"))
-      rm(list = c("data", "env"))
+      rm(list = c("data", "env", "has_otel"))
 
       lapply(
         c(
diff --git a/R/r-process.R b/R/r-process.R
index 9a82cd64..31ed421c 100644
--- a/R/r-process.R
+++ b/R/r-process.R
@@ -55,6 +55,18 @@ rp_init <- function(self, private, super, options) {
   options <- setup_context(options)
   options <- setup_r_binary_and_args(options)
 
+  otel_session <- otel::start_session(
+    "callr::r_process",
+    attributes = otel::as_attributes(options)
+  )
+  otel::log_debug("start r_process")
+  if (otel::is_tracing()) {
+    hdrs <- otel::pack_http_context()
+    names(hdrs) <- toupper(names(hdrs))
+    options$env[names(hdrs)] <- hdrs
+  }
+  options$otel_session <- otel_session
+
   private$options <- options
 
   with_envvar(
@@ -80,8 +92,13 @@ rp_init <- function(self, private, super, options) {
 
 rp_get_result <- function(self, private) {
   if (self$is_alive()) {
+    private$options$otel_session$add_event(
+      "get_result",
+      attributes = list(done = FALSE)
+    )
     throw(new_error("Still alive"))
   }
+  on.exit(private$options$otel_session$end(status_code = "auto"), add = TRUE)
 
   ## This is artificial...
   out <- list(
diff --git a/R/r-session.R b/R/r-session.R
index 26419e26..e225f98a 100644
--- a/R/r-session.R
+++ b/R/r-session.R
@@ -215,6 +215,8 @@ r_session <- R6::R6Class(
 
   private = list(
     finalize = function() {
+      private$options$otel_session$add_event("finalizer")
+      private$options$otel_session$end()
       unlink(private$tmp_output_file)
       unlink(private$tmp_error_file)
       unlink(private$options$tmp_files, recursive = TRUE)
@@ -259,6 +261,18 @@ rs_init <- function(self, private, super, options, wait, wait_timeout) {
   options <- setup_context(options)
   options <- setup_r_binary_and_args(options, script_file = FALSE)
 
+  otel_session <- otel::start_session(
+    "callr::r_session",
+    attributes = otel::as_attributes(options)
+  )
+  if (otel::is_tracing()) {
+    hdrs <- otel::pack_http_context()
+    names(hdrs) <- toupper(names(hdrs))
+    options$env[names(hdrs)] <- hdrs
+  }
+  otel::log_debug("callr::r_session start")
+  options$otel_session <- otel_session
+
   private$options <- options
 
   prepare_client_files()
@@ -289,7 +303,7 @@ rs_init <- function(self, private, super, options, wait, wait_timeout) {
   private$state <- "starting"
 
   if (wait) {
-    otel::start_span("r_session$initialize() wait", session = otel_session)
+    otel::start_span("r_session$initialize() wait")
     timeout <- wait_timeout
     have_until <- Sys.time() + as.difftime(timeout / 1000, units = "secs")
     pr <- self$poll_io(timeout)
@@ -333,6 +347,8 @@ rs_init <- function(self, private, super, options, wait, wait_timeout) {
 }
 
 rs_read <- function(self, private) {
+  otel::local_session(private$options$otel_session)
+  spn <- otel::start_span("r_session$read")
   if (!is.null(private$buffer)) {
     # There is a partial message in the buffer, try to finish it.
     out <- private$read_buffer()
@@ -342,6 +358,7 @@ rs_read <- function(self, private) {
   }
   if (!length(out)) {
     if (processx::processx_conn_is_incomplete(private$pipe)) {
+      spn$set_attribute("message", FALSE)
       return()
     }
     if (self$is_alive()) {
@@ -372,7 +389,15 @@ rs_read <- function(self, private) {
       )
     }
   }
-  if (length(out)) private$parse_msg(out)
+  if (length(out)) {
+    spn$set_attribute("message", TRUE)
+    if (!is.null(out$header$code)) {
+      spn$set_attribute("status_code", out$header$code)
+    }
+    private$parse_msg(out)
+  } else {
+    spn$set_attribute("message", FALSE)
+  }
 }
 
