diff --git a/bazel/BUILD b/bazel/BUILD
index dcaf8989ebfd7..f6f4348f7983d 100644
--- a/bazel/BUILD
+++ b/bazel/BUILD
@@ -31,3 +31,8 @@ config_setting(
     name = "disable_signal_trace",
     values = {"define": "signal_trace=disabled"},
 )
+
+config_setting(
+    name = "disable_lightstep",
+    values = {"define": "lightstep_tracing=disabled"},
+)
diff --git a/source/common/tracing/BUILD b/source/common/tracing/BUILD
index 4fe2004c8b270..2646d2d323120 100644
--- a/source/common/tracing/BUILD
+++ b/source/common/tracing/BUILD
@@ -10,15 +10,8 @@ envoy_package()
 
 envoy_cc_library(
     name = "http_tracer_lib",
-    srcs = [
-        "http_tracer_impl.cc",
-        "lightstep_tracer_impl.cc",
-    ],
-    hdrs = [
-        "http_tracer_impl.h",
-        "lightstep_tracer_impl.h",
-    ],
-    external_deps = ["lightstep"],
+    srcs = ["http_tracer_impl.cc"],
+    hdrs = ["http_tracer_impl.h"],
     deps = [
         "//include/envoy/local_info:local_info_interface",
         "//include/envoy/runtime:runtime_interface",
@@ -39,3 +32,11 @@ envoy_cc_library(
         "//source/common/runtime:uuid_util_lib",
     ],
 )
+
+envoy_cc_library(
+    name = "lightstep_tracer_lib",
+    srcs = ["lightstep_tracer_impl.cc"],
+    hdrs = ["lightstep_tracer_impl.h"],
+    external_deps = ["lightstep"],
+    deps = [":http_tracer_lib"],
+)
diff --git a/source/server/BUILD b/source/server/BUILD
index ee2d3b634349a..600fc005d2eab 100644
--- a/source/server/BUILD
+++ b/source/server/BUILD
@@ -20,7 +20,17 @@ envoy_cc_library(
     name = "configuration_lib",
     srcs = ["configuration_impl.cc"],
     hdrs = ["configuration_impl.h"],
-    deps = [
+    copts = select({
+        # TODO(tschroed): This allows linking against Google code, but is very hacky.
+        # https://github.com/lyft/envoy/issues/967 to do it properly, at which point
+        # the -D can be removed.
+        "//bazel:disable_lightstep": ["-DDISABLE_LIGHTSTEP_TRACING"],
+        "//conditions:default": [],
+    }),
+    deps = select({
+        "//bazel:disable_lightstep": [],
+        "//conditions:default": ["//source/common/tracing:lightstep_tracer_lib"],
+        }) + [
         "//include/envoy/http:filter_interface",
         "//include/envoy/network:connection_interface",
         "//include/envoy/network:filter_interface",
@@ -36,7 +46,6 @@ envoy_cc_library(
         "//source/common/network:utility_lib",
         "//source/common/ratelimit:ratelimit_lib",
         "//source/common/ssl:context_config_lib",
-        "//source/common/tracing:http_tracer_lib",
         "//source/common/tracing/zipkin:zipkin_lib",
         "//source/common/upstream:cluster_manager_lib",
     ],
diff --git a/source/server/configuration_impl.cc b/source/server/configuration_impl.cc
index 514f5e62084f2..2736d76c52261 100644
--- a/source/server/configuration_impl.cc
+++ b/source/server/configuration_impl.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
 #include "common/ratelimit/ratelimit_impl.h"
 #include "common/ssl/context_config_impl.h"
 #include "common/tracing/http_tracer_impl.h"
+
+#ifndef DISABLE_LIGHTSTEP_TRACING
 #include "common/tracing/lightstep_tracer_impl.h"
+#endif // DISABLE_LIGHTSTEP_TRACING
 #include "common/tracing/zipkin/zipkin_tracer_impl.h"
 #include "common/upstream/cluster_manager_impl.h"
 
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ void MainImpl::initializeTracers(const Json::Object& configuration) {
 
   ::Runtime::RandomGenerator& rand = server_.random();
 
+#ifndef DISABLE_LIGHTSTEP_TRACING
   if (type == "lightstep") {
     Json::ObjectPtr lightstep_config = driver->getObject("config");
 
@@ -134,6 +138,9 @@ void MainImpl::initializeTracers(const Json::Object& configuration) {
     http_tracer_.reset(
         new Tracing::HttpTracerImpl(std::move(lightstep_driver), server_.localInfo()));
   } else {
+#else
+  {
+#endif // DISABLE_LIGHTSTEP_TRACING
     ASSERT(type == "zipkin");
 
     Tracing::DriverPtr zipkin_driver(
diff --git a/test/common/tracing/BUILD b/test/common/tracing/BUILD
index 1f525bd0e2dde..e4bd95b70ae36 100644
--- a/test/common/tracing/BUILD
+++ b/test/common/tracing/BUILD
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ envoy_cc_test(
         "//source/common/http:message_lib",
         "//source/common/runtime:runtime_lib",
         "//source/common/runtime:uuid_util_lib",
-        "//source/common/tracing:http_tracer_lib",
+        "//source/common/tracing:lightstep_tracer_lib",
         "//test/mocks/http:http_mocks",
         "//test/mocks/local_info:local_info_mocks",
         "//test/mocks/runtime:runtime_mocks",