diff --git a/brave/src/main/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlags.java b/brave/src/main/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlags.java
index bffef2a3a0..6944694d53 100644
--- a/brave/src/main/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlags.java
+++ b/brave/src/main/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlags.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ static final class SamplingFlagsImpl extends SamplingFlags {
     }
 
     @Override public Boolean sampled() {
-      return sampled;
+      return debug ? Boolean.TRUE : sampled;
     }
 
     @Override public boolean debug() {
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ static final class SamplingFlagsImpl extends SamplingFlags {
   static final int FLAG_DEBUG = 1 << 3;
 
   static Boolean sampled(int flags) {
+
+    // FLAG_DEBUG implies sampled
+    if ((flags & FLAG_DEBUG) == FLAG_DEBUG) return true;
+
     return (flags & FLAG_SAMPLED_SET) == FLAG_SAMPLED_SET
         ? (flags & FLAG_SAMPLED) == FLAG_SAMPLED
         : null;
diff --git a/brave/src/test/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlagsTest.java b/brave/src/test/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlagsTest.java
index 86ffd7f7c8..5ba3a7b78c 100644
--- a/brave/src/test/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlagsTest.java
+++ b/brave/src/test/java/brave/propagation/SamplingFlagsTest.java
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@ public class SamplingFlagsTest {
   }
 
   @Test public void debugImpliesSampled() {
-    SamplingFlags flags = new SamplingFlags.Builder().debug(true).build();
+    SamplingFlags flags = new SamplingFlags.SamplingFlagsImpl(null, true);
 
-    assertThat(flags).isSameAs(SamplingFlags.DEBUG);
     assertThat(flags.sampled()).isTrue();
     assertThat(flags.debug()).isTrue();
   }
@@ -41,4 +40,12 @@ public class SamplingFlagsTest {
     assertThat(flags.sampled()).isFalse();
     assertThat(flags.debug()).isFalse();
   }
+
+  @Test public void sampledFlags() {
+    assertThat(SamplingFlags.sampled(0)).isNull();
+    assertThat(SamplingFlags.sampled(SamplingFlags.FLAG_SAMPLED)).isNull();
+    assertThat(SamplingFlags.sampled(SamplingFlags.FLAG_SAMPLED_SET)).isFalse();
+    assertThat(SamplingFlags.sampled(SamplingFlags.FLAG_SAMPLED | SamplingFlags.FLAG_SAMPLED_SET)).isTrue();
+    assertThat(SamplingFlags.sampled(SamplingFlags.FLAG_DEBUG)).isTrue();
+  }
 }