diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/metrics_test.go b/ddtrace/tracer/metrics_test.go
index f842516fef..1f524f8865 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/metrics_test.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/metrics_test.go
@@ -247,13 +247,7 @@ func (tg *testStatsdClient) Wait(n int, d time.Duration) error {
 
 func TestReportRuntimeMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 	var tg testStatsdClient
-	trc := &tracer{
-		stopped:  make(chan struct{}),
-		exitChan: make(chan struct{}),
-		config: &config{
-			statsd: &tg,
-		},
-	}
+	trc := newUnstartedTracer(withStatsdClient(&tg))
 
 	trc.wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
@@ -274,21 +268,7 @@ func TestReportRuntimeMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 func TestReportHealthMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 	var tg testStatsdClient
-	trc := &tracer{
-		config: &config{
-			statsd:    &tg,
-			sampler:   NewAllSampler(),
-			transport: newDummyTransport(),
-		},
-		payload:          newPayload(),
-		flushChan:        make(chan struct{}),
-		exitChan:         make(chan struct{}),
-		payloadChan:      make(chan []*span, payloadQueueSize),
-		stopped:          make(chan struct{}),
-		rulesSampling:    newRulesSampler(nil),
-		climit:           make(chan struct{}, concurrentConnectionLimit),
-		prioritySampling: newPrioritySampler(),
-	}
+	trc := newUnstartedTracer(withStatsdClient(&tg))
 	internal.SetGlobalTracer(trc)
 	defer internal.SetGlobalTracer(&internal.NoopTracer{})
 
diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/sampler_test.go b/ddtrace/tracer/sampler_test.go
index 6ddaba8474..45c821140f 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/sampler_test.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/sampler_test.go
@@ -496,22 +496,6 @@ func TestSamplingLimiter(t *testing.T) {
 
 func BenchmarkRulesSampler(b *testing.B) {
 	const batchSize = 500
-	newTracer := func(opts ...StartOption) *tracer {
-		c := new(config)
-		defaults(c)
-		for _, fn := range opts {
-			fn(c)
-		}
-		return &tracer{
-			config:           c,
-			payloadChan:      make(chan []*span, batchSize),
-			flushChan:        make(chan struct{}, 1),
-			stopped:          make(chan struct{}),
-			exitChan:         make(chan struct{}, 1),
-			rulesSampling:    newRulesSampler(c.samplingRules),
-			prioritySampling: newPrioritySampler(),
-		}
-	}
 
 	benchmarkStartSpan := func(b *testing.B, t *tracer) {
 		internal.SetGlobalTracer(t)
@@ -553,7 +537,7 @@ func BenchmarkRulesSampler(b *testing.B) {
 	}
 
 	b.Run("no-rules", func(b *testing.B) {
-		tracer := newTracer()
+		tracer := newUnstartedTracer()
 		benchmarkStartSpan(b, tracer)
 	})
 
@@ -563,7 +547,7 @@ func BenchmarkRulesSampler(b *testing.B) {
 			NameServiceRule("db.query", "postgres.db", 1.0),
 			NameRule("notweb.request", 1.0),
 		}
-		tracer := newTracer(WithSamplingRules(rules))
+		tracer := newUnstartedTracer(WithSamplingRules(rules))
 		benchmarkStartSpan(b, tracer)
 	})
 
@@ -573,7 +557,7 @@ func BenchmarkRulesSampler(b *testing.B) {
 			NameServiceRule("db.query", "postgres.db", 1.0),
 			NameRule("web.request", 1.0),
 		}
-		tracer := newTracer(WithSamplingRules(rules))
+		tracer := newUnstartedTracer(WithSamplingRules(rules))
 		benchmarkStartSpan(b, tracer)
 	})
 
@@ -603,7 +587,7 @@ func BenchmarkRulesSampler(b *testing.B) {
 			NameRule("notweb.request", 1.0),
 			NameRule("web.request", 1.0),
 		}
-		tracer := newTracer(WithSamplingRules(rules))
+		tracer := newUnstartedTracer(WithSamplingRules(rules))
 		benchmarkStartSpan(b, tracer)
 	})
 }
diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer.go b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer.go
index 6b59cc72eb..5ba995ce14 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func Inject(ctx ddtrace.SpanContext, carrier interface{}) error {
 // payloadQueueSize is the buffer size of the trace channel.
 const payloadQueueSize = 1000
 
-func newTracer(opts ...StartOption) *tracer {
+func newUnstartedTracer(opts ...StartOption) *tracer {
 	c := new(config)
 	defaults(c)
 	for _, fn := range opts {
@@ -169,11 +169,10 @@ func newTracer(opts ...StartOption) *tracer {
 			c.statsd = client
 		}
 	}
-
-	t := &tracer{
+	return &tracer{
 		config:           c,
 		payload:          newPayload(),
-		flushChan:        make(chan struct{}),
+		flushChan:        make(chan struct{}, 1),
 		exitChan:         make(chan struct{}),
 		payloadChan:      make(chan []*span, payloadQueueSize),
 		stopped:          make(chan struct{}),
@@ -182,6 +181,11 @@ func newTracer(opts ...StartOption) *tracer {
 		prioritySampling: newPrioritySampler(),
 		pid:              strconv.Itoa(os.Getpid()),
 	}
+}
+
+func newTracer(opts ...StartOption) *tracer {
+	t := newUnstartedTracer(opts...)
+	c := t.config
 	t.config.statsd.Incr("datadog.tracer.started", nil, 1)
 	if c.runtimeMetrics {
 		log.Debug("Runtime metrics enabled.")
diff --git a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
index 2df8c0690b..309b3ad153 100644
--- a/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
+++ b/ddtrace/tracer/tracer_test.go
@@ -870,16 +870,8 @@ func TestWorker(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func newTracerChannels() *tracer {
-	return &tracer{
-		payload:     newPayload(),
-		payloadChan: make(chan []*span, payloadQueueSize),
-		flushChan:   make(chan struct{}, 1),
-	}
-}
-
 func TestPushPayload(t *testing.T) {
-	tracer := newTracerChannels()
+	tracer := newUnstartedTracer()
 	s := newBasicSpan("3MB")
 	s.Meta["key"] = strings.Repeat("X", payloadSizeLimit/2+10)
 
@@ -899,7 +891,7 @@ func TestPushTrace(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tp := new(testLogger)
 	log.UseLogger(tp)
-	tracer := newTracerChannels()
+	tracer := newUnstartedTracer()
 	trace := []*span{
 		&span{
 			Name:     "pylons.request",
diff --git a/internal/version/version.go b/internal/version/version.go
index 02181bb15a..9f39fb0948 100644
--- a/internal/version/version.go
+++ b/internal/version/version.go
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ package version
 // Tag specifies the current release tag. It needs to be manually
 // updated. A test checks that the value of Tag never points to a
 // git tag that is older than HEAD.
-const Tag = "v1.21.0"
+const Tag = "v1.20.1"