diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index bc853e7751..f6a969acc8 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -10592,6 +10592,10 @@
         "@opentelemetry/api": ">=1.0.0 <1.10.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@opentelemetry/esbuild-plugin": {
+      "resolved": "packages/esbuild-plugin",
+      "link": true
+    },
     "node_modules/@opentelemetry/exporter-jaeger": {
       "version": "1.25.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@opentelemetry/exporter-jaeger/-/exporter-jaeger-1.25.0.tgz",
@@ -36850,6 +36854,31 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-ekGvFhFgrc2zYQoX4JeZPmVzZxw6Dtllga7iGHzfbYIYkAMUx/sAFP2GdFpLff+vdHXu5fl7WX9AT+TtqYcsyw==",
       "dev": true
     },
+    "packages/esbuild-plugin": {
+      "version": "0.1.0",
+      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "devDependencies": {
+        "@types/mocha": "7.0.2",
+        "@types/node": "18.6.5",
+        "@types/sinon": "10.0.18",
+        "@types/triple-beam": "1.3.2",
+        "mocha": "7.2.0",
+        "nyc": "15.1.0",
+        "rimraf": "5.0.5",
+        "sinon": "15.2.0",
+        "ts-mocha": "10.0.0",
+        "typescript": "4.4.4"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=14"
+      }
+    },
+    "packages/esbuild-plugin/node_modules/@types/triple-beam": {
+      "version": "1.3.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/triple-beam/-/triple-beam-1.3.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-txGIh+0eDFzKGC25zORnswy+br1Ha7hj5cMVwKIU7+s0U2AxxJru/jZSMU6OC9MJWP6+pc/hc6ZjyZShpsyY2g==",
+      "dev": true
+    },
     "packages/opentelemetry-host-metrics": {
       "name": "@opentelemetry/host-metrics",
       "version": "0.35.2",
@@ -50934,6 +50963,29 @@
         "@opentelemetry/semantic-conventions": "1.25.0"
       }
     },
+    "@opentelemetry/esbuild-plugin": {
+      "version": "file:packages/esbuild-plugin",
+      "requires": {
+        "@types/mocha": "7.0.2",
+        "@types/node": "18.6.5",
+        "@types/sinon": "10.0.18",
+        "@types/triple-beam": "1.3.2",
+        "mocha": "7.2.0",
+        "nyc": "15.1.0",
+        "rimraf": "5.0.5",
+        "sinon": "15.2.0",
+        "ts-mocha": "10.0.0",
+        "typescript": "4.4.4"
+      },
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@types/triple-beam": {
+          "version": "1.3.2",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/triple-beam/-/triple-beam-1.3.2.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-txGIh+0eDFzKGC25zORnswy+br1Ha7hj5cMVwKIU7+s0U2AxxJru/jZSMU6OC9MJWP6+pc/hc6ZjyZShpsyY2g==",
+          "dev": true
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "@opentelemetry/exporter-jaeger": {
       "version": "1.25.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@opentelemetry/exporter-jaeger/-/exporter-jaeger-1.25.0.tgz",
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/README.md b/packages/esbuild-plugin/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90bf6fcd98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# OTel esbuild-plugin
+
+This is a proposal for a `diagnostics_channel`-based mechanism for bundlers
+to hand off a loaded module, at runtime, to possibly active OTel
+instrumentations. This is an alternative proposal to
+https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/pull/1856
+
+More details in the PR.
+
+XXX obviously I need to fill this all in
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/.npmrc b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/.npmrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..43c97e719a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/.npmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+package-lock=false
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/app.js b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/app.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f155fc690a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/app.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+const http = require('http');
+const fastify = require('fastify');
+const {createClient} = require('redis');
+// const clientS3 = require('@aws-sdk/client-s3');
+// console.log('XXX client-s3: ', !!clientS3);
+
+const redis = createClient();
+
+const server = fastify();
+server.get('/ping', async (req, reply) => {
+    const bar = await redis.get('bar');
+    reply.send(`pong (redis key "bar" is: ${bar})`);
+});
+
+async function main() {
+    await redis.connect();
+    await redis.set('bar', 'baz');
+
+    await server.listen({port: 3000});
+    const port = server.server.address().port;
+    await new Promise((resolve) => {
+        http.get(`http://localhost:${port}/ping`, (res) => {
+            const chunks = [];
+            res.on('data', (chunk) => { chunks.push(chunk); });
+            res.on('end', () => {
+              console.log('client res: status=%s headers=%s body=%s',
+                res.statusCode, res.headers, Buffer.concat(chunks).toString());
+              resolve();
+            });
+        });
+    });
+    server.close();
+
+    await redis.quit();
+
+    setTimeout(function () {
+      console.log('Done lame wait for batch span send.')
