diff --git a/src/BabelQueue.Core/Tracing/Telemetry.cs b/src/BabelQueue.Core/Tracing/Telemetry.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16c7e81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/BabelQueue.Core/Tracing/Telemetry.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.Security.Cryptography;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using BabelQueue;
+
+namespace BabelQueue.Tracing;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Optional OpenTelemetry tracing for a babelqueue producer or consumer (ADR-0025) — the .NET
+/// mirror of the Go <c>otel</c>, Python <c>babelqueue.otel</c> and Node <c>@babelqueue/core/otel</c>
+/// helpers. It emits a CONSUMER <see cref="Activity"/> per handled message and a PRODUCER activity
+/// per publish, correlating them across every hop and SDK through the envelope's <c>trace_id</c> —
+/// a UUID, which maps 1:1 to a 16-byte <see cref="ActivityTraceId"/>.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>
+/// <para>
+/// It is built on <see cref="System.Diagnostics.ActivitySource"/> — the BCL primitive that the
+/// OpenTelemetry .NET SDK consumes — so the core takes <b>no</b> OpenTelemetry package dependency.
+/// To export, a consumer wires an OpenTelemetry <c>TracerProvider</c> that listens to the source
+/// named <see cref="ActivitySourceName"/> (e.g. <c>builder.AddSource("BabelQueue")</c>); with no
+/// listener the helpers are nearly free and emit nothing. The wire envelope is untouched (GR-1).
+/// </para>
+/// <para>
+/// Honest limit: every hop that shares a <c>trace_id</c> shares one trace, but exact cross-hop
+/// <i>span</i> parent-child linkage (propagating a W3C <c>traceparent</c> as a transport header)
+/// is a documented follow-up; this maps <c>trace_id</c> to the trace id only.
+/// </para>
+/// </remarks>
+public static class Telemetry
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The name of the <see cref="System.Diagnostics.ActivitySource"/> these helpers emit on.
+    /// Add it to an OpenTelemetry <c>TracerProvider</c> (<c>AddSource("BabelQueue")</c>) to export.
+    /// </summary>
+    public const string ActivitySourceName = "BabelQueue";
+
+    private const string System = "babelqueue";
+    private const string ZeroTraceId = "00000000000000000000000000000000";
+
+    private static readonly ActivitySource Source = new(ActivitySourceName);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Maps an envelope <c>trace_id</c> to a deterministic <see cref="ActivityTraceId"/>: a UUID
+    /// maps to its 16 hex bytes; any other string is hashed (SHA-256, first 16 bytes). The inverse
+    /// of <see cref="UuidOf"/> for the UUID case.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static ActivityTraceId TraceIdOf(string traceId)
+    {
+        string hex = (traceId ?? string.Empty).Replace("-", string.Empty, StringComparison.Ordinal).ToLowerInvariant();
+        if (hex.Length == 32 && IsHex(hex) && hex != ZeroTraceId)
+        {
+            return ActivityTraceId.CreateFromString(hex.AsSpan());
+        }
+
+        byte[] digest = SHA256.HashData(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(traceId ?? string.Empty));
+        return ActivityTraceId.CreateFromBytes(digest.AsSpan(0, 16));
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Formats an <see cref="ActivityTraceId"/> as a canonical UUID string — the form a producer
+    /// stamps into the message's <c>trace_id</c> so a consumer can recover the same trace id via
+    /// <see cref="TraceIdOf"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static string UuidOf(ActivityTraceId traceId)
+    {
+        string h = traceId.ToHexString();
+        return string.Create(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, $"{h[..8]}-{h[8..12]}-{h[12..16]}-{h[16..20]}-{h[20..32]}");
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns <paramref name="handler"/> wrapped to emit a CONSUMER activity <c>process &lt;urn&gt;</c>
+    /// in the trace derived from the envelope's <c>trace_id</c>, recording the handler's error/status.
