diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.OpenTelemetry/Middleware/OpenTelemetryTracingWorkflowExecutionMiddleware.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.OpenTelemetry/Middleware/OpenTelemetryTracingWorkflowExecutionMiddleware.cs
index cb209a0c0..a379dc384 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.OpenTelemetry/Middleware/OpenTelemetryTracingWorkflowExecutionMiddleware.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.OpenTelemetry/Middleware/OpenTelemetryTracingWorkflowExecutionMiddleware.cs
@@ -27,8 +27,17 @@ public class OpenTelemetryTracingWorkflowExecutionMiddleware(WorkflowMiddlewareD
     {
         var workflowInstanceId = context.Id;
         var workflow = context.Workflow;
-        using var span = ElsaOpenTelemetry.ActivitySource.StartActivity($"execute workflow {workflow.WorkflowMetadata.Name}", ActivityKind.Server, Activity.Current?.Context ?? default);
-        var now = systemClock.UtcNow;
+        var startNewTrace = context.Properties.TryGetValue("StartNewTrace", out var startNewTraceValue) && (bool)startNewTraceValue;
+        var parentTraceContext = startNewTrace ? default : Activity.Current?.Context ?? default;
+        var linkedTraceContext = startNewTrace ? Activity.Current : null;
+        
+        if(startNewTrace)
+        {
+            Activity.Current?.Stop();
+            Activity.Current = null;
+        }
+        
+        using var span = ElsaOpenTelemetry.ActivitySource.StartActivity($"execute workflow {workflow.WorkflowMetadata.Name}", ActivityKind.Server, parentTraceContext);
 
         if (span == null) // No listener is registered.
         {
@@ -36,6 +45,12 @@ public class OpenTelemetryTracingWorkflowExecutionMiddleware(WorkflowMiddlewareD
             return;
         }
 
+        if(startNewTrace)
+        {
+            if (linkedTraceContext != null)
+                span.AddLink(new(linkedTraceContext.Context));
+        }
+
         span.SetTag("operation.name", "elsa.workflow.execution");
         span.SetTag("span.type", "workflow");
         span.SetTag("workflow.definition.id", workflow.Identity.DefinitionId);
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/BulkDispatchWorkflows.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/BulkDispatchWorkflows.cs
index 8074be822..2207e05bd 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/BulkDispatchWorkflows.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/BulkDispatchWorkflows.cs
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@ public class BulkDispatchWorkflows : Activity
         Description = "Wait for the dispatched workflows to complete before completing this activity.",
         DefaultValue = true)]
     public Input<bool> WaitForCompletion { get; set; } = new(true);
+    
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Indicates whether a new trace context should be started for the workflow execution.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Input(Description = "Start a new trace context when using Open Telemetry.", Category = "Open Telemetry")]
+    public Input<bool> StartNewTrace { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// The channel to dispatch the workflow to.
@@ -104,12 +110,13 @@ public class BulkDispatchWorkflows : Activity
     protected override async ValueTask ExecuteAsync(ActivityExecutionContext context)
     {
         var waitForCompletion = WaitForCompletion.GetOrDefault(context);
+        var startNewTrace = StartNewTrace.GetOrDefault(context);
         var items = await context.GetItemSource<object>(Items).ToListAsync(context.CancellationToken);
         var count = items.Count;
 
         // Dispatch the child workflows.
         foreach (var item in items)
-            await DispatchChildWorkflowAsync(context, item, waitForCompletion);
+            await DispatchChildWorkflowAsync(context, item, waitForCompletion, startNewTrace);
 
         // Store the number of dispatched instances for tracking.
         context.SetProperty(DispatchedInstancesCountKey, count);
@@ -139,7 +146,7 @@ public class BulkDispatchWorkflows : Activity
         }
     }
 
-    private async ValueTask<string> DispatchChildWorkflowAsync(ActivityExecutionContext context, object item, bool waitForCompletion)
+    private async ValueTask<string> DispatchChildWorkflowAsync(ActivityExecutionContext context, object item, bool waitForCompletion, bool startNewTrace)
     {
         var workflowDefinitionId = WorkflowDefinitionId.Get(context);
         var workflowDefinitionService = context.GetRequiredService<IWorkflowDefinitionService>();
@@ -157,8 +164,8 @@ public class BulkDispatchWorkflows : Activity
             ["ParentInstanceId"] = parentInstanceId
         };
 
