diff --git a/go/trace/opentracing.go b/go/trace/opentracing.go
index 6e6c6c5bc4e..a49a341ff55 100644
--- a/go/trace/opentracing.go
+++ b/go/trace/opentracing.go
@@ -87,10 +87,7 @@ func (jf openTracingService) New(parent Span, label string) Span {
 
 func extractMapFromString(in string) (opentracing.TextMapCarrier, error) {
 	m := make(opentracing.TextMapCarrier)
-	items := strings.Split(in, ":")
-	if len(items) < 2 {
-		return nil, vterrors.Errorf(vtrpc.Code_INVALID_ARGUMENT, "expected transmitted context to contain at least span id and trace id")
-	}
+	items := strings.Split(in, ",")
 	for _, v := range items {
 		idx := strings.Index(v, "=")
 		if idx < 1 {
diff --git a/go/trace/opentracing_test.go b/go/trace/opentracing_test.go
index 19bdbce9019..ef2e675536f 100644
--- a/go/trace/opentracing_test.go
+++ b/go/trace/opentracing_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ func TestExtractMapFromString(t *testing.T) {
 	expected := make(opentracing.TextMapCarrier)
 	expected["apa"] = "12"
 	expected["banan"] = "x-tracing-backend-12"
-	result, err := extractMapFromString("apa=12:banan=x-tracing-backend-12")
+	expected["uber-trace-id"] = "123:456:789:1"
+	result, err := extractMapFromString("apa=12,banan=x-tracing-backend-12,uber-trace-id=123:456:789:1")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, result)
 }
@@ -36,6 +37,6 @@ func TestErrorConditions(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := extractMapFromString("")
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 
-	_, err = extractMapFromString("key=value:keywithnovalue")
+	_, err = extractMapFromString("key=value,keywithnovalue")
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }