diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index d07cfc7eb0..02daa4b042 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from flask_marshmallow import Marshmallow
 from flask_migrate import Migrate
 from time import monotonic
-from ddtrace import patch
 from notifications_utils.clients.zendesk.zendesk_client import ZendeskClient
 from notifications_utils.clients.statsd.statsd_client import StatsdClient
 from notifications_utils.clients.redis.redis_client import RedisClient
@@ -42,8 +41,6 @@
 
 load_dotenv()
 
-patch(celery=True)
-
 migrate = Migrate()
 ma = Marshmallow()
 notify_celery = NotifyCelery()
diff --git a/app/celery/celery.py b/app/celery/celery.py
index 88e72af7c8..de5508a4da 100644
--- a/app/celery/celery.py
+++ b/app/celery/celery.py
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 from celery import Celery, Task
 from celery.signals import worker_process_shutdown, worker_shutting_down, worker_process_init
 from flask import current_app
+from ddtrace import patch, tracer
+
+patch(celery=True)
+current_app.logger.info('Celery has been patched with DataDog APM.')
 
 
 @worker_process_init.connect
@@ -73,7 +77,8 @@ def __call__(
             # ensure task has flask context to access config, logger, etc
             with app.app_context():
                 self.start = time.time()
-                return super().__call__(*args, **kwargs)
+                with tracer.trace(self.name, service='celery-task'):
+                    return super().__call__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     return NotifyTask