diff --git a/pkg/cmd/grafana-cli/commands/datamigrations/encrypt_datasource_passwords_test.go b/pkg/cmd/grafana-cli/commands/datamigrations/encrypt_datasource_passwords_test.go
index 3217af51f74..264acb7c036 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/grafana-cli/commands/datamigrations/encrypt_datasource_passwords_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/grafana-cli/commands/datamigrations/encrypt_datasource_passwords_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package datamigrations
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 func TestPasswordMigrationCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	// setup datasources with password, basic_auth and none
 	sqlstore := sqlstore.InitTestDB(t)
-	session := sqlstore.NewSession()
+	session := sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background())
 	defer session.Close()
 
 	datasources := []*models.DataSource{
diff --git a/pkg/infra/remotecache/database_storage.go b/pkg/infra/remotecache/database_storage.go
index af474253227..8e0f831755e 100644
--- a/pkg/infra/remotecache/database_storage.go
+++ b/pkg/infra/remotecache/database_storage.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (dc *databaseCache) internalRunGC() {
 
 func (dc *databaseCache) Get(key string) (interface{}, error) {
 	cacheHit := CacheData{}
-	session := dc.SQLStore.NewSession()
+	session := dc.SQLStore.NewSession(context.Background())
 	defer session.Close()
 
 	exist, err := session.Where("cache_key= ?", key).Get(&cacheHit)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (dc *databaseCache) Set(key string, value interface{}, expire time.Duration
 		return err
 	}
 
-	session := dc.SQLStore.NewSession()
+	session := dc.SQLStore.NewSession(context.Background())
 	defer session.Close()
 
 	var expiresInSeconds int64
diff --git a/pkg/services/auth/auth_token_test.go b/pkg/services/auth/auth_token_test.go
index 6e9e97cba14..fa263205427 100644
--- a/pkg/services/auth/auth_token_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/auth/auth_token_test.go
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ type testContext struct {
 }
 
 func (c *testContext) getAuthTokenByID(id int64) (*userAuthToken, error) {
-	sess := c.sqlstore.NewSession()
+	sess := c.sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background())
 	var t userAuthToken
 	found, err := sess.ID(id).Get(&t)
 	if err != nil || !found {
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ func (c *testContext) getAuthTokenByID(id int64) (*userAuthToken, error) {
 }
 
 func (c *testContext) markAuthTokenAsSeen(id int64) (bool, error) {
-	sess := c.sqlstore.NewSession()
+	sess := c.sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background())
 	res, err := sess.Exec("UPDATE user_auth_token SET auth_token_seen = ? WHERE id = ?", c.sqlstore.Dialect.BooleanStr(true), id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ func (c *testContext) markAuthTokenAsSeen(id int64) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 func (c *testContext) updateRotatedAt(id, rotatedAt int64) (bool, error) {
-	sess := c.sqlstore.NewSession()
+	sess := c.sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background())
 	res, err := sess.Exec("UPDATE user_auth_token SET rotated_at = ? WHERE id = ?", rotatedAt, id)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
diff --git a/pkg/services/auth/token_cleanup_test.go b/pkg/services/auth/token_cleanup_test.go
index 86105d550c1..1fe37b5a9d3 100644
--- a/pkg/services/auth/token_cleanup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/auth/token_cleanup_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ func TestUserAuthTokenCleanup(t *testing.T) {
 
 		insertToken := func(token string, prev string, createdAt, rotatedAt int64) {
 			ut := userAuthToken{AuthToken: token, PrevAuthToken: prev, CreatedAt: createdAt, RotatedAt: rotatedAt, UserAgent: "", ClientIp: ""}
-			_, err := ctx.sqlstore.NewSession().Insert(&ut)
+			_, err := ctx.sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background()).Insert(&ut)
 			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go
index d1202dd620b..118fc4aca5b 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/alert_notification.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func DeleteAlertNotification(cmd *models.DeleteAlertNotificationCommand) error {
 
 func DeleteAlertNotificationWithUid(cmd *models.DeleteAlertNotificationWithUidCommand) error {
 	existingNotification := &models.GetAlertNotificationsWithUidQuery{OrgId: cmd.OrgId, Uid: cmd.Uid}
-	if err := getAlertNotificationWithUidInternal(existingNotification, newSession()); err != nil {
+	if err := getAlertNotificationWithUidInternal(existingNotification, newSession(context.Background())); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func DeleteAlertNotificationWithUid(cmd *models.DeleteAlertNotificationWithUidCo
 }
 
 func GetAlertNotifications(query *models.GetAlertNotificationsQuery) error {
-	return getAlertNotificationInternal(query, newSession())
+	return getAlertNotificationInternal(query, newSession(context.Background()))
 }
 
