diff --git a/examples/App.cpp b/examples/App.cpp
index f7df8a2a..71c035f3 100644
--- a/examples/App.cpp
+++ b/examples/App.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ void tracedSubroutine(const std::unique_ptr<opentracing::Span>& parentSpan)
 
 void tracedFunction()
 {
+    // jaegertracing::SpanContext spanContextWithUserIDs { {111, 222}, 333, 0, 0, {} }; // TraceId and SpanID must be != 0
+    // auto span = opentracing::Tracer::Global()->StartSpan(
+    // 	"tracedFunction1", {jaegertracing::JaegerSpecific_UseTheseIDs(&spanContextWithUserIDs)});
+    // // spanID of span is 222, not 333, because it's a root span
+
     auto span = opentracing::Tracer::Global()->StartSpan("tracedFunction");
     tracedSubroutine(span);
 }
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/Reference.h b/src/jaegertracing/Reference.h
index 52277aea..e11629b1 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/Reference.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/Reference.h
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ namespace thrift {
 class SpanRef;
 }
 
+// An extension of enum opentracing::SpanReferenceType, for a new Span. Only to copy traceID and (for non-root spans) spanID
+// spanID for root spans == traceID.low()
+const static int SpanReferenceType_JaegerSpecific_UseTheseIDs = 99;
+
 class Reference {
   public:
     using Type = opentracing::SpanReferenceType;
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.cpp b/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.cpp
index 1fb6087a..64ec8e4d 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.cpp
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.cpp
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ Tracer::StartSpanWithOptions(string_view operationName,
     try {
         const auto result = analyzeReferences(options.references);
         const auto* parent = result._parent;
+        const auto* self = result._self;
         const auto& references = result._references;
 
         std::vector<Tag> samplerTags;
@@ -75,10 +76,19 @@ Tracer::StartSpanWithOptions(string_view operationName,
         if (!parent || !parent->isValid()) {
             newTrace = true;
             auto highID = static_cast<uint64_t>(0);
-            if (_options & kGen128BitOption) {
-                highID = randomID();
+            auto lowID = static_cast<uint64_t>(0);
+            if (self) {
+                highID = self->traceID().high();
+                lowID = self->traceID().low();
             }
-            const TraceID traceID(highID, randomID());
+            else {
+                if (_options & kGen128BitOption) {
+                    highID = randomID();
+                }
+                lowID = randomID();
+            }
+            const TraceID traceID(highID, lowID);
+            // self.spanID is ignored for the root span
             const auto spanID = traceID.low();
             const auto parentID = 0;
             auto flags = static_cast<unsigned char>(0);
@@ -101,7 +111,7 @@ Tracer::StartSpanWithOptions(string_view operationName,
         }
         else {
             const auto traceID = parent->traceID();
-            const auto spanID = randomID();
+            const auto spanID = self ? self->spanID() : randomID();
             const auto parentID = parent->spanID();
             const auto flags = parent->flags();
             ctx = SpanContext(traceID, spanID, parentID, flags, StrMap());
@@ -194,6 +204,12 @@ Tracer::analyzeReferences(const std::vector<OpenTracingRef>& references) const
             continue;
         }
 
+        if (static_cast<int>(ref.first) == SpanReferenceType_JaegerSpecific_UseTheseIDs)
+        {
+            result._self = ctx;
+            continue; // not a reference
+        }
+
         result._references.emplace_back(Reference(*ctx, ref.first));
 
         if (!hasParent) {
diff --git a/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.h b/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.h
index b0619696..e52abf4b 100644
--- a/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.h
+++ b/src/jaegertracing/Tracer.h
@@ -273,11 +273,13 @@ class Tracer : public opentracing::Tracer,
     struct AnalyzedReferences {
         AnalyzedReferences()
             : _parent(nullptr)
+            , _self(nullptr)
             , _references()
         {
         }
 
         const SpanContext* _parent;
+        const SpanContext* _self;
         std::vector<Reference> _references;
     };
 
@@ -301,6 +303,14 @@ class Tracer : public opentracing::Tracer,
     int _options;
 };
 
+
+// JaegerSpecific_Self returns a StartSpanOption pointing to the Span that should be used as the started span context
+//
+// See opentracing::SpanReference
+inline opentracing::SpanReference JaegerSpecific_UseTheseIDs(const opentracing::SpanContext* span_context) noexcept {
+    return {static_cast<opentracing::SpanReferenceType>(SpanReferenceType_JaegerSpecific_UseTheseIDs), span_context};
+}
+
 }  // namespace jaegertracing
 
 #endif  // JAEGERTRACING_TRACER_H