diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 07f2165e38b..f8cffd10079 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -106,6 +106,30 @@ commands:
           paths:
             - ".tox"
 
+  run_test:
+    description: "Run tests matching a pattern"
+    parameters:
+      pattern:
+        type: string
+        default: ""
+      wait:
+        type: string
+        default: ""
+    steps:
+      - attach_workspace:
+          at: .
+      - run: pip3 install riot
+      - when:
+          condition:
+            << parameters.wait >>
+          steps:
+            - run:
+                name: "Waiting for << parameters.wait >>"
+                command: pip install tox && tox -e 'wait' << parameters.wait >>
+      - run:
+          name: "Running tests matching '<< parameters.pattern >>'"
+          command: "riot -v run -s '<< parameters.pattern >>'"
+
   run_tox_scenario:
     description: "Run scripts/run-tox-scenario with setup, caching and persistence"
     parameters:
@@ -231,6 +255,19 @@ jobs:
       - setup_tox
       - run: tox -e flake8
 
+  build_base:
+    executor: ddtrace_dev
+    steps:
+      - checkout
+      - run: pip3 install riot
+      - run:
+          name: "Generate base virtual environments."
+          command: "riot -v generate"
+      - persist_to_workspace:
+          root: .
+          paths:
+            - "."
+
   build-docker-ci-image:
     executor: cimg_base
     steps:
@@ -292,8 +329,8 @@ jobs:
   tracer:
     executor: ddtrace_dev
     steps:
-      - run_tox_scenario:
-          pattern: '^py..-tracer'
+      - run_test:
+          pattern: "tracer"
 
   opentracer:
     executor: ddtrace_dev
@@ -803,6 +840,7 @@ requires_pre_test: &requires_pre_test
     - black
     - flake8
     - ccheck
+    - build_base
 
 requires_tests: &requires_tests
   - build_docs
@@ -893,6 +931,7 @@ workflows:
       - black
       - flake8
       - ccheck
+      - build_base
 
       # Test building the package
       - test_build_alpine: *requires_pre_test
@@ -963,7 +1002,6 @@ workflows:
       - sqlite3: *requires_pre_test
       - test_logging: *requires_pre_test
       - tornado: *requires_pre_test
-      # tracer
       - tracer: *requires_pre_test
       - vertica: *requires_pre_test
       - build-docker-ci-image: *requires_pre_test
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index bb1693afe92..16811a9a00e 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -63,6 +63,6 @@ RUN \
   && pyenv global 3.8.6 2.7.17 3.5.10 3.6.12 3.7.9 3.9.0 \
   && pip install --upgrade pip
 
-RUN pip install tox
+RUN pip install tox riot
 
 CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/riotfile.py b/riotfile.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9d200b41d68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/riotfile.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from riot import Suite, Case
+
+global_deps = [
+    "mock",
+    "pytest<4",
+    "pytest-benchmark",
+]
+
+global_env = [("PYTEST_ADDOPTS", "--color=yes")]
+
+suites = [
+    Suite(
+        name="tracer",
+        command="pytest tests/tracer/",
+        cases=[
+            Case(
+                pys=[
+                    2.7,
+                    3.5,
+                    3.6,
+                    3.7,
+                    3.8,
+                ],
+                pkgs=[("msgpack", [""])],
+            ),
+        ],
+    ),
+]
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 68fa3b09f6c..f2400b6af11 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ envlist =
     flake8
     black
     wait
-    {py27,py35,py36,py37,py38}-tracer
     {py27,py35,py36,py37,py38,py39}-profile{,-gevent}
     {py27,py35,py36,py37,py38,py39}-profile-minreqs{,-gevent}
     {py27,py35,py36,py37,py38}-integration
@@ -188,7 +187,6 @@ deps =
 # test dependencies installed in all envs
     mock
 # used to test our custom msgpack encoder
-    tracer: msgpack
     integration: msgpack
     benchmarks: pytest-benchmark
     profile: pytest-benchmark