diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a50420644e..69e38c5c43 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- (core) Add new `setTraceCorrelation` method to events [#2159](https://github.com/bugsnag/bugsnag-js/pull/2159)
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - (react-native) Use synchronous native module calls when New Architecture is enabled [#2152](https://github.com/bugsnag/bugsnag-js/pull/2152)
diff --git a/packages/core/event.d.ts b/packages/core/event.d.ts
index 805142700d..85f70cfe99 100644
--- a/packages/core/event.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/event.d.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export default class EventWithInternals extends Event {
   _featuresIndex: { [key: string]: number }
   _user: User
   _handledState: HandledState
+  _correlation?: { spanId: string, traceId: string }
   _session?: Session
   toJSON(): {
     payloadVersion: '4'
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export default class EventWithInternals extends Event {
     request: Request
     breadcrumbs: Breadcrumb[]
     context: string | undefined
+    correlation: { spanId: string, traceId: string } | undefined
     groupingHash: string | undefined
     metaData: { [key: string]: any }
     user: User
diff --git a/packages/core/event.js b/packages/core/event.js
index 348a972c23..1920330f3b 100644
--- a/packages/core/event.js
+++ b/packages/core/event.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class Event {
     this._featuresIndex = {}
     this._user = {}
     this._session = undefined
+    this._correlation = undefined
 
     this.errors = [
       createBugsnagError(errorClass, errorMessage, Event.__type, stacktrace)
@@ -48,6 +49,19 @@ class Event {
     return metadataDelegate.add(this._metadata, section, keyOrObj, maybeVal)
   }
 
+  /**
+     * Associate this event with a specific trace. This is usually done automatically when
+     * using bugsnag-js-performance, but can also be set manually if required.
+     *
+     * @param traceId the ID of the trace the event occurred within
+     * @param spanId the ID of the span that the event occurred within
+     */
+  setTraceCorrelation (traceId, spanId) {
+    if (traceId != null) {
+      this._correlation = { traceId, spanId }
+    }
+  }
+
   getMetadata (section, key) {
     return metadataDelegate.get(this._metadata, section, key)
   }
@@ -101,7 +115,8 @@ class Event {
       metaData: this._metadata,
       user: this._user,
       session: this._session,
-      featureFlags: this.getFeatureFlags()
+      featureFlags: this.getFeatureFlags(),
+      correlation: this._correlation
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/event.test.ts b/packages/core/test/event.test.ts
index a9c8e57b9d..0b0a8f0b28 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/event.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/event.test.ts
@@ -420,4 +420,13 @@ describe('@bugsnag/core/event', () => {
         }))
     })
   })
+
+  describe('event.setTraceCorrelation()', () => {
+    it('allows setting the span and trace id', () => {
+      const event = new Event('Err', 'bad', [])
+      event.setTraceCorrelation('test-trace-id', 'test-span-id')
+      const serialized = event.toJSON()
+      expect(serialized.correlation).toEqual({ traceId: 'test-trace-id', spanId: 'test-span-id' })
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/core/types/event.d.ts b/packages/core/types/event.d.ts
index f0a1d8c925..f790198547 100644
--- a/packages/core/types/event.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/types/event.d.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ declare class Event {
   public addFeatureFlags(featureFlags: FeatureFlag[]): void
   public clearFeatureFlag(name: string): void
   public clearFeatureFlags(): void
+
+  // trace correlation
+  public setTraceCorrelation(traceId: string, spanId: string): void
 }
 
 interface HandledState {