diff --git a/src/agents/tracing/__init__.py b/src/agents/tracing/__init__.py
index 71204da04e..3a3cc5ee11 100644
--- a/src/agents/tracing/__init__.py
+++ b/src/agents/tracing/__init__.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 from .processor_interface import TracingProcessor
 from .processors import default_exporter, default_processor
 from .provider import DefaultTraceProvider, TraceProvider
-from .setup import get_trace_provider, set_trace_provider
+from .setup import get_trace_provider as _get_trace_provider, set_trace_provider
 from .span_data import (
     AgentSpanData,
     CustomSpanData,
@@ -83,6 +83,27 @@
     "mcp_tools_span",
 ]
 
+_default_tracing_initialized = False
+
+
+def _ensure_default_tracing_initialized() -> None:
+    global _default_tracing_initialized
+    if not _default_tracing_initialized:
+        provider = DefaultTraceProvider()
+        set_trace_provider(provider)
+        provider.register_processor(default_processor())
+        atexit.register(provider.shutdown)
+        _default_tracing_initialized = True
+
+
+def get_trace_provider() -> TraceProvider:
+    """Get the global trace provider used by tracing utilities."""
+    try:
+        return _get_trace_provider()
+    except RuntimeError:
+        _ensure_default_tracing_initialized()
+        return _get_trace_provider()
+
 
 def add_trace_processor(span_processor: TracingProcessor) -> None:
     """
@@ -110,13 +131,3 @@ def set_tracing_export_api_key(api_key: str) -> None:
     Set the OpenAI API key for the backend exporter.
     """
     default_exporter().set_api_key(api_key)
-
-
-set_trace_provider(DefaultTraceProvider())
-# Add the default processor, which exports traces and spans to the backend in batches. You can
-# change the default behavior by either:
-# 1. calling add_trace_processor(), which adds additional processors, or
-# 2. calling set_trace_processors(), which replaces the default processor.
-add_trace_processor(default_processor())
-
-atexit.register(get_trace_provider().shutdown)
diff --git a/src/agents/tracing/processors.py b/src/agents/tracing/processors.py
index 0b0bffa5ba..ca81919e59 100644
--- a/src/agents/tracing/processors.py
+++ b/src/agents/tracing/processors.py
@@ -354,16 +354,22 @@ def _export_batches(self, force: bool = False):
             self._exporter.export(items_to_export)
 
 
-# Create a shared global instance:
-_global_exporter = BackendSpanExporter()
-_global_processor = BatchTraceProcessor(_global_exporter)
+# Lazily initialized defaults. Creating these at import time is unsafe in fork-based runtimes.
+_global_exporter: BackendSpanExporter | None = None
+_global_processor: BatchTraceProcessor | None = None
 
 
 def default_exporter() -> BackendSpanExporter:
     """The default exporter, which exports traces and spans to the backend in batches."""
+    global _global_exporter
+    if _global_exporter is None:
+        _global_exporter = BackendSpanExporter()
     return _global_exporter
 
 
 def default_processor() -> BatchTraceProcessor:
     """The default processor, which exports traces and spans to the backend in batches."""
+    global _global_processor
+    if _global_processor is None:
+        _global_processor = BatchTraceProcessor(default_exporter())
     return _global_processor
diff --git a/src/agents/tracing/setup.py b/src/agents/tracing/setup.py
index 3a56b728f1..f69673407a 100644
--- a/src/agents/tracing/setup.py
+++ b/src/agents/tracing/setup.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import atexit
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from .provider import TraceProvider
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    from .provider import TraceProvider  # pragma: no cover
 
 GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER: TraceProvider | None = None
 