 func (ss *SQLStore) addAlertNotificationUidByIdHandler() {
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func (ss *SQLStore) GetAlertNotificationUidWithId(query *models.GetAlertNotifica
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	err := getAlertNotificationUidInternal(query, newSession())
+	err := getAlertNotificationUidInternal(query, newSession(context.Background()))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func newAlertNotificationUidCacheKey(orgID, notificationId int64) string {
 }
 
 func GetAlertNotificationsWithUid(query *models.GetAlertNotificationsWithUidQuery) error {
-	return getAlertNotificationWithUidInternal(query, newSession())
+	return getAlertNotificationWithUidInternal(query, newSession(context.Background()))
 }
 
 func GetAllAlertNotifications(query *models.GetAllAlertNotificationsQuery) error {
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ func UpdateAlertNotification(cmd *models.UpdateAlertNotificationCommand) error {
 func UpdateAlertNotificationWithUid(cmd *models.UpdateAlertNotificationWithUidCommand) error {
 	getAlertNotificationWithUidQuery := &models.GetAlertNotificationsWithUidQuery{OrgId: cmd.OrgId, Uid: cmd.Uid}
 
-	if err := getAlertNotificationWithUidInternal(getAlertNotificationWithUidQuery, newSession()); err != nil {
+	if err := getAlertNotificationWithUidInternal(getAlertNotificationWithUidQuery, newSession(context.Background())); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/annotation_cleanup_test.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/annotation_cleanup_test.go
index e74d2ef1a3a..b98792284c1 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/annotation_cleanup_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/annotation_cleanup_test.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func TestOldAnnotationsAreDeletedFirst(t *testing.T) {
 		Created:     time.Now().AddDate(-10, 0, -10).UnixNano() / int64(time.Millisecond),
 	}
 
-	session := fakeSQL.NewSession()
+	session := fakeSQL.NewSession(context.Background())
 	defer session.Close()
 
 	_, err := session.Insert(a)
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func TestOldAnnotationsAreDeletedFirst(t *testing.T) {
 func assertAnnotationCount(t *testing.T, fakeSQL *SQLStore, sql string, expectedCount int64) {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	session := fakeSQL.NewSession()
+	session := fakeSQL.NewSession(context.Background())
 	defer session.Close()
 	count, err := session.Where(sql).Count(&annotations.Item{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func assertAnnotationCount(t *testing.T, fakeSQL *SQLStore, sql string, expected
 func assertAnnotationTagCount(t *testing.T, fakeSQL *SQLStore, expectedCount int64) {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	session := fakeSQL.NewSession()
+	session := fakeSQL.NewSession(context.Background())
 	defer session.Close()
 
 	count, err := session.SQL("select count(*) from annotation_tag").Count()
@@ -211,12 +211,12 @@ func createTestAnnotations(t *testing.T, sqlstore *SQLStore, expectedCount int,
 			a.Created = cutoffDate.AddDate(-10, 0, -10).UnixNano() / int64(time.Millisecond)
 		}
 
-		_, err := sqlstore.NewSession().Insert(a)
+		_, err := sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background()).Insert(a)
 		require.NoError(t, err, "should be able to save annotation", err)
 
 		// mimick the SQL annotation Save logic by writing records to the annotation_tag table
 		// we need to ensure they get deleted when we clean up annotations
-		sess := sqlstore.NewSession()
+		sess := sqlstore.NewSession(context.Background())
 		for tagID := range []int{1, 2} {
 			_, err = sess.Exec("INSERT INTO annotation_tag (annotation_id, tag_id) VALUES(?,?)", a.Id, tagID)
 			require.NoError(t, err, "should be able to save annotation tag ID", err)
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/database_wrapper.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/database_wrapper.go
index 331c833e246..ed94076ed1e 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/database_wrapper.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/database_wrapper.go
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/sqlstore/migrator"
 	"github.com/lib/pq"
 	"github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
+	"github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go"
+	ol "github.com/opentracing/opentracing-go/log"
 	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	cw "github.com/weaveworks/common/middleware"
 	"xorm.io/core"
 )
 
@@ -70,11 +73,39 @@ func (h *databaseQueryWrapper) Before(ctx context.Context, query string, args ..
 