+      // console.log('XXX ', process._getActiveHandles());
+    }, 10000);
+}
+
+main();
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/esbuild.mjs b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/esbuild.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6c033811c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/esbuild.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as module from 'module';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import * as esbuild from 'esbuild';
+import { FastifyInstrumentation } from '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fastify';
+import { RedisInstrumentation } from '@opentelemetry/instrumentation-redis-4';
+import { getNodeAutoInstrumentations } from '@opentelemetry/auto-instrumentations-node';
+
+// XXX esbuild plugin for OTel, heavily influenced by https://github.com/DataDog/dd-trace-js/tree/master/packages/datadog-esbuild/
+//     TODO: add DD copyright to top of file? e.g. similar to https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js/blob/main/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-instrumentation/hook.mjs
+
+// XXX does this plugin need to be CommonJS so a CJS-using esbuild.js file can used it? Probably, yes.
+
+const NAME = '@opentelemetry/esbuild-plugin'
+const DEBUG = ['all', 'verbose', 'debug'].includes(process.env.OTEL_LOG_LEVEL.toLowerCase())
+const debug = DEBUG
+  ? (msg, ...args) => { console.debug(`${NAME} debug: ${msg}`, ...args); }
+  : () => {};
+
+// XXX doc this
+function pkgInfoFromPath(abspath) {
+  const normpath = path.sep !== '/'
+    ? abspath.replaceAll(path.sep, '/')
+    : abspath;
+  const NM = 'node_modules/';
+  let idx = normpath.lastIndexOf(NM);
+  if (idx < 0) {
+    return;
+  }
+  idx += NM.length;
+  let endIdx = normpath.indexOf('/', idx);
+  if (endIdx < 0) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (normpath[idx] === '@') {
+    endIdx = normpath.indexOf('/', endIdx + 1);
+    if (endIdx < 0) {
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+
+  assert.equal(path.sep.length, 1);
+  return {
+    name: normpath.slice(idx, endIdx),
+    // XXX doc normalization
+    fullModulePath: normpath.slice(idx),
+    pjPath: path.join(abspath.slice(0, endIdx), 'package.json'),
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * How this works. Take `require('fastify')`, for example.
+ *
+ * - esbuild calls:
+ *      onResolve({path: 'fastify', namespace: 'file' })`
+ *   which the plugin resolves to:
+ *      {path: 'fastify', namespace: 'otel', pluginData}`
+ *   where `pluginData` includes the absolute path to load and the package
+ *   version. Importantly the namespace is changed to 'otel'.
+ *
+ * - esbuild calls:
+ *      onLoad({path: 'fastify', namespace: 'otel', pluginData})
+ *   which the plugin resolves to a stub module that does:
+ *    - `require('${absolute path to module}')`,
+ *    - sends a diag chan message to a possibly waiting OTel SDK to optionally
+ *      patch the loaded module exports,
+ *    - re-exports the, possibly now patched, module
+ *
+ * - esbuild calls:
+ *      onResolve({path: '/.../node_modules/fastify/fastify.js', namespace: 'otel' })`
+ *   which the plugin resolves back to the 'file' namespace
+ *
+ * - esbuild's default file loading loads the "fastify.js" as usual
+ *
+ * Which module paths to stub depends on the patching data for each given OTel
+ * Instrumentation. Node.js builtin modules, like `net`, need not be stubbed
+ * because they will be marked external (i.e. not inlined) by esbuild with the
+ * `platform: 'node'` config.