+    /// The handler still receives the full <see cref="Envelope"/>; a throw is recorded and re-thrown so
+    /// the runtime's retry / dead-letter path still applies.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static Handler Wrap(Handler handler) =>
+        async envelope =>
+        {
+            string traceId = envelope.TraceId ?? string.Empty;
+            string urn = EnvelopeCodec.Urn(envelope);
+
+            ActivityContext parent = traceId.Length == 0
+                ? default
+                : new ActivityContext(TraceIdOf(traceId), SpanIdOf(traceId), ActivityTraceFlags.Recorded, isRemote: true);
+
+            using Activity? activity = Source.StartActivity($"process {urn}", ActivityKind.Consumer, parent);
+            ApplyConsumeTags(activity, envelope, traceId);
+
+            try
+            {
+                await handler(envelope).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                RecordError(activity, ex);
+                throw;
+            }
+        };
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Runs a publish under a PRODUCER activity <c>publish &lt;urn&gt;</c>, carrying the active trace's
+    /// id into the built envelope's <c>trace_id</c> so the downstream consumer recovers the same trace.
+    /// <paramref name="send"/> performs the real transport write and its result is returned.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static async Task<TResult> PublishAsync<TResult>(
+        string urn,
+        IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object?>? data,
+        Func<Envelope, Task<TResult>> send,
+        string queue = "default")
+    {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(send);
+
+        using Activity? activity = Source.StartActivity($"publish {urn}", ActivityKind.Producer);
+        activity?.SetTag("messaging.system", System);
+        activity?.SetTag("messaging.operation", "publish");
+        activity?.SetTag("messaging.destination.name", urn);
+
+        try
+        {
+            string traceId = activity is not null ? UuidOf(activity.TraceId) : Guid.NewGuid().ToString();
+            Envelope envelope = EnvelopeCodec.Make(urn, data, queue, traceId);
+            TResult result = await send(envelope).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            activity?.SetTag("messaging.message.id", envelope.Meta?.Id);
+            return result;
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            RecordError(activity, ex);
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void ApplyConsumeTags(Activity? activity, Envelope envelope, string traceId)
+    {
+        if (activity is null)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        activity.SetTag("messaging.system", System);
+        activity.SetTag("messaging.operation", "process");
+        activity.SetTag("messaging.destination.name", envelope.Meta?.Queue ?? string.Empty);
+        activity.SetTag("messaging.message.id", envelope.Meta?.Id ?? string.Empty);
+        activity.SetTag("messaging.message.conversation_id", traceId);
+        activity.SetTag("messaging.babelqueue.attempts", envelope.Attempts);
+    }
+
+    private static void RecordError(Activity? activity, Exception ex)
+    {
+        if (activity is null)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        activity.SetStatus(ActivityStatusCode.Error, ex.Message);
+        activity.AddEvent(new ActivityEvent("exception", tags: new ActivityTagsCollection
+        {
+            { "exception.type", ex.GetType().FullName },
+            { "exception.message", ex.Message },
+            { "exception.stacktrace", ex.ToString() },
+        }));
+    }
+
+    private static ActivitySpanId SpanIdOf(string traceId)
+    {
+        byte[] digest = SHA256.HashData(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("babelqueue-span:" + traceId));
+        return ActivitySpanId.CreateFromBytes(digest.AsSpan(0, 8));
+    }
+
+    private static bool IsHex(string value)
+    {
+        foreach (char c in value)
+        {
+            if (!Uri.IsHexDigit(c))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/BabelQueue.Core.Tests/TelemetryTests.cs b/tests/BabelQueue.Core.Tests/TelemetryTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a3f315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/BabelQueue.Core.Tests/TelemetryTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using BabelQueue;
+using BabelQueue.Tracing;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace BabelQueue.Tests;
+
+public sealed class TelemetryTests : IDisposable
+{
+    private const string TraceId = "7b3f9c2a-e41d-4f88-9b2a-1c0d5e6f7a8b";
+
+    private readonly List<Activity> _activities = new();
+    private readonly ActivityListener _listener;