@@ -16,6 +17,15 @@ def set_trace_provider(provider: TraceProvider) -> None:
 
 def get_trace_provider() -> TraceProvider:
     """Get the global trace provider used by tracing utilities."""
+    global GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER
     if GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER is None:
-        raise RuntimeError("Trace provider not set")
+        # Lazily initialize defaults on first tracing API usage to avoid
+        # import-time side effects while keeping historical call behavior.
+        from .processors import default_processor
+        from .provider import DefaultTraceProvider
+
+        provider = DefaultTraceProvider()
+        GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER = provider
+        provider.register_processor(default_processor())
+        atexit.register(provider.shutdown)
     return GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER
diff --git a/tests/tracing/test_lazy_tracing_init.py b/tests/tracing/test_lazy_tracing_init.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4aa516325
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tracing/test_lazy_tracing_init.py
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+import json
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from typing import cast
+
+
+def _run_python_snippet(snippet: str) -> dict[str, bool]:
+    completed = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-c", snippet],
+        check=True,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    return cast(dict[str, bool], json.loads(completed.stdout))
+
+
+def test_import_does_not_initialize_default_tracing_objects():
+    result = _run_python_snippet(
+        """
+import json
+import agents.tracing as tracing
+import agents.tracing.processors as processors
+from agents.tracing import setup
+
+print(json.dumps({
+    "provider_is_none": setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER is None,
+    "exporter_is_none": processors._global_exporter is None,
+    "processor_is_none": processors._global_processor is None,
+}))
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert result["provider_is_none"] is True
+    assert result["exporter_is_none"] is True
+    assert result["processor_is_none"] is True
+
+
+def test_get_trace_provider_initializes_defaults_lazily():
+    result = _run_python_snippet(
+        """
+import json
+import agents.tracing as tracing
+import agents.tracing.processors as processors
+from agents.tracing import setup
+
+provider_1 = tracing.get_trace_provider()
+provider_2 = tracing.get_trace_provider()
+
+print(json.dumps({
+    "same_provider": provider_1 is provider_2,
+    "provider_is_set": setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER is not None,
+    "exporter_created": processors._global_exporter is not None,
+    "processor_created": processors._global_processor is not None,
+    "processor_uses_exporter": (
+        processors._global_processor is not None
+        and processors._global_exporter is not None
+        and processors._global_processor._exporter is processors._global_exporter
+    ),
+}))
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert result["same_provider"] is True
+    assert result["provider_is_set"] is True
+    assert result["exporter_created"] is True
+    assert result["processor_created"] is True
+    assert result["processor_uses_exporter"] is True
+
+
+def test_default_tracing_init_is_idempotent():
+    result = _run_python_snippet(
+        """
+import json
+import agents.tracing as tracing
+import agents.tracing.processors as processors
+from agents.tracing import setup
+
+tracing._ensure_default_tracing_initialized()
+provider_1 = setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER
+tracing._ensure_default_tracing_initialized()
+provider_2 = setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER
+
+print(json.dumps({
+    "same_provider": provider_1 is provider_2,
+    "exporter_created": processors._global_exporter is not None,
+    "processor_created": processors._global_processor is not None,
+}))
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert result["same_provider"] is True
+    assert result["exporter_created"] is True
+    assert result["processor_created"] is True
+
+
+def test_set_trace_provider_sets_global_provider() -> None:
+    from agents.tracing import setup
+    from agents.tracing.provider import DefaultTraceProvider
+
+    previous_provider = setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER
+    provider = DefaultTraceProvider()
+    try:
+        setup.set_trace_provider(provider)
+        assert setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER is provider
+    finally:
+        setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER = previous_provider
+
+
+def test_trace_helper_initializes_defaults_lazily() -> None:
+    result = _run_python_snippet(
+        """
+import json
+import agents.tracing as tracing
+import agents.tracing.processors as processors
+from agents.tracing import setup
+
+trace_obj = tracing.trace("lazy-init-from-trace")
+
+print(json.dumps({
+    "trace_created": trace_obj is not None,
+    "provider_is_set": setup.GLOBAL_TRACE_PROVIDER is not None,
+    "exporter_created": processors._global_exporter is not None,
+    "processor_created": processors._global_processor is not None,
+}))
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert result["trace_created"] is True
+    assert result["provider_is_set"] is True
+    assert result["exporter_created"] is True
+    assert result["processor_created"] is True