diff --git a/core-telemetry.cabal b/core-telemetry.cabal
--- a/core-telemetry.cabal
+++ b/core-telemetry.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           core-telemetry
-version:        0.2.3.7
+version:        0.2.5.0
 synopsis:       Advanced telemetry
 description:    This is part of a library to help build command-line programs, both tools and
                 longer-running daemons.
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
       async
     , base >=4.11 && <5
     , bytestring
-    , core-data >=0.3.3.1
+    , core-data >=0.3.4.0
     , core-program >=0.5.0.2
     , core-text >=0.3.7.1
     , exceptions
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     , stm
     , template-haskell >=2.14 && <3
     , text
+    , time
     , unix
     , zlib
   default-language: Haskell2010
diff --git a/lib/Core/Telemetry/Observability.hs b/lib/Core/Telemetry/Observability.hs
--- a/lib/Core/Telemetry/Observability.hs
+++ b/lib/Core/Telemetry/Observability.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE BangPatterns #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE GeneralisedNewtypeDeriving #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ImportQualifiedPost #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE QuasiQuotes #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE RankNTypes #-}
@@ -160,28 +161,31 @@
     -- * Events
     sendEvent,
     clearMetrics,
+    clearTrace,
 ) where
 
 import Control.Concurrent.MVar (modifyMVar_, newMVar, readMVar)
 import Control.Concurrent.STM (atomically)
 import Control.Concurrent.STM.TQueue (writeTQueue)
-import qualified Control.Exception.Safe as Safe
+import Control.Exception.Safe qualified as Safe
+import Core.Data.Clock
 import Core.Data.Structures (Map, emptyMap, insertKeyValue)
+import Core.Encoding.External
 import Core.Encoding.Json
 import Core.Program.Arguments
 import Core.Program.Context
-import Core.Data.Clock
 import Core.Program.Logging
 import Core.System.Base (SomeException, liftIO)
 import Core.Telemetry.Identifiers
 import Core.Text.Rope
 import Core.Text.Utilities (oxford, quote)
-import qualified Data.ByteString as B (ByteString)
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as L (ByteString)
-import qualified Data.List as List (foldl')
+import Data.ByteString qualified as B (ByteString)
+import Data.ByteString.Lazy qualified as L (ByteString)
+import Data.List qualified as List (foldl')
 import Data.Scientific (Scientific)
-import qualified Data.Text as T (Text)
-import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as U (Text)
+import Data.Text qualified as T (Text)
+import Data.Text.Lazy qualified as U (Text)
+import Data.Time.Clock (UTCTime)
 import GHC.Int
 import GHC.Word
 import System.Random (randomIO)
@@ -229,6 +233,14 @@
                 pure datum'
             )
 
+{- |
+Adaptor class to take primitive values and send them as metrics. The
+underlying types are either strings, numbers, or boolean so any instance will
+need to externalize and then convert to one of these three.
+
+(this class is what allows us to act pass in what look like polymorphic lists
+of metrics to 'telemetry' and 'sendEvent')
+-}
 class Telemetry σ where
     metric :: Rope -> σ -> MetricValue
 
@@ -297,6 +309,22 @@
     metric k v = MetricValue (JsonKey k) v
 
 {- |
+Strip the constructor off if the value is Just, and send `null` if Nothing.
+
+@since 0.2.5
+-}
+instance Telemetry σ => Telemetry (Maybe σ) where
+    metric k v = case v of
+        Nothing -> MetricValue (JsonKey k) JsonNull
+        Just v' -> metric k v'
+
+{- |
+@since 0.2.5
+-}
+instance Telemetry UTCTime where
+    metric k v = MetricValue (JsonKey k) (JsonString (formatExternal (intoTime v)))
+
+{- |
 Activate the telemetry subsystem for use within the
 'Core.Program.Execute.Program' monad.
 
@@ -600,7 +628,7 @@
             ]
 @
 
-The 'metric' function is a method provided by instances of the 'Telemtetry'
+The 'metric' function is a method provided by instances of the 'Telemetry'
 typeclass which is mostly a wrapper around constructing key/value pairs
 suitable to be sent as measurements up to an observability service.
 -}
@@ -729,3 +757,22 @@
         modifyMVar_
             v
             (\datum -> pure datum{attachedMetadataFrom = emptyMap})
+
+{- |
+Reset the program context so that the currently executing program is no longer
+within a trace or span.
+
+This is specifically for the occasion where you have forked a new thread but
+have not yet received the event which would occasion starting a new trace.
+
+@since 0.2.4
+-}
+clearTrace :: Program τ ()
+clearTrace = do
+    context <- getContext
+
+    liftIO $ do
+        let v = currentDatumFrom context
+        modifyMVar_
+            v
+            (\_ -> pure emptyDatum)