diff --git a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilter.java b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilter.java
index 3650ae76..bee53517 100644
--- a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilter.java
+++ b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/main/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilter.java
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public AWSXRayServletFilter(String fixedSegmentName) {
     }
 
     public AWSXRayServletFilter(SegmentNamingStrategy segmentNamingStrategy) {
-        this(segmentNamingStrategy, AWSXRay.getGlobalRecorder());
+        this(segmentNamingStrategy, null);
     }
 
     public AWSXRayServletFilter(SegmentNamingStrategy segmentNamingStrategy, AWSXRayRecorder recorder) {
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ private String getSegmentName(HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {
     }
 
     private SamplingResponse fromSamplingStrategy(HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest) {
+        AWSXRayRecorder recorder = getRecorder();
         SamplingRequest samplingRequest = new SamplingRequest(getSegmentName(httpServletRequest), getHost(httpServletRequest).orElse(null), httpServletRequest.getRequestURI(), httpServletRequest.getMethod(), recorder.getOrigin());
         SamplingResponse sample = recorder.getSamplingStrategy().shouldTrace(samplingRequest);
         return sample;
@@ -260,7 +261,15 @@ private SampleDecision getSampleDecision(SamplingResponse sample) {
         }
     }
 
+    private AWSXRayRecorder getRecorder() {
+        if (recorder == null) {
+            recorder = AWSXRay.getGlobalRecorder();
+        }
+        return recorder;
+    }
+
     public Segment preFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response) {
+        AWSXRayRecorder recorder = getRecorder();
         Segment created = null;
         HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest = castServletRequest(request);
         if (null == httpServletRequest) {
@@ -348,6 +357,7 @@ public Segment preFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response) {
     }
 
     public void postFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response) {
+        AWSXRayRecorder recorder = getRecorder();
         Segment segment = recorder.getCurrentSegment();
         if (null != segment) {
             HttpServletResponse httpServletResponse = castServletResponse(response);
@@ -397,7 +407,15 @@ public AWSXRayServletAsyncListener(AWSXRayServletFilter filter, AWSXRayRecorder
         this.recorder = recorder;
     }
 
+    private AWSXRayRecorder getRecorder() {
+        if (recorder == null) {
+            recorder = AWSXRay.getGlobalRecorder();
+        }
+        return recorder;
+    }
+
     private void processEvent(AsyncEvent event) throws IOException {
+        AWSXRayRecorder recorder = getRecorder();
         Entity prior = recorder.getTraceEntity();
         try {
             Entity entity = (Entity) event.getSuppliedRequest().getAttribute(ENTITY_ATTRIBUTE_KEY);
diff --git a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilterTest.java b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilterTest.java
index 37864d87..9a5b4271 100644
--- a/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilterTest.java
+++ b/aws-xray-recorder-sdk-core/src/test/java/com/amazonaws/xray/javax/servlet/AWSXRayServletFilterTest.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 
+import com.amazonaws.xray.AWSXRayRecorder;
+import com.amazonaws.xray.strategy.FixedSegmentNamingStrategy;
 import com.amazonaws.xray.strategy.sampling.LocalizedSamplingStrategy;
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -39,12 +41,16 @@ public class AWSXRayServletFilterTest {
 
