diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index f5b6c49c..1eb48550 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ Change Log
 
 .. There should always be an "Unreleased" section for changes pending release.
 
+[5.15.0] - 2024-07-29
+---------------------
+Added
+~~~~~
+* Added Datadog implementation of ``function_trace`` and allowed implementation to be configurable.
+
 [5.14.2] - 2024-05-31
 ---------------------
 Fixed
diff --git a/edx_django_utils/__init__.py b/edx_django_utils/__init__.py
index 825ad372..d2b27a88 100644
--- a/edx_django_utils/__init__.py
+++ b/edx_django_utils/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 EdX utilities for Django Application development..
 """
 
-__version__ = "5.14.2"
+__version__ = "5.15.0"
 
 default_app_config = (
     "edx_django_utils.apps.EdxDjangoUtilsConfig"
diff --git a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/README.rst b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/README.rst
index 7b01677c..4a882d9c 100644
--- a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/README.rst
+++ b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/README.rst
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ Feature support matrix for built-in telemetry backends:
      - ✅ (on root span)
      - ✅ (on current span)
      - ✅ (on root span)
-   * - Retrieve and manipulate spans (``function_trace``, ``get_current_transaction``, ``ignore_transaction``, ``set_monitoring_transaction_name``)
+   * - Create a new span (``function_trace``)
+     - ✅
+     - ❌
+     - ✅
+   * - Retrieve and manipulate spans (``get_current_transaction``, ``ignore_transaction``, ``set_monitoring_transaction_name``)
      - ✅
      - ❌
      - ❌
diff --git a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/__init__.py b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/__init__.py
index 696ba167..8b4a34e0 100644
--- a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/__init__.py
+++ b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/__init__.py
@@ -17,15 +17,11 @@
     FrontendMonitoringMiddleware,
     MonitoringMemoryMiddleware
 )
-from .internal.transactions import (
-    function_trace,
-    get_current_transaction,
-    ignore_transaction,
-    set_monitoring_transaction_name
-)
+from .internal.transactions import get_current_transaction, ignore_transaction, set_monitoring_transaction_name
 from .internal.utils import (
     accumulate,
     background_task,
+    function_trace,
     increment,
     record_exception,
     set_custom_attribute,
diff --git a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/backends.py b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/backends.py
index c982a3fb..3b184d19 100644
--- a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/backends.py
+++ b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/backends.py
@@ -50,6 +50,18 @@ def record_exception(self):
         Record the exception that is currently being handled.
         """
 
+    @abstractmethod
+    def create_span(self, name):
+        """
+        Start a tracing span with the given name, returning a context manager instance.
+        
+        The caller must use the return value in a `with` statement or similar so that the
+        span is guaranteed to be closed appropriately.
+        
+        Implementations should create a new child span parented to the current span,
+        or create a new root span if not currently in a span.
+        """
+
 
 class NewRelicBackend(TelemetryBackend):
     """
@@ -77,6 +89,13 @@ def record_exception(self):
         # https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/apm/agents/python-agent/python-agent-api/recordexception-python-agent-api/
         newrelic.agent.record_exception()
 
+    def create_span(self, name):
+        if newrelic.version_info[0] >= 5:
+            return newrelic.agent.FunctionTrace(name)
+        else:
+            nr_transaction = newrelic.agent.current_transaction()
+            return newrelic.agent.FunctionTrace(nr_transaction, name)
+
 
 class OpenTelemetryBackend(TelemetryBackend):
     """
@@ -98,6 +117,10 @@ def set_attribute(self, key, value):
     def record_exception(self):
         self.otel_trace.get_current_span().record_exception(sys.exc_info()[1])
 
+    def create_span(self, name):
+        # Currently, this is not implemented.
+        pass
+
 
 class DatadogBackend(TelemetryBackend):
     """
@@ -119,6 +142,9 @@ def record_exception(self):
         if span := self.dd_tracer.current_span():
             span.set_traceback()
 
+    def create_span(self, name):
+        return self.dd_tracer.trace(name)
+
 
 # We're using an lru_cache instead of assigning the result to a variable on
 # module load. With the default settings (pointing to a TelemetryBackend
diff --git a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/transactions.py b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/transactions.py
index 6d712e81..50111da9 100644
--- a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/transactions.py
+++ b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/transactions.py
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@
 
 Please remember to expose any new methods in the `__init__.py` file.
 """
-
-from contextlib import contextmanager
-
 try:
     import newrelic.agent
 except ImportError:
@@ -41,28 +38,6 @@ def ignore_transaction():
         newrelic.agent.ignore_transaction()
 
 
-@contextmanager
-def function_trace(function_name):
-    """
-    Wraps a chunk of code that we want to appear as a separate, explicit,
-    segment in our monitoring tools.
-    """
-    # Not covering this because if we mock it, we're not really testing anything
-    # anyway. If something did break, it should show up in tests for apps that
-    # use this code with newrelic enabled, on whatever version of newrelic they
-    # run.
-    if newrelic:  # pragma: no cover
-        if newrelic.version_info[0] >= 5:
-            with newrelic.agent.FunctionTrace(function_name):
-                yield
-        else:
-            nr_transaction = newrelic.agent.current_transaction()
-            with newrelic.agent.FunctionTrace(nr_transaction, function_name):
-                yield
-    else:
-        yield
-
-
 class MonitoringTransaction():
     """
     Represents a monitoring transaction (likely the current transaction).
diff --git a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/utils.py b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/utils.py
index 2dc2cfb1..649a95a6 100644
--- a/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/utils.py
+++ b/edx_django_utils/monitoring/internal/utils.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 At this time, the custom monitoring will only be reported to New Relic.
 
 """
+from contextlib import ExitStack, contextmanager
+
 from .backends import configured_backends
 from .middleware import CachedCustomMonitoringMiddleware
 
@@ -92,6 +94,24 @@ def record_exception():
         backend.record_exception()
 
 
+@contextmanager
+def function_trace(function_name):
+    """
+    Wraps a chunk of code that we want to appear as a separate, explicit,
+    segment in our monitoring tools.
+    """
+    # Not covering this because if we mock it, we're not really testing anything
+    # anyway. If something did break, it should show up in tests for apps that
+    # use this code with whatever uses it.
+    # ExitStack handles the underlying context managers.
+    with ExitStack() as stack:
+        for backend in configured_backends():
+            context = backend.create_span(function_name)
+            if context is not None:
+                stack.enter_context(context)
+        yield
+
+
 def background_task(*args, **kwargs):
     """
     Handles monitoring for background tasks that are not passed in through the web server like