diff --git a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
index 2f66d885f..bf3f68751 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ endif::[]
 [float]
 ===== Features
 
+* Add global access to Client singleton object at `elasticapm.get_client()` {pull}1043[#1043]
+
 
 [float]
 ===== Bug fixes
diff --git a/elasticapm/__init__.py b/elasticapm/__init__.py
index 29e407934..42bbca423 100644
--- a/elasticapm/__init__.py
+++ b/elasticapm/__init__.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #  OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 import sys
 
-from elasticapm.base import Client
+from elasticapm.base import Client, get_client  # noqa: F401
 from elasticapm.conf import setup_logging  # noqa: F401
 from elasticapm.instrumentation.control import instrument, uninstrument  # noqa: F401
 from elasticapm.traces import (  # noqa: F401
diff --git a/elasticapm/base.py b/elasticapm/base.py
index 716de3c4e..cd3787a3a 100644
--- a/elasticapm/base.py
+++ b/elasticapm/base.py
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 
 __all__ = ("Client",)
 
+CLIENT_SINGLETON = None
+
 
 class Client(object):
     """
@@ -205,6 +207,9 @@ def __init__(self, config=None, **inline):
         if config.enabled:
             self.start_threads()
 
+        # Save this Client object as the global CLIENT_SINGLETON
+        set_client(self)
+
     def start_threads(self):
         with self._thread_starter_lock:
             current_pid = os.getpid()
@@ -298,6 +303,8 @@ def close(self):
             with self._thread_starter_lock:
                 for _, manager in self._thread_managers.items():
                     manager.stop_thread()
+        global CLIENT_SINGLETON
+        CLIENT_SINGLETON = None
 
     def get_service_info(self):
         if self._service_info:
@@ -611,3 +618,15 @@ class DummyClient(Client):
 
     def send(self, url, **kwargs):
         return None
+
+
+def get_client():
+    return CLIENT_SINGLETON
+
+
+def set_client(client):
+    global CLIENT_SINGLETON
+    if CLIENT_SINGLETON:
+        logger = get_logger("elasticapm")
+        logger.debug("Client object is being set more than once")
+    CLIENT_SINGLETON = client
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/__init__.py b/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/__init__.py
index 75799caca..5588adfc4 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/__init__.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/__init__.py
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@
 import elasticapm
 from elasticapm import Client
 
-CLIENT_KEY = "_elasticapm_client_instance"
-
 
 class ElasticAPM:
     def __init__(self, app, client=None):
@@ -43,7 +41,6 @@ def __init__(self, app, client=None):
             config.setdefault("framework_name", "aiohttp")
             config.setdefault("framework_version", aiohttp.__version__)
             client = Client(config=config)
-        app[CLIENT_KEY] = client
         self.app = app
         self.client = client
         self.install_tracing(app, client)
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/middleware.py b/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/middleware.py
index d83dbe9d6..20ea0309e 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/middleware.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/aiohttp/middleware.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 from aiohttp.web import HTTPException, Response, middleware
 
 import elasticapm
+from elasticapm import get_client
 from elasticapm.conf import constants
 from elasticapm.contrib.aiohttp.utils import get_data_from_request, get_data_from_response
 from elasticapm.utils.disttracing import TraceParent
@@ -44,13 +45,10 @@ def merge_duplicate_headers(cls, headers, key):
 
 
 def tracing_middleware(app):
-    from elasticapm.contrib.aiohttp import CLIENT_KEY  # noqa
-
     async def handle_request(request, handler):
-        elasticapm_client = app.get(CLIENT_KEY)
+        elasticapm_client = get_client()
         should_trace = elasticapm_client and not elasticapm_client.should_ignore_url(request.path)
         if should_trace:
-            request[CLIENT_KEY] = elasticapm_client
             trace_parent = AioHttpTraceParent.from_headers(request.headers)
             elasticapm_client.begin_transaction("request", trace_parent=trace_parent)
             resource = request.match_info.route.resource
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/django/client.py b/elasticapm/contrib/django/client.py
index fe84f8368..901aa67cb 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/django/client.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/django/client.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 from django.db import DatabaseError
 from django.http import HttpRequest
 
+from elasticapm import get_client as _get_client
 from elasticapm.base import Client
 from elasticapm.conf import constants
 from elasticapm.contrib.django.utils import iterate_with_template_sources
@@ -49,10 +50,9 @@
 
 
 default_client_class = "elasticapm.contrib.django.DjangoClient"
-_client = (None, None)
 
 
-def get_client(client=None):
+def get_client():
     """
     Get an ElasticAPM client.
 
@@ -60,20 +60,16 @@ def get_client(client=None):
     :return:
     :rtype: elasticapm.base.Client
     """
-    global _client
-
-    tmp_client = client is not None
-    if not tmp_client:
-        config = getattr(django_settings, "ELASTIC_APM", {})
-        client = config.get("CLIENT", default_client_class)
-
-    if _client[0] != client:
-        client_class = import_string(client)
-        instance = client_class()
-        if not tmp_client:
-            _client = (client, instance)
-        return instance
-    return _client[1]
+    if _get_client():
+        return _get_client()
+
+    config = getattr(django_settings, "ELASTIC_APM", {})
+    client = config.get("CLIENT", default_client_class)
+    client_class = import_string(client)
+    instance = client_class()
+    # `instance` will already be in elasticapm.base.CLIENT_SINGLETON due to the
+    # `__init__()` for Client
+    return instance
 
 
 class DjangoClient(Client):
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/flask/__init__.py b/elasticapm/contrib/flask/__init__.py
index e8fb5222f..361dca01c 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/flask/__init__.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/flask/__init__.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 import elasticapm
 import elasticapm.instrumentation.control
+from elasticapm import get_client
 from elasticapm.base import Client
 from elasticapm.conf import constants, setup_logging
 from elasticapm.contrib.flask.utils import get_data_from_request, get_data_from_response
@@ -50,17 +51,6 @@
 logger = get_logger("elasticapm.errors.client")
 
