diff --git a/ddtrace/contrib/django/templates.py b/ddtrace/contrib/django/templates.py
index aeeea4eba56..68da1a62644 100644
--- a/ddtrace/contrib/django/templates.py
+++ b/ddtrace/contrib/django/templates.py
@@ -31,14 +31,12 @@ def patch_template(tracer):
 
     setattr(Template, attr, Template.render)
 
-    class TracedTemplate(object):
-
-        def render(self, context):
-            with tracer.trace('django.template', span_type=http.TEMPLATE) as span:
-                try:
-                    return Template._datadog_original_render(self, context)
-                finally:
-                    span.set_tag('django.template_name', context.template_name or 'unknown')
-
-    Template.render = TracedTemplate.render.__func__
+    def traced_render(self, context):
+        with tracer.trace('django.template', span_type=http.TEMPLATE) as span:
+            try:
+                return Template._datadog_original_render(self, context)
+            finally:
+                span.set_tag('django.template_name', context.template_name or 'unknown')
+
+    Template.render = traced_render
 
diff --git a/tests/contrib/django/__init__.py b/tests/contrib/django/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/tests/contrib/django/tests.py b/tests/contrib/django/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0f57d12ddc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/contrib/django/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import time
+
+# 3p
+from django import template
+from django.template.backends.dummy import TemplateStrings
+from nose.tools import eq_
+
+from ddtrace.contrib.django.templates import patch_template
+from ddtrace.tracer import Tracer
+from ...test_tracer import DummyWriter
+
+
+def test_template():
+    # trace and ensure it works
+    writer = DummyWriter()
+    tracer = Tracer(writer=writer)
+    assert not writer.pop()
+    patch_template(tracer)
+
+    # setup a test template
+    params = {
+        'DIRS': [],
+        'APP_DIRS': True,
+        'NAME': 'foo',
+        'OPTIONS': {},
+    }
+    engine = TemplateStrings(params)
+    engine.debug = False
+    engine.template_libraries = None
+    engine.template_builtins = None
+
+    t = template.Template("hello {{name}}", engine=engine)
+    c = template.Context({'name':'matt'})
+
+    start = time.time()
+    eq_(t.render(c), 'hello matt')
+    end = time.time()
+
+    spans = writer.pop()
+    assert spans, spans
+    eq_(len(spans), 1)
+
+    span = spans[0]
+    eq_(span.span_type, 'template')
+    eq_(span.name, 'django.template')
+    eq_(span.get_tag('django.template_name'), 'unknown')
+    assert start < span.start < span.start + span.duration < end
+