diff --git a/packages/apollo-engine-reporting/src/extension.ts b/packages/apollo-engine-reporting/src/extension.ts
index 8525a2234ec..cfa4bccb051 100644
--- a/packages/apollo-engine-reporting/src/extension.ts
+++ b/packages/apollo-engine-reporting/src/extension.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   responsePathAsArray,
   ResponsePath,
   DocumentNode,
+  ExecutionArgs,
   GraphQLError,
 } from 'graphql';
 import {
@@ -237,13 +238,21 @@ export class EngineReportingExtension<TContext = any>
     };
   }
 
-  public didResolveOperation(o: {
-    requestContext: GraphQLRequestContext<TContext>;
-  }) {
-    const { requestContext } = o;
-
-    this.operationName = requestContext.operationName;
-    this.documentAST = requestContext.document;
+  public executionDidStart(o: { executionArgs: ExecutionArgs }) {
+    // If the operationName is explicitly provided, save it. If there's just one
+    // named operation, the client doesn't have to provide it, but we still want
+    // to know the operation name so that the server can identify the query by
+    // it without having to parse a signature.
+    //
+    // Fortunately, in the non-error case, we can just pull this out of
+    // the first call to willResolveField's `info` argument.  In an
+    // error case (eg, the operationName isn't found, or there are more
+    // than one operation and no specified operationName) it's OK to continue
+    // to file this trace under the empty operationName.
+    if (o.executionArgs.operationName) {
+      this.operationName = o.executionArgs.operationName;
+    }
+    this.documentAST = o.executionArgs.document;
   }
 
   public willResolveField(
@@ -252,6 +261,11 @@ export class EngineReportingExtension<TContext = any>
     _context: TContext,
     info: GraphQLResolveInfo,
   ): ((error: Error | null, result: any) => void) | void {
+    if (this.operationName === undefined) {
+      this.operationName =
+        (info.operation.name && info.operation.name.value) || '';
+    }
+
     const path = info.path;
     const node = this.newNode(path);
     node.type = info.returnType.toString();