+ */
+const CHANNEL_NAME = 'otel:bundle:load';
+function otelPlugin(instrs) {
+  // XXX move 'intsr' to keyed option
+  // XXX add debug bool option so can choose in esbuild.mjs file
+
+  return {
+    name: 'opentelemetry',
+    setup(build) {
+      // Skip out gracefully if Node.js is too old for this plugin.
+      // - Want `module.isBuiltin`, added in node v18.6.0, v16.17.0.
+      // - Want `diagch.subscribe` added in node v18.7.0, v16.17.0
+      //   (to avoid https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/42170).
+      // Note: these constraints *could* be avoided with added code and deps if
+      // really necessary.
+      const [major, minor] = process.versions.node.split('.').map(Number);
+      if (major < 16 || major === 16 && minor < 17 || major === 18 && minor < 7) {
+        console.warn(`@opentelemetry/esbuild-plugin warn: this plugin requires at least Node.js v16.17.0, v18.7.0 to work; current version is ${process.version}`)
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const externals = new Set(build.initialOptions.external || []);
+
+      // From the given OTel Instrumentation instances, determine which
+      // load paths (e.g. 'fastify', 'mongodb/lib/sessions.js') will possibly
+      // need to be patched at runtime.
+      const pathsToStub = new Set();
+      for (let instr of instrs) {
+        const defns = instr.getModuleDefinitions();
+        for (let defn of defns) {
+          if (typeof defn.patch === 'function') {
+            pathsToStub.add(defn.name);
+          }
+          for (let fileDefn of defn.files) {
+            pathsToStub.add(fileDefn.name);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      debug('module paths to stub:', pathsToStub);
+
+      build.onResolve({ filter: /.*/ }, async (args) => {
+        if (externals.has(args.path)) {
+          // If this esbuild is configured to leave a package external, then
+          // no need to stub for it in the bundle.
+          return;
+        }
+        if (module.isBuiltin(args.path)) {
+          // Node.js builtin modules are left in the bundle as `require(...)`,
+          // so no need for stubbing.
+          return
+        }
+
+        if (args.namespace === 'file') {
+          // console.log('XXX onResolve file:', args);
+
+          // This resolves the absolute path of the module, which is used in the stub.
+          // XXX Not sure if should prefer:
+          //    require.resolve(args.path, {paths: [args.resolveDir]})
+          // Dev Note: Most of the bundle-time perf hit from this plugin is
+          // from this `build.resolve()`.
+          const resolved = await build.resolve(args.path, {
+            kind: args.kind,
+            resolveDir: args.resolveDir
+            // Implicit `namespace: ''` here avoids recursion.
+          });
+          if (resolved.errors.length > 0) {
+            return { errors: resolved.errors };
+          }
+
+          // Get the package name and version.
+          const pkgInfo = pkgInfoFromPath(resolved.path)
+          if (!pkgInfo) {
+            debug(`skip resolved path, could not determine pkgInfo: "${resolved.path}"`);
+            return;
+          }
+
+          let matchPath;
+          if (pathsToStub.has(args.path)) {
+            // E.g. `require('fastify')` matches
+            // `InstrumentationNodeModuleDefinition { name: 'fastify' }`
+            // from `@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fastify`.
+            matchPath = args.path;
+          } else if (pkgInfo.fullModulePath !== args.path && pathsToStub.has(pkgInfo.fullModulePath)) {
+            // E.g. `require('./multi-commander')` from `@redis/client/...` matches
+            // `InstrumentationNodeModuleFile { name: '@redis/client/dist/lib/client/multi-command.js' }
+            // from `@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fastify`.
+            matchPath = pkgInfo.fullModulePath;
+          } else {
+            // This module is not one that given instrumentations care about.
+            return;
+          }
+
+          // Get the package version from its package.json.
+          let pkgVersion;
+          try {
+            const pjContent = await fs.promises.readFile(pkgInfo.pjPath);
+            pkgVersion = JSON.parse(pjContent).version;
+          } catch (err) {
+            debug(`skip "${matchPath}": could not determine package version: ${err.message}`);
+            return;
+          }
+
+          return {
+            path: matchPath,
+            namespace: 'otel',
+            pluginData: {
+              fullPath: resolved.path,
+              pkgName: pkgInfo.name,
+              pkgVersion,
+            }
+          };
+
+        } else if (args.namespace === 'otel') {
+          return {
+            path: args.path,
+            namespace: 'file',
+            // We expect `args.path` to always be an absolute path (from
+            // resolved.path above), so `resolveDir` isn't necessary.
