diff --git a/pkg/command/server_simple.go b/pkg/command/server_simple.go
index ab3afc85ee..d68fb63803 100644
--- a/pkg/command/server_simple.go
+++ b/pkg/command/server_simple.go
@@ -4,21 +4,14 @@ package command
 
 import (
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 
-	"contrib.go.opencensus.io/exporter/jaeger"
-	"contrib.go.opencensus.io/exporter/ocagent"
-	"contrib.go.opencensus.io/exporter/zipkin"
 	"github.com/micro/cli"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/config/cmd"
-	openzipkin "github.com/openzipkin/zipkin-go"
-	zipkinhttp "github.com/openzipkin/zipkin-go/reporter/http"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/pkg/flagset"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/pkg/micro/runtime"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/pkg/register"
-	"go.opencensus.io/stats/view"
-	"go.opencensus.io/trace"
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/pkg/tracing"
 )
 
 // Simple is the entrypoint for the server command.
@@ -38,88 +31,8 @@ func Simple(cfg *config.Config) cli.Command {
 		Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 			logger := NewLogger(cfg)
 
-			if cfg.Tracing.Enabled {
-				switch t := cfg.Tracing.Type; t {
-				case "agent":
-					exporter, err := ocagent.NewExporter(
-						ocagent.WithReconnectionPeriod(5*time.Second),
-						ocagent.WithAddress(cfg.Tracing.Endpoint),
-						ocagent.WithServiceName(cfg.Tracing.Service),
-					)
-
-					if err != nil {
-						logger.Error().
-							Err(err).
-							Str("endpoint", cfg.Tracing.Endpoint).
-							Str("collector", cfg.Tracing.Collector).
-							Msg("Failed to create agent tracing")
-
-						return err
-					}
-
-					trace.RegisterExporter(exporter)
-					view.RegisterExporter(exporter)
-
-				case "jaeger":
-					exporter, err := jaeger.NewExporter(
-						jaeger.Options{
-							AgentEndpoint:     cfg.Tracing.Endpoint,
-							CollectorEndpoint: cfg.Tracing.Collector,
-							ServiceName:       cfg.Tracing.Service,
-						},
-					)
-
-					if err != nil {
-						logger.Error().
-							Err(err).
-							Str("endpoint", cfg.Tracing.Endpoint).
-							Str("collector", cfg.Tracing.Collector).
-							Msg("Failed to create jaeger tracing")
-
-						return err
-					}
-
-					trace.RegisterExporter(exporter)
-
-				case "zipkin":
-					endpoint, err := openzipkin.NewEndpoint(
-						cfg.Tracing.Service,
-						cfg.Tracing.Endpoint,
-					)
-
-					if err != nil {
-						logger.Error().
-							Err(err).
-							Str("endpoint", cfg.Tracing.Endpoint).
-							Str("collector", cfg.Tracing.Collector).
-							Msg("Failed to create zipkin tracing")
-
-						return err
-					}
-
-					exporter := zipkin.NewExporter(
-						zipkinhttp.NewReporter(
-							cfg.Tracing.Collector,
-						),
-						endpoint,
-					)
-
-					trace.RegisterExporter(exporter)
-
-				default:
-					logger.Warn().
-						Str("type", t).
-						Msg("Unknown tracing backend")
-				}
-
-				trace.ApplyConfig(
-					trace.Config{
-						DefaultSampler: trace.AlwaysSample(),
-					},
-				)
-			} else {
-				logger.Debug().
-					Msg("Tracing is not enabled")
+			if err := tracing.WithTracing(cfg); err != nil {
+				return err
 			}
 
 			runtime := runtime.New(
diff --git a/pkg/tracing/tracing.go b/pkg/tracing/tracing.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..68908069fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/tracing/tracing.go
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+package tracing
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"contrib.go.opencensus.io/exporter/jaeger"
+	"contrib.go.opencensus.io/exporter/ocagent"
+	"contrib.go.opencensus.io/exporter/zipkin"
+	openzipkin "github.com/openzipkin/zipkin-go"
+	zipkinhttp "github.com/openzipkin/zipkin-go/reporter/http"
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis-pkg/log"
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/pkg/config"
+	"go.opencensus.io/stats/view"
+	"go.opencensus.io/trace"
+)
+
+// WithTracing undocumented
+func WithTracing(cfg *config.Config) error {
+	logger := NewLogger(cfg)
+
+	if cfg.Tracing.Enabled {
+		switch t := cfg.Tracing.Type; t {
+		case "agent":
+			exporter, err := ocagent.NewExporter(
+				ocagent.WithReconnectionPeriod(5*time.Second),
+				ocagent.WithAddress(cfg.Tracing.Endpoint),
+				ocagent.WithServiceName(cfg.Tracing.Service),
+			)
+
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Error().
+					Err(err).
+					Str("endpoint", cfg.Tracing.Endpoint).
+					Str("collector", cfg.Tracing.Collector).
+					Msg("Failed to create agent tracing")
+
+				return err
+			}
+
+			trace.RegisterExporter(exporter)
+			view.RegisterExporter(exporter)
+
+		case "jaeger":
+			exporter, err := jaeger.NewExporter(
+				jaeger.Options{
+					AgentEndpoint:     cfg.Tracing.Endpoint,
+					CollectorEndpoint: cfg.Tracing.Collector,
+					ServiceName:       cfg.Tracing.Service,
+				},
+			)
+
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Error().
+					Err(err).
+					Str("endpoint", cfg.Tracing.Endpoint).
+					Str("collector", cfg.Tracing.Collector).
+					Msg("Failed to create jaeger tracing")
+
+				return err
+			}
+
+			trace.RegisterExporter(exporter)
+
+		case "zipkin":
+			endpoint, err := openzipkin.NewEndpoint(
+				cfg.Tracing.Service,
+				cfg.Tracing.Endpoint,
+			)
+
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Error().
+					Err(err).
+					Str("endpoint", cfg.Tracing.Endpoint).
+					Str("collector", cfg.Tracing.Collector).
+					Msg("Failed to create zipkin tracing")
+
+				return err
+			}
+
+			exporter := zipkin.NewExporter(
+				zipkinhttp.NewReporter(
+					cfg.Tracing.Collector,
+				),
+				endpoint,
+			)
+
+			trace.RegisterExporter(exporter)
+
+		default:
+			logger.Warn().
+				Str("type", t).
+				Msg("Unknown tracing backend")
+		}
+
+		trace.ApplyConfig(
+			trace.Config{
+				DefaultSampler: trace.AlwaysSample(),
+			},
+		)
+	} else {
+		logger.Debug().
+			Msg("Tracing is not enabled")
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// NewLogger initializes a service-specific logger instance.
+func NewLogger(cfg *config.Config) log.Logger {
+	return log.NewLogger(
+		log.Name("ocis"),
+		log.Level(cfg.Log.Level),
+		log.Pretty(cfg.Log.Pretty),
+		log.Color(cfg.Log.Color),
+	)
+}