diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/textmap.go b/ddtrace/tracer/textmap.go
index 5e0302df1f..cd6bc8de26 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/textmap.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/textmap.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ type HTTPHeadersCarrier http.Header
 
 var _ TextMapWriter = (*HTTPHeadersCarrier)(nil)
 var _ TextMapReader = (*HTTPHeadersCarrier)(nil)
+var horizontalPropagation = false
 
 // Set implements TextMapWriter.
 func (c HTTPHeadersCarrier) Set(key, val string) {
@@ -256,8 +257,8 @@ func (p *propagator) injectTextMap(spanCtx ddtrace.SpanContext, writer TextMapWr
 		writer.Set(p.cfg.BaggagePrefix+k, v)
 	}
 	// propagate trace tags
-	var sb strings.Builder
-	if ctx.trace != nil {
+	if horizontalPropagation && ctx.trace != nil {
+		var sb strings.Builder
 		ctx.trace.mu.RLock()
 		for k, v := range ctx.trace.tags {
 			if !strings.HasPrefix(k, "_dd.p.") {
diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
index 4be33eb93c..e81fd4bdb0 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 		timeMultiplicator = time.Duration(2)
 	}
 	_, integration = os.LookupEnv("INTEGRATION")
+	horizontalPropagation = true
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 }