diff --git a/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivity.cs b/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivity.cs
index d832c769..0b3d1cea 100644
--- a/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivity.cs
+++ b/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivity.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ public interface ISdkActivity : IDisposable
   void SetTag(string key, object? value);
   void RecordException(Exception e);
   string TraceId { get; }
+  string SpanId { get; }
   void SetStatus(SdkActivityStatusCode code);
 
   void InjectHeaders(Action<string, string> header);
diff --git a/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivityFactory.cs b/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivityFactory.cs
index 2ed61881..ce69c387 100644
--- a/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivityFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Speckle.Sdk.Dependencies/ISdkActivityFactory.cs
@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@ public interface ISdkActivityFactory : IDisposable
 {
   /// <param name="name"></param>
   /// <param name="source"></param>
-  /// <param name="parentId">Only need to set if the parent is coming from an external source (e.g.to trace between client and server)</param>
   /// <returns></returns>
-  ISdkActivity? Start(string? name = default, [CallerMemberName] string source = "", string? parentId = null);
+  ISdkActivity? Start(string? name = default, [CallerMemberName] string source = "");
+  ISdkActivity? StartRemote(
+    string traceId,
+    string parentSpanId,
+    string? name = default,
+    [CallerMemberName] string source = ""
+  );
 }
diff --git a/src/Speckle.Sdk/Logging/NullActivityFactory.cs b/src/Speckle.Sdk/Logging/NullActivityFactory.cs
index a8aeb098..e761a9bd 100644
--- a/src/Speckle.Sdk/Logging/NullActivityFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Speckle.Sdk/Logging/NullActivityFactory.cs
@@ -4,5 +4,8 @@ public sealed class NullActivityFactory : ISdkActivityFactory
 {
   public void Dispose() { }
 
-  public ISdkActivity? Start(string? name = default, string source = "", string? parentId = null) => null;
+  public ISdkActivity? Start(string? name = default, string source = "") => null;
+
+  public ISdkActivity? StartRemote(string traceId, string parentSpanId, string? name = default, string source = "") =>
+    null;
 }
diff --git a/tests/Speckle.Sdk.Serialization.Tests/ServerObjectManagerTests.cs b/tests/Speckle.Sdk.Serialization.Tests/ServerObjectManagerTests.cs
index 1ba692c9..c81e734e 100644
--- a/tests/Speckle.Sdk.Serialization.Tests/ServerObjectManagerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Speckle.Sdk.Serialization.Tests/ServerObjectManagerTests.cs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class ServerObjectManagerTests : MoqTest
     http.Setup(x => x.CreateHttpClient(It.IsAny<HttpClientHandler>(), timeout, token)).Returns(httpClient);
 
     var activityFactory = Create<ISdkActivityFactory>();
-    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "DownloadObjects", null)).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
+    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "DownloadObjects")).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
 
     var serverObjectManager = new ServerObjectManager(
       http.Object,
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public class ServerObjectManagerTests : MoqTest
     http.Setup(x => x.CreateHttpClient(It.IsAny<HttpClientHandler>(), timeout, token)).Returns(httpClient);
 
     var activityFactory = Create<ISdkActivityFactory>();
-    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "DownloadSingleObject", null)).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
+    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "DownloadSingleObject")).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
 
     var serverObjectManager = new ServerObjectManager(
       http.Object,
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class ServerObjectManagerTests : MoqTest
     http.Setup(x => x.CreateHttpClient(It.IsAny<HttpClientHandler>(), timeout, token)).Returns(httpClient);
 
     var activityFactory = Create<ISdkActivityFactory>();
-    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "HasObjects", null)).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
+    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "HasObjects")).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
 
     var serverObjectManager = new ServerObjectManager(
       http.Object,
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class ServerObjectManagerTests : MoqTest
     http.Setup(x => x.CreateHttpClient(It.IsAny<HttpClientHandler>(), timeout, token)).Returns(httpClient);
 
     var activityFactory = Create<ISdkActivityFactory>();
-    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "UploadObjects", null)).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
+    activityFactory.Setup(x => x.Start(null, "UploadObjects")).Returns((ISdkActivity?)null);
 
     var serverObjectManager = new ServerObjectManager(
       http.Object,