diff --git a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorder.java b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorder.java
index 5a8fd912..ec863924 100644
--- a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorder.java
+++ b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorder.java
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ public class AWSXRayRecorder {
     private boolean forcedTraceIdGeneration;
 
     public AWSXRayRecorder() {
+        this(null);
+    }
+
+    AWSXRayRecorder(@Nullable Emitter sharedEmitter) {
         samplingStrategy = new DefaultSamplingStrategy();
         streamingStrategy = new DefaultStreamingStrategy();
         prioritizationStrategy = new DefaultPrioritizationStrategy();
@@ -175,10 +179,14 @@ public AWSXRayRecorder() {
         serviceRuntimeContext = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
         serviceRuntimeContext.putAll(RUNTIME_INFORMATION);
 
-        try {
-            emitter = Emitter.create();
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException("Unable to instantiate AWSXRayRecorder: ", e);
+        if (sharedEmitter != null) {
+            emitter = sharedEmitter;
+        } else {
+            try {
+                emitter = Emitter.create();
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("Unable to instantiate AWSXRayRecorder: ", e);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorderBuilder.java b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorderBuilder.java
index 9c431ae7..58507823 100644
--- a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorderBuilder.java
+++ b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/AWSXRayRecorderBuilder.java
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ public AWSXRayRecorderBuilder withForcedTraceIdGeneration() {
      * @return a configured instance of AWSXRayRecorder
      */
     public AWSXRayRecorder build() {
-        AWSXRayRecorder client = new AWSXRayRecorder();
+        AWSXRayRecorder client = new AWSXRayRecorder(emitter);
 
         if (samplingStrategy != null) {
             client.setSamplingStrategy(samplingStrategy);
@@ -291,10 +291,6 @@ public AWSXRayRecorder build() {
             client.setSegmentContextResolverChain(segmentContextResolverChain);
         }
 
-        if (emitter != null) {
-            client.setEmitter(emitter);
-        }
-
         if (!segmentListeners.isEmpty()) {
             client.addAllSegmentListeners(segmentListeners);
         }