diff --git a/addons/ot/include/conf.h b/addons/ot/include/conf.h
index 97df12e..a4bb7fc 100644
--- a/addons/ot/include/conf.h
+++ b/addons/ot/include/conf.h
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@
 #define FLT_OT_DBG_CONF_PH(f,a) \
 	FLT_OT_DBG(3, f FLT_OT_CONF_HDR_FMT "%p }", FLT_OT_CONF_HDR_ARGS(a, id), (a)->ptr)
 
-#define FLT_OT_DBG_CONF_TRACER(f,a)                                                                                                   \
-	FLT_OT_DBG(3, f FLT_OT_CONF_HDR_FMT "'%s' '%s' %p %u %hhu %hhu 0x%02hhx %p:%s 0x%08x %s %s %s }",                             \
-	           FLT_OT_CONF_HDR_ARGS(a, id), (a)->config, (a)->plugin, (a)->tracer, (a)->rate_limit, (a)->flag_harderr,            \
-	           (a)->flag_disabled, (a)->logging, &((a)->proxy_log), flt_ot_list_debug(&((a)->proxy_log.logsrvs)), (a)->analyzers, \
+#define FLT_OT_DBG_CONF_TRACER(f,a)                                                                                                     \
+	FLT_OT_DBG(3, f FLT_OT_CONF_HDR_FMT "'%s' %p '%s' %p %u %hhu %hhu 0x%02hhx %p:%s 0x%08x %s %s %s }",                            \
+	           FLT_OT_CONF_HDR_ARGS(a, id), (a)->config, (a)->cfgbuf, (a)->plugin, (a)->tracer, (a)->rate_limit, (a)->flag_harderr, \
+	           (a)->flag_disabled, (a)->logging, &((a)->proxy_log), flt_ot_list_debug(&((a)->proxy_log.logsrvs)), (a)->analyzers,   \
 	           flt_ot_list_debug(&((a)->acls)), flt_ot_list_debug(&((a)->ph_groups)), flt_ot_list_debug(&((a)->ph_scopes)))
 
 #define FLT_OT_DBG_CONF(f,a)                                                  \
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@
 struct flt_ot_conf_tracer {
 	FLT_OT_CONF_HDR(id);              /* The tracer name. */
 	char              *config;        /* The OpenTracing configuration file name. */
+	char              *cfgbuf;        /* The OpenTracing configuration. */
 	char              *plugin;        /* The OpenTracing plugin library file name. */
 	struct otc_tracer *tracer;        /* The OpenTracing tracer handle. */
 	uint32_t           rate_limit;    /* [0 2^32-1] <-> [0.0 100.0] */
diff --git a/addons/ot/include/opentracing.h b/addons/ot/include/opentracing.h
index 2dbf532..2b88a33 100644
--- a/addons/ot/include/opentracing.h
+++ b/addons/ot/include/opentracing.h
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
 void                     ot_text_map_show(const struct otc_text_map *text_map);
 void                     ot_debug(void);
 #endif
-int                      ot_init(struct otc_tracer **tracer, const char *config, const char *plugin, char **err);
+int                      ot_init(struct otc_tracer **tracer, const char *plugin, char **err);
+int                      ot_start(struct otc_tracer *tracer, const char *cfgbuf, char **err);
 struct otc_span         *ot_span_init(struct otc_tracer *tracer, const char *operation_name, const struct timespec *ts_steady, const struct timespec *ts_system, int ref_type, int ref_ctx_idx, const struct otc_span *ref_span, const struct otc_tag *tags, int num_tags, char **err);
 int                      ot_span_tag(struct otc_span *span, const struct otc_tag *tags, int num_tags);
 int                      ot_span_log(struct otc_span *span, const struct otc_log_field *log_fields, int num_fields);
diff --git a/addons/ot/src/conf.c b/addons/ot/src/conf.c
index 71db967..d07be2c 100644
--- a/addons/ot/src/conf.c
+++ b/addons/ot/src/conf.c
@@ -671,6 +671,7 @@
 