 
-def make_client(client_cls, app, **defaults):
-    config = app.config.get("ELASTIC_APM", {})
-
-    if "framework_name" not in defaults:
-        defaults["framework_name"] = "flask"
-        defaults["framework_version"] = getattr(flask, "__version__", "<0.7")
-
-    client = client_cls(config, **defaults)
-    return client
-
-
 class ElasticAPM(object):
     """
     Flask application for Elastic APM.
@@ -97,10 +87,18 @@ class ElasticAPM(object):
     def __init__(self, app=None, client=None, client_cls=Client, logging=False, **defaults):
         self.app = app
         self.logging = logging
-        self.client_cls = client_cls
-        self.client = client
+        self.client = client or get_client()
 
         if app:
+            if not self.client:
+                config = app.config.get("ELASTIC_APM", {})
+
+                if "framework_name" not in defaults:
+                    defaults["framework_name"] = "flask"
+                    defaults["framework_version"] = getattr(flask, "__version__", "<0.7")
+
+                self.client = client_cls(config, **defaults)
+
             self.init_app(app, **defaults)
 
     def handle_exception(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -125,8 +123,6 @@ def handle_exception(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
     def init_app(self, app, **defaults):
         self.app = app
-        if not self.client:
-            self.client = make_client(self.client_cls, app, **defaults)
 
         # 0 is a valid log level (NOTSET), so we need to check explicitly for it
         if self.logging or self.logging is logging.NOTSET:
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/opentracing/tracer.py b/elasticapm/contrib/opentracing/tracer.py
index cd65e66df..d51ee144e 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/opentracing/tracer.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/opentracing/tracer.py
@@ -36,17 +36,15 @@
 from opentracing.tracer import Tracer as TracerBase
 
 import elasticapm
-from elasticapm import instrument, traces
+from elasticapm import get_client, instrument, traces
 from elasticapm.conf import constants
 from elasticapm.contrib.opentracing.span import OTSpan, OTSpanContext
 from elasticapm.utils import compat, disttracing
 
 
 class Tracer(TracerBase):
-    _elasticapm_client_class = elasticapm.Client
-
     def __init__(self, client_instance=None, config=None, scope_manager=None):
-        self._agent = client_instance or self._elasticapm_client_class(config=config)
+        self._agent = client_instance or get_client() or elasticapm.Client(config=config)
         if scope_manager and not isinstance(scope_manager, ThreadLocalScopeManager):
             warnings.warn(
                 "Currently, the Elastic APM opentracing bridge only supports the ThreadLocalScopeManager. "
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/paste.py b/elasticapm/contrib/paste.py
index f32564036..0c9a35231 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/paste.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/paste.py
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@
 #  OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 
+from elasticapm import get_client
 from elasticapm.base import Client
 from elasticapm.middleware import ElasticAPM
 
 
 def filter_factory(app, global_conf, **kwargs):
-    client = Client(**kwargs)
+    client = get_client() or Client(**kwargs)
     return ElasticAPM(app, client)
diff --git a/elasticapm/contrib/pylons/__init__.py b/elasticapm/contrib/pylons/__init__.py
index 55a35916d..1cef9c67f 100644
--- a/elasticapm/contrib/pylons/__init__.py
+++ b/elasticapm/contrib/pylons/__init__.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #  OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 
 
+from elasticapm import get_client
 from elasticapm.base import Client
 from elasticapm.middleware import ElasticAPM as Middleware
 from elasticapm.utils import compat
@@ -44,5 +45,5 @@ def list_from_setting(config, setting):
 class ElasticAPM(Middleware):
     def __init__(self, app, config, client_cls=Client):
         client_config = {key[11:]: val for key, val in compat.iteritems(config) if key.startswith("elasticapm.")}
-        client = client_cls(**client_config)
+        client = get_client() or client_cls(**client_config)
         super(ElasticAPM, self).__init__(app, client)
diff --git a/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py b/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py
index d4ed6dcfd..a043b30b8 100644
--- a/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py
+++ b/tests/contrib/django/django_tests.py
@@ -511,17 +511,6 @@ def test_response_error_id_middleware(django_elasticapm_client, client):
         assert event["id"] == headers["X-ElasticAPM-ErrorId"]
 
 
-def test_get_client(django_elasticapm_client):
-    with mock.patch.dict("os.environ", {"ELASTIC_APM_METRICS_INTERVAL": "0ms"}):
-        client2 = get_client("elasticapm.base.Client")
-        try:
-            assert get_client() is get_client()
-            assert client2.__class__ == Client
-        finally:
-            get_client().close()
-            client2.close()
-
-
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("django_elasticapm_client", [{"capture_body": "errors"}], indirect=True)
 def test_raw_post_data_partial_read(django_elasticapm_client):
     v = compat.b('{"foo": "bar"}')