 rs__read_buffer <- function(self, private) {
@@ -439,6 +464,8 @@ rs__parse_header <- function(line) {
 }
 
 rs_close <- function(self, private, grace) {
+  otel::local_session(private$options$otel_session)
+  otel::start_span("r_session$close")
   processx::processx_conn_close(self$get_input_connection())
   self$poll_process(grace)
   self$kill()
@@ -451,10 +478,13 @@ rs_close <- function(self, private, grace) {
   processx::processx_conn_close(private$pipe)
   processx::processx_conn_close(self$get_output_connection())
   processx::processx_conn_close(self$get_error_connection())
+  private$options$otel_session$end()
   invisible()
 }
 
 rs_call <- function(self, private, func, args, package) {
+  otel::local_session(private$options$otel_session)
+  otel::start_span("r_session$call")
   ## We only allow a new command if the R session is idle.
   ## This allows keeping a clean state
   ## TODO: do we need a state at all?
diff --git a/R/rcmd.R b/R/rcmd.R
index c908cec7..d43c4379 100644
--- a/R/rcmd.R
+++ b/R/rcmd.R
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ rcmd <- function(
   ## This cleans up everything...
   on.exit(unlink(options$tmp_files, recursive = TRUE), add = TRUE)
 
+  if (otel::is_tracing()) {
+    otel::start_span("callr::rcmd", attributes = otel::as_attributes(options))
+    hdrs <- otel::pack_http_context()
+    names(hdrs) <- toupper(names(hdrs))
+    options$env[names(hdrs)] <- hdrs
+  }
+
   run_r(options)
 }
 
diff --git a/R/rscript.R b/R/rscript.R
index 983fd966..a4ca6116 100644
--- a/R/rscript.R
+++ b/R/rscript.R
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ rscript <- function(
   ## This cleans up everything...
   on.exit(unlink(options$tmp_files, recursive = TRUE), add = TRUE)
 
+  if (otel::is_tracing()) {
+    otel::start_span(
+      "callr::rscript",
+      attributes = otel::as_attributes(options)
+    )
+    hdrs <- otel::pack_http_context()
+    names(hdrs) <- toupper(names(hdrs))
+    options$env[names(hdrs)] <- hdrs
+  }
+
   invisible(run_r(options))
 }
 
diff --git a/R/run.R b/R/run.R
index 72ba7937..49e62209 100644
--- a/R/run.R
+++ b/R/run.R
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ run_r <- function(options) {
       (!is.null(stdout) && !is.null(stderr) && stdout == stderr)
   )
 
+  otel::log_debug("callr start subprocess")
+
   res <- with(
     options,
     with_envvar(
diff --git a/R/script.R b/R/script.R
index 4c919fd5..95e8aa16 100644
--- a/R/script.R
+++ b/R/script.R
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ make_vanilla_script_expr <- function(
           e2$trace <- e2$trace[-(1:cut), ]
         }
 
+        if (callr_data$has_otel) {
+          callr_data$otel_span$record_exception(e2)
+        }
         base::saveRDS(
           base::list("error", e2, e),
           file = base::paste0(`__res__`, ".error")
@@ -74,7 +77,8 @@ make_vanilla_script_expr <- function(
   if (messages) {
     message <- function() {
       substitute({
-        pxlib <- base::as.environment("tools:callr")$`__callr_data__`$pxlib
+        callr_data <- base::as.environment("tools:callr")$`__callr_data__`
+        pxlib <- callr_data$pxlib
         if (base::is.null(e$code)) {
           e$code <- "301"
         }
@@ -83,6 +87,12 @@ make_vanilla_script_expr <- function(
           pxlib$base64_encode(base::serialize(e, NULL))
         )
         data <- base::paste0(e$code, " ", base::nchar(msg), "\n", msg)
+        if (callr_data$has_otel) {
+          callr$data$otel_span$add_event(
+            "callr message",
+            attributes = list(status_code = e$code)
+          )
+        }
         pxlib$write_fd(3L, data)
 
         if (