 	FLT_OT_FREE((*ptr)->id);
 	FLT_OT_FREE((*ptr)->config);
+	FLT_OT_FREE((*ptr)->cfgbuf);
 	FLT_OT_FREE((*ptr)->plugin);
 	FLT_OT_DBG(2, "- deleting acls list %s", flt_ot_list_debug(&((*ptr)->acls)));
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(acl, aclback, &((*ptr)->acls), list) {
diff --git a/addons/ot/src/filter.c b/addons/ot/src/filter.c
index 6699d46..04c4a67 100644
--- a/addons/ot/src/filter.c
+++ b/addons/ot/src/filter.c
@@ -168,11 +168,10 @@
 
 	/*
 	 * Initialize the OpenTracing library.
-	 * Enable HTX streams filtering.
 	 */
-	retval = ot_init(&(conf->tracer->tracer), conf->tracer->config, conf->tracer->plugin, &err);
+	retval = ot_init(&(conf->tracer->tracer), conf->tracer->plugin, &err);
 	if (retval != FLT_OT_RET_ERROR)
-		fconf->flags |= FLT_CFG_FL_HTX;
+		/* Do nothing. */;
 	else if (err != NULL) {
 		FLT_OT_ALERT("%s", err);
 
@@ -426,8 +425,6 @@
 }
 
 
-#ifdef DEBUG_OT
-
 /***
  * NAME
  *   flt_ot_init_per_thread -
@@ -446,14 +443,38 @@
  */
 static int flt_ot_init_per_thread(struct proxy *p, struct flt_conf *fconf)
 {
-	int retval = FLT_OT_RET_OK;
+	struct flt_ot_conf *conf = FLT_OT_DEREF(fconf, conf, NULL);
+	char               *err = NULL;
+	int                 retval = FLT_OT_RET_ERROR;
 
 	FLT_OT_FUNC("%p, %p", p, fconf);
 
+	if (conf == NULL)
+		FLT_OT_RETURN(retval);
+
+	/*
+	 * Start the OpenTracing library tracer thread.
+	 * Enable HTX streams filtering.
+	 */
+	if (!(fconf->flags & FLT_CFG_FL_HTX)) {
+		retval = ot_start(conf->tracer->tracer, conf->tracer->cfgbuf, &err);
+		if (retval != FLT_OT_RET_ERROR)
+			fconf->flags |= FLT_CFG_FL_HTX;
+		else if (err != NULL) {
+			FLT_OT_ALERT("%s", err);
+
+			FLT_OT_ERR_FREE(err);
+		}
+	} else {
+		retval = FLT_OT_RET_OK;
+	}
+
 	FLT_OT_RETURN(retval);
 }
 
 
+#ifdef DEBUG_OT
+
 /***
  * NAME
  *   flt_ot_deinit_per_thread -
@@ -1112,7 +1133,7 @@
 	.init                  = flt_ot_init,
 	.deinit                = flt_ot_deinit,
 	.check                 = flt_ot_check,
-	.init_per_thread       = FLT_OT_DBG_IFDEF(flt_ot_init_per_thread, NULL),
+	.init_per_thread       = flt_ot_init_per_thread,
 	.deinit_per_thread     = FLT_OT_DBG_IFDEF(flt_ot_deinit_per_thread, NULL),
 
 	/* Stream callbacks. */
diff --git a/addons/ot/src/opentracing.c b/addons/ot/src/opentracing.c
index 58936d1..b79ba29 100644
--- a/addons/ot/src/opentracing.c
+++ b/addons/ot/src/opentracing.c
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@
  *
  * ARGUMENTS
  *   tracer -
- *   config -
  *   plugin -
  *   err    -
  *
@@ -148,12 +147,12 @@
  * RETURN VALUE
  *   -
  */
-int ot_init(struct otc_tracer **tracer, const char *config, const char *plugin, char **err)
+int ot_init(struct otc_tracer **tracer, const char *plugin, char **err)
 {
 	char cwd[PATH_MAX], path[PATH_MAX], errbuf[BUFSIZ] = "";
 	int  rc, retval = -1;
 