 // After hook will get the timestamp registered on the Before hook and print the elapsed time
 func (h *databaseQueryWrapper) After(ctx context.Context, query string, args ...interface{}) (context.Context, error) {
+	h.instrument(ctx, "success", query, nil)
+
+	return ctx, nil
+}
+
+func (h *databaseQueryWrapper) instrument(ctx context.Context, status string, query string, err error) {
 	begin := ctx.Value(databaseQueryWrapperKey{}).(time.Time)
 	elapsed := time.Since(begin)
-	databaseQueryHistogram.WithLabelValues("success").Observe(elapsed.Seconds())
-	h.log.Debug("query finished", "status", "success", "elapsed time", elapsed, "sql", query)
-	return ctx, nil
+
+	histogram := databaseQueryHistogram.WithLabelValues(status)
+	if traceID, ok := cw.ExtractSampledTraceID(ctx); ok {
+		// Need to type-convert the Observer to an
+		// ExemplarObserver. This will always work for a
+		// HistogramVec.
+		histogram.(prometheus.ExemplarObserver).ObserveWithExemplar(
+			elapsed.Seconds(), prometheus.Labels{"traceID": traceID},
+		)
+	} else {
+		histogram.Observe(elapsed.Seconds())
+	}
+
+	span, _ := opentracing.StartSpanFromContext(ctx, "database query")
+	defer span.Finish()
+
+	span.LogFields(
+		ol.String("query", query),
+		ol.String("status", status))
+
+	if err != nil {
+		span.LogFields(ol.String("error", err.Error()))
+	}
+
+	h.log.Debug("query finished", "status", status, "elapsed time", elapsed, "sql", query, "error", err)
 }
 
 // OnError will be called if any error happens
@@ -85,10 +116,8 @@ func (h *databaseQueryWrapper) OnError(ctx context.Context, err error, query str
 		status = "success"
 	}
 
-	begin := ctx.Value(databaseQueryWrapperKey{}).(time.Time)
-	elapsed := time.Since(begin)
-	databaseQueryHistogram.WithLabelValues(status).Observe(elapsed.Seconds())
-	h.log.Debug("query finished", "status", status, "elapsed time", elapsed, "sql", query, "error", err)
+	h.instrument(ctx, status, query, err)
+
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/session.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/session.go
index 84f51af354a..a739b385801 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/session.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/session.go
@@ -19,12 +19,17 @@ func (sess *DBSession) publishAfterCommit(msg interface{}) {
 }
 
 // NewSession returns a new DBSession
-func (ss *SQLStore) NewSession() *DBSession {
-	return &DBSession{Session: ss.engine.NewSession()}
+func (ss *SQLStore) NewSession(ctx context.Context) *DBSession {
+	sess := &DBSession{Session: ss.engine.NewSession()}
+	sess.Session = sess.Session.Context(ctx)
+	return sess
 }
 
-func newSession() *DBSession {
-	return &DBSession{Session: x.NewSession()}
+func newSession(ctx context.Context) *DBSession {
+	sess := &DBSession{Session: x.NewSession()}
+	sess.Session = sess.Session.Context(ctx)
+
+	return sess
 }
 
 func startSession(ctx context.Context, engine *xorm.Engine, beginTran bool) (*DBSession, error) {
@@ -33,6 +38,7 @@ func startSession(ctx context.Context, engine *xorm.Engine, beginTran bool) (*DB
 	sess, ok := value.(*DBSession)
 
 	if ok {
+		sess.Session = sess.Session.Context(ctx)
 		return sess, nil
 	}
 
@@ -43,6 +49,8 @@ func startSession(ctx context.Context, engine *xorm.Engine, beginTran bool) (*DB
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
+
+	newSess.Session = newSess.Session.Context(ctx)
 	return newSess, nil
 }
 
@@ -53,6 +61,7 @@ func (ss *SQLStore) WithDbSession(ctx context.Context, callback dbTransactionFun
 
 func withDbSession(ctx context.Context, engine *xorm.Engine, callback dbTransactionFunc) error {
 	sess := &DBSession{Session: engine.NewSession()}
+	sess.Session = sess.Session.Context(ctx)
 	defer sess.Close()
 
 	return callback(sess)
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/tags_test.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/tags_test.go
index d675ed40e90..99d562809ca 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/tags_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/tags_test.go
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 package sqlstore
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"testing"
 
-	. "github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/convey"
-
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
+	. "github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/convey"
 )
 
 func TestSavingTags(t *testing.T) {
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func TestSavingTags(t *testing.T) {
 			{Key: "server", Value: "server-1"},
 			{Key: "error"},
 		}
-		tags, err := EnsureTagsExist(newSession(), tagPairs)
+		tags, err := EnsureTagsExist(newSession(context.Background()), tagPairs)
 
 		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 		So(len(tags), ShouldEqual, 4)
diff --git a/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go b/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go
index 10d196b89b8..409ab8e4664 100644
--- a/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go
+++ b/pkg/services/sqlstore/user.go
@@ -530,6 +530,7 @@ func GetSignedInUser(ctx context.Context, query *models.GetSignedInUserQuery) er
 		LEFT OUTER JOIN org on org.id = org_user.org_id `
 
 	sess := x.Table("user")
+	sess = sess.Context(ctx)
 	switch {
 	case query.UserId > 0:
 		sess.SQL(rawSQL+"WHERE u.id=?", query.UserId)