-        if (waitForCompletion)
-            properties["WaitForCompletion"] = true;
+        if (waitForCompletion) properties["WaitForCompletion"] = true;
+        if (startNewTrace) properties["StartNewTrace"] = true;
 
         var itemDictionary = new Dictionary<string, object>
         {
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/DispatchWorkflow.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/DispatchWorkflow.cs
index 566c79937..9619e1d73 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/DispatchWorkflow.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Activities/DispatchWorkflow.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ namespace Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.Activities;
 public class DispatchWorkflow : Activity<object>
 {
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public DispatchWorkflow([CallerFilePath] string? source = default, [CallerLineNumber] int? line = default) : base(source, line)
+    public DispatchWorkflow([CallerFilePath] string? source = null, [CallerLineNumber] int? line = null) : base(source, line)
     {
     }
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public class DispatchWorkflow : Activity<object>
         Description = "The definition ID of the workflow to dispatch.",
         UIHint = InputUIHints.WorkflowDefinitionPicker
     )]
-    public Input<string> WorkflowDefinitionId { get; set; } = default!;
+    public Input<string> WorkflowDefinitionId { get; set; } = null!;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// The correlation ID to associate the workflow with. 
@@ -41,19 +41,25 @@ public class DispatchWorkflow : Activity<object>
         DisplayName = "Correlation ID",
         Description = "The correlation ID to associate the workflow with."
     )]
-    public Input<string?> CorrelationId { get; set; } = default!;
+    public Input<string?> CorrelationId { get; set; } = null!;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// The input to send to the workflow.
     /// </summary>
     [Input(Description = "The input to send to the workflow.")]
-    public Input<IDictionary<string, object>?> Input { get; set; } = default!;
+    public Input<IDictionary<string, object>?> Input { get; set; } = null!;
 
     /// <summary>
     /// True to wait for the child workflow to complete before completing this activity, false to "fire and forget".
     /// </summary>
     [Input(Description = "Wait for the child workflow to complete before completing this activity.")]
-    public Input<bool> WaitForCompletion { get; set; } = default!;
+    public Input<bool> WaitForCompletion { get; set; } = null!;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Indicates whether a new trace context should be started for the workflow execution.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Input(Description = "Start a new trace context when using Open Telemetry.", Category = "Open Telemetry")]
+    public Input<bool> StartNewTrace { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// The channel to dispatch the workflow to.
@@ -64,7 +70,7 @@ public class DispatchWorkflow : Activity<object>
         UIHint = InputUIHints.DropDown,
         UIHandler = typeof(DispatcherChannelOptionsProvider)
     )]
-    public Input<string?> ChannelName { get; set; } = default!;
+    public Input<string?> ChannelName { get; set; } = null!;
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
     protected override async ValueTask ExecuteAsync(ActivityExecutionContext context)
@@ -103,16 +109,17 @@ public class DispatchWorkflow : Activity<object>
 
         var input = Input.GetOrDefault(context) ?? new Dictionary<string, object>();
         var channelName = ChannelName.GetOrDefault(context);
+        var startNewTrace = StartNewTrace.GetOrDefault(context);
         var parentInstanceId = context.WorkflowExecutionContext.Id;
         var properties = new Dictionary<string, object>
         {
-            ["ParentInstanceId"] = parentInstanceId
+            ["ParentInstanceId"] = parentInstanceId,
         };
 
         // If we need to wait for the child workflow to complete, set the property. This will be used by the ResumeDispatchWorkflowActivity handler.
-        if (waitForCompletion)
-            properties["WaitForCompletion"] = true;
-
+        if (waitForCompletion) properties["WaitForCompletion"] = true;
+        if (startNewTrace) properties["StartNewTrace"] = true;
+        
         input["ParentInstanceId"] = parentInstanceId;
 
         var correlationId = CorrelationId.GetOrDefault(context);
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher.cs
index e9cbefc06..09e889628 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public class BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher : IWorkflowDispatcher
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchWorkflowDefinitionRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = default, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchWorkflowDefinitionRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         var command = new DispatchWorkflowDefinitionCommand(request.DefinitionVersionId)
         {
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher : IWorkflowDispatcher
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchWorkflowInstanceRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = default, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchWorkflowInstanceRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         var command = new DispatchWorkflowInstanceCommand(request.InstanceId){
             BookmarkId = request.BookmarkId,
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher : IWorkflowDispatcher
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchTriggerWorkflowsRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = default, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchTriggerWorkflowsRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         var command = new DispatchTriggerWorkflowsCommand(request.ActivityTypeName, request.BookmarkPayload)
         {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class BackgroundWorkflowDispatcher : IWorkflowDispatcher
     }
 
     /// <inheritdoc />
-    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchResumeWorkflowsRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = default, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    public async Task<DispatchWorkflowResponse> DispatchAsync(DispatchResumeWorkflowsRequest request, DispatchWorkflowOptions? options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         var command = new DispatchResumeWorkflowsCommand(request.ActivityTypeName, request.BookmarkPayload)
         {