-	FLT_OT_FUNC("%p:%p \"%s\", \"%s\", %p:%p", FLT_OT_DPTR_ARGS(tracer), config, plugin, FLT_OT_DPTR_ARGS(err));
+	FLT_OT_FUNC("%p:%p, \"%s\", %p:%p", FLT_OT_DPTR_ARGS(tracer), plugin, FLT_OT_DPTR_ARGS(err));
 
 	flt_ot_pools_info();
 #ifdef USE_POOL_OT_SPAN_CONTEXT
@@ -172,7 +171,7 @@
 		FLT_OT_RETURN(retval);
 	}
 
-	*tracer = otc_tracer_init(path, config, NULL, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
+	*tracer = otc_tracer_load(path, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
 	if (*tracer == NULL) {
 		FLT_OT_ERR("%s", (*errbuf == '\0') ? "failed to initialize tracing library" : errbuf);
 	} else {
@@ -187,6 +186,39 @@
 
 /***
  * NAME
+ *   ot_start -
+ *
+ * ARGUMENTS
+ *   tracer -
+ *   cfgbuf -
+ *   err    -
+ *
+ * DESCRIPTION
+ *   -
+ *
+ * RETURN VALUE
+ *   This function does not return a value.
+ */
+int ot_start(struct otc_tracer *tracer, const char *cfgbuf, char **err)
+{
+	char errbuf[BUFSIZ] = "";
+	int  retval = -1;
+
+	FLT_OT_FUNC("%p, %p, %p:%p", tracer, cfgbuf, FLT_OT_DPTR_ARGS(err));
+
+	if (cfgbuf == NULL)
+		FLT_OT_RETURN(retval);
+
+	retval = otc_tracer_start(NULL, cfgbuf, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
+	if (retval == -1)
+		FLT_OT_ERR("%s", (*errbuf == '\0') ? "failed to start tracer" : errbuf);
+
+	FLT_OT_RETURN(retval);
+}
+
+
+/***
+ * NAME
  *   ot_close -
  *
  * ARGUMENTS
diff --git a/addons/ot/src/parser.c b/addons/ot/src/parser.c
index 5dec862..e26ca18 100644
--- a/addons/ot/src/parser.c
+++ b/addons/ot/src/parser.c
@@ -574,7 +574,8 @@
  */
 static int flt_ot_post_parse_cfg_tracer(void)
 {
-	int retval = ERR_NONE;
+	char errbuf[BUFSIZ] = "";
+	int  retval = ERR_NONE;
 
 	FLT_OT_FUNC("");
 
@@ -586,8 +587,13 @@
 	if (flt_ot_current_tracer->id == NULL)
 		FLT_OT_RETURN(retval);
 
-	if (flt_ot_current_tracer->config == NULL)
+	if (flt_ot_current_tracer->config == NULL) {
 		FLT_OT_POST_PARSE_ALERT("tracer '%s' has no configuration file specified", flt_ot_current_tracer->cfg_line, flt_ot_current_tracer->id);
+	} else {
+		flt_ot_current_tracer->cfgbuf = otc_file_read(flt_ot_current_tracer->config, "#", errbuf, sizeof(errbuf));
+		if (flt_ot_current_tracer->cfgbuf == NULL)
+			FLT_OT_POST_PARSE_ALERT("tracer '%s' %s", flt_ot_current_tracer->cfg_line, flt_ot_current_tracer->id, (*errbuf == '\0') ? "cannot load configuration file" : errbuf);
+	}
 
 	if (flt_ot_current_tracer->plugin == NULL)
 		FLT_OT_POST_PARSE_ALERT("tracer '%s' has no plugin library specified", flt_ot_current_tracer->cfg_line, flt_ot_current_tracer->id);