+
+    public TelemetryTests()
+    {
+        _listener = new ActivityListener
+        {
+            ShouldListenTo = source => source.Name == Telemetry.ActivitySourceName,
+            Sample = static (ref ActivityCreationOptions<ActivityContext> _) => ActivitySamplingResult.AllData,
+            ActivityStopped = activity => _activities.Add(activity),
+        };
+        ActivitySource.AddActivityListener(_listener);
+    }
+
+    public void Dispose() => _listener.Dispose();
+
+    private static Envelope MakeEnvelope(int attempts = 0) =>
+        EnvelopeCodec.Make(
+            "urn:babel:orders:created",
+            new Dictionary<string, object?> { ["order_id"] = 1 },
+            "orders",
+            TraceId) with
+        { Attempts = attempts };
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TraceIdRoundTripsThroughUuid()
+    {
+        ActivityTraceId tid = Telemetry.TraceIdOf(TraceId);
+        Assert.Equal(TraceId, Telemetry.UuidOf(tid));
+
+        // a non-uuid trace_id maps deterministically to a valid, distinct trace id
+        Assert.Equal(Telemetry.TraceIdOf("not-a-uuid"), Telemetry.TraceIdOf("not-a-uuid"));
+        Assert.NotEqual(tid, Telemetry.TraceIdOf("not-a-uuid"));
+
+        // 32 chars but not hex → not a UUID, so it is hashed (non-zero)
+        Assert.NotEqual(default, Telemetry.TraceIdOf(new string('z', 32)));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task WrapEmitsConsumerActivityInTheTraceIdTrace()
+    {
+        bool called = false;
+        Handler handler = Telemetry.Wrap(_ =>
+        {
+            called = true;
+            return Task.CompletedTask;
+        });
+
+        await handler(MakeEnvelope(attempts: 2));
+
+        Assert.True(called);
+        Activity activity = Assert.Single(_activities);
+        Assert.Equal("process urn:babel:orders:created", activity.DisplayName);
+        Assert.Equal(ActivityKind.Consumer, activity.Kind);
+        Assert.Equal(Telemetry.TraceIdOf(TraceId), activity.TraceId);
+        Assert.Equal(TraceId, activity.GetTagItem("messaging.message.conversation_id"));
+        Assert.Equal("orders", activity.GetTagItem("messaging.destination.name"));
+        Assert.Equal(2, activity.GetTagItem("messaging.babelqueue.attempts"));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task WrapToleratesAnEnvelopeMissingOptionalMeta()
+    {
+        var partial = new Envelope("urn:babel:orders:created", TraceId, null, null, 0, null);
+        Handler handler = Telemetry.Wrap(_ => Task.CompletedTask);
+
+        await handler(partial);
+
+        Activity activity = Assert.Single(_activities);
+        Assert.Equal(string.Empty, activity.GetTagItem("messaging.destination.name"));
+        Assert.Equal(string.Empty, activity.GetTagItem("messaging.message.id"));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task WrapRecordsHandlerErrorAndRethrows()
+    {
+        Handler handler = Telemetry.Wrap(_ => Task.FromException(new InvalidOperationException("boom")));
+
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(() => handler(MakeEnvelope()));
+
+        Activity activity = Assert.Single(_activities);
+        Assert.Equal(ActivityStatusCode.Error, activity.Status);
+        Assert.Contains(activity.Events, e => e.Name == "exception");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task PublishStampsTraceIdFromTheProducerActivity()
+    {
+        Envelope? sent = null;
+        string id = await Telemetry.PublishAsync(
+            "urn:babel:orders:created",
+            new Dictionary<string, object?> { ["order_id"] = 7 },
+            env =>
+            {
+                sent = env;
+                return Task.FromResult(env.Meta!.Id!);
+            });
+
+        Activity activity = Assert.Single(_activities);
+        Assert.Equal(ActivityKind.Producer, activity.Kind);
+        Assert.NotNull(sent);
+
+        // the published trace_id encodes the producer activity's trace, so a consumer recovers it
+        Assert.Equal(Telemetry.UuidOf(activity.TraceId), sent!.TraceId);
+        Assert.Equal(activity.TraceId, Telemetry.TraceIdOf(sent.TraceId!));
+        Assert.Equal(id, activity.GetTagItem("messaging.message.id"));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task PublishRecordsAFailingSend()
+    {
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
+            Telemetry.PublishAsync<string>(
+                "urn:babel:orders:created",
+                null,
+                _ => Task.FromException<string>(new InvalidOperationException("send failed"))));
+
+        Activity activity = Assert.Single(_activities);
+        Assert.Equal(ActivityKind.Producer, activity.Kind);
+        Assert.Equal(ActivityStatusCode.Error, activity.Status);
+    }
+}