+          };
+        }
+      })
+
+      build.onLoad({ filter: /.*/, namespace: 'otel' }, async (args) => {
+        debug(`stub module "${args.path}"`);
+        return {
+          contents: `
+            const diagch = require('diagnostics_channel');
+            const ch = diagch.channel('${CHANNEL_NAME}');
+            const mod = require('${args.pluginData.fullPath}');
+            const message = {
+              name: '${args.path}',
+              version: '${args.pluginData.pkgVersion}',
+              exports: mod,
+            };
+            ch.publish(message);
+            module.exports = message.exports;
+          `,
+          loader: 'js',
+        }
+      })
+    },
+  }
+}
+
+await esbuild.build({
+  entryPoints: ['app.js'],
+  bundle: true,
+  platform: 'node',
+  target: ['node14'],
+  outdir: 'build',
+  plugins: [otelPlugin(
+    // [ new FastifyInstrumentation(), new RedisInstrumentation(), ]
+    getNodeAutoInstrumentations(),
+  )],
+});
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/minisdk.js b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/minisdk.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9443db183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/minisdk.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+var diagch = require("diagnostics_channel");
+diagch.subscribe("otel:bundle:load", (message, name) => {
+  console.log('minisdk received message:', name, message);
+});
+
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/package.json b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..829f47c5c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/example/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "name": "opentelemetry-esbuild-plugin-example",
+  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "private": true,
+  "scripts": {
+    "build": "OTEL_LOG_LEVEL=debug node esbuild.mjs"
+  },
+  "XXX dependencies": {
+    "@opentelemetry/auto-instrumentations-node": "^0.47.1",
+    "@opentelemetry/instrumentation": "file:../../../../opentelemetry-js10/experimental/packages/opentelemetry-instrumentation",
+    "@opentelemetry/instrumentation-fastify": "^0.37.0",
+    "tabula": "^1.10.0"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@aws-sdk/client-s3": "^3.600.0",
+    "@opentelemetry/auto-instrumentations-node": "^0.47.1",
+    "fastify": "^4.28.0",
+    "redis": "^4.6.14"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/lib/index.js b/packages/esbuild-plugin/lib/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/packages/esbuild-plugin/package.json b/packages/esbuild-plugin/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13724083e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/esbuild-plugin/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+{
+  "name": "@opentelemetry/esbuild-plugin",
+  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "description": "XXX",
+  "main": "lib/index.js",
+  "XXXmain": "build/src/index.js",
+  "types": "build/src/index.d.ts",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib.git"
+  },
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "nyc ts-mocha -p tsconfig.json 'test/**/*.test.ts'",
+    "tdd": "npm run test -- --watch-extensions ts --watch",
+    "clean": "rimraf build/*",
+    "lint": "eslint . --ext .ts",
+    "lint:fix": "eslint . --ext .ts --fix",
+    "precompile": "tsc --version && lerna run version:update --scope @opentelemetry/esbuild-plugin --include-dependencies",
+    "prewatch": "npm run precompile",
+    "prepublishOnly": "npm run compile",
+    "version:update": "node ../../scripts/version-update.js",
+    "compile": "tsc -p ."
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "nodejs",
+    "opentelemetry",
+    "esbuild",
+    "bundling"
+  ],
+  "author": "OpenTelemetry Authors",
+  "license": "Apache-2.0",
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=16.17.0"
+  },
+  "XXXfiles": [
+    "build/src/**/*.js",
+    "build/src/**/*.js.map",
+    "build/src/**/*.d.ts"
+  ],
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/mocha": "7.0.2",
+    "@types/node": "18.6.5",
+    "@types/sinon": "10.0.18",
+    "mocha": "7.2.0",
+    "nyc": "15.1.0",
+    "rimraf": "5.0.5",
+    "sinon": "15.2.0",
+    "ts-mocha": "10.0.0",
+    "typescript": "4.4.4"
+  },
+  "homepage": "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/tree/main/packages/esbuild-plugin",
+  "bugs": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-js-contrib/issues"
+  }
+}