     @Before
     public void setupAWSXRay() {
+        AWSXRay.setGlobalRecorder(getMockRecorder());
+        AWSXRay.clearTraceEntity();
+    }
+
+    private AWSXRayRecorder getMockRecorder() {
         Emitter blankEmitter = Mockito.mock(Emitter.class);
         LocalizedSamplingStrategy defaultSamplingStrategy = new LocalizedSamplingStrategy();
         Mockito.doReturn(true).when(blankEmitter).sendSegment(Mockito.anyObject());
         Mockito.doReturn(true).when(blankEmitter).sendSubsegment(Mockito.anyObject());
-        AWSXRay.setGlobalRecorder(AWSXRayRecorderBuilder.standard().withEmitter(blankEmitter).withSamplingStrategy(defaultSamplingStrategy).build());
-        AWSXRay.clearTraceEntity();
+        return AWSXRayRecorderBuilder.standard().withEmitter(blankEmitter).withSamplingStrategy(defaultSamplingStrategy).build();
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -68,6 +74,73 @@ public void testAsyncServletRequestHasListenerAdded() throws IOException, Servle
         Mockito.verify(asyncContext, Mockito.times(1)).addListener(Mockito.any());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testServletLazilyLoadsRecorder() throws IOException, ServletException {
+        AWSXRayServletFilter servletFilter = new AWSXRayServletFilter("test");
+
+        AsyncContext asyncContext = Mockito.mock(AsyncContext.class);
+        AWSXRayRecorder customRecorder = getMockRecorder();
+        Mockito.spy(customRecorder);
+        AWSXRay.setGlobalRecorder(customRecorder);
+
+        HttpServletRequest request = Mockito.mock(HttpServletRequest.class);
+        Mockito.when(request.getRequestURL()).thenReturn(new StringBuffer("test_url"));
+        Mockito.when(request.getMethod()).thenReturn("TEST_METHOD");
+        Mockito.when(request.isAsyncStarted()).thenReturn(true);
+        Mockito.when(request.getAsyncContext()).thenReturn(asyncContext);
+
+        HttpServletResponse response = Mockito.mock(HttpServletResponse.class);
+
+        FilterChain chain = Mockito.mock(FilterChain.class);
+
+        AsyncEvent event = Mockito.mock(AsyncEvent.class);
+        Mockito.when(event.getSuppliedRequest()).thenReturn(request);
+        Mockito.when(event.getSuppliedResponse()).thenReturn(response);
+
+        servletFilter.doFilter(request, response, chain);
+
+        Entity currentEntity = AWSXRay.getTraceEntity();
+        Mockito.when(request.getAttribute("com.amazonaws.xray.entities.Entity")).thenReturn(currentEntity);
+
+        AWSXRayServletAsyncListener listener = (AWSXRayServletAsyncListener) Whitebox.getInternalState(servletFilter, "listener");
+        listener.onComplete(event);
+
+        Mockito.verify(customRecorder.getEmitter(), Mockito.times(1)).sendSegment(Mockito.any());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testServletUsesPassedInRecorder() throws IOException, ServletException {
+        AWSXRayRecorder customRecorder = getMockRecorder();
+        Mockito.spy(customRecorder);
+        AWSXRayServletFilter servletFilter = new AWSXRayServletFilter(new FixedSegmentNamingStrategy("test"), customRecorder);
+
+        AsyncContext asyncContext = Mockito.mock(AsyncContext.class);
+
+        HttpServletRequest request = Mockito.mock(HttpServletRequest.class);
+        Mockito.when(request.getRequestURL()).thenReturn(new StringBuffer("test_url"));
+        Mockito.when(request.getMethod()).thenReturn("TEST_METHOD");
+        Mockito.when(request.isAsyncStarted()).thenReturn(true);
+        Mockito.when(request.getAsyncContext()).thenReturn(asyncContext);
+
+        HttpServletResponse response = Mockito.mock(HttpServletResponse.class);
+
+        FilterChain chain = Mockito.mock(FilterChain.class);
+
+        AsyncEvent event = Mockito.mock(AsyncEvent.class);
+        Mockito.when(event.getSuppliedRequest()).thenReturn(request);
+        Mockito.when(event.getSuppliedResponse()).thenReturn(response);
+
+        servletFilter.doFilter(request, response, chain);
+
+        Entity currentEntity = AWSXRay.getTraceEntity();
+        Mockito.when(request.getAttribute("com.amazonaws.xray.entities.Entity")).thenReturn(currentEntity);
+
+        AWSXRayServletAsyncListener listener = (AWSXRayServletAsyncListener) Whitebox.getInternalState(servletFilter, "listener");
+        listener.onComplete(event);
+
+        Mockito.verify(customRecorder.getEmitter(), Mockito.times(1)).sendSegment(Mockito.any());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testAWSXRayServletAsyncListenerEmitsSegmentWhenProcessingEvent() throws IOException, ServletException {
         AWSXRayServletFilter servletFilter = new AWSXRayServletFilter("test");