diff --git a/otel/README.md b/otel/README.md
index 39432928..e745ac4d 100644
--- a/otel/README.md
+++ b/otel/README.md
@@ -1,28 +1,50 @@
-# OpenTelemetry Plugin (Deprecated)
-
-> **Deprecated**: This plugin is no longer necessary and will be removed in a
-> future release. The Goa HTTP muxer now sets `r.Pattern` on every matched
-> request (using the Go 1.22+ convention), which `otelhttp` v0.65.0+ reads
-> automatically to tag spans and metrics with the matched route.
->
-> **Migration**: Remove the blank import from your design package and
-> regenerate:
->
-> ```diff
-> - import _ "goa.design/plugins/v3/otel"
-> ```
->
-> No other changes are needed — route tagging now happens automatically in
-> the Goa muxer.
-
-## Background
-
-The `otel` plugin was a [Goa](https://github.com/goadesign/goa/tree/v3) plugin
-that wrapped generated HTTP handlers with `otelhttp.WithRouteTag` to set the
-`http.route` attribute on OpenTelemetry spans and metrics.
-
-`otelhttp.WithRouteTag` was
-[removed](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go-contrib/pull/8268)
-in `otelhttp` v0.65.0 because `otelhttp` now reads `r.Pattern` (added in Go
-1.22) to obtain the route automatically. Goa's muxer has been updated to set
-`r.Pattern` on every dispatched request, making this plugin unnecessary.
+# OpenTelemetry Plugin
+
+The `otel` plugin is a [Goa](https://github.com/goadesign/goa/tree/v3) plugin
+that sets the `http.route` OpenTelemetry span attribute on generated HTTP
+handlers. This ensures the matched route pattern appears as a span attribute
+regardless of how `otelhttp` is wired into the application.
+
+## Usage
+
+Import the plugin in the service design package with a blank identifier:
+
+```go
+package design
+
+import . "goa.design/goa/v3/dsl"
+import _ "goa.design/plugins/v3/otel"
+
+var _ = API("...
+```
+
+and generate as usual:
+
+```bash
+goa gen PACKAGE
+```
+
+The generated `MountXxxHandler` functions will set `http.route` on the active
+span before calling the handler:
+
+```go
+mux.Handle("GET", "/users/{id}", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+    trace.SpanFromContext(r.Context()).SetAttributes(semconv.HTTPRoute("/users/{id}"))
+    f(w, r)
+})
+```
+
+## Alternative: mux middleware (no plugin needed)
+
+As of Goa v3.25.0 the default muxer sets `r.Pattern` before middlewares run.
+If you register `otelhttp` as a mux middleware, it reads the route pattern
+automatically and this plugin is not necessary:
+
+```go
+mux := goahttp.NewMuxer()
+mux.Use(otelhttp.NewMiddleware("service"))
+```
+
+Use the plugin when you wrap the mux externally with
+`otelhttp.NewHandler(mux, ...)`, since in that case `r.Pattern` is not yet
+available when `otelhttp` creates the span.
diff --git a/otel/generate.go b/otel/generate.go
index 3a7c4d63..b286d16a 100644
--- a/otel/generate.go
+++ b/otel/generate.go
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
-// Package otel was a Goa plugin that instrumented HTTP handlers with
-// otelhttp.WithRouteTag to set the http.route attribute on spans and metrics.
+// Package otel is a Goa plugin that sets the http.route OpenTelemetry span
+// attribute on generated HTTP handlers. It does this by wrapping each handler
+// to call trace.SpanFromContext(r.Context()).SetAttributes(semconv.HTTPRoute(...))
+// before the handler executes.
 //
-// Deprecated: As of Goa v3.x.x the default HTTP muxer sets r.Pattern on every
-// matched request, which otelhttp (v0.65.0+) reads automatically to tag spans
-// and metrics with the matched route. This plugin is no longer necessary and
-// will be removed in a future release. Remove the blank import from your
-// design package:
+// Import the package in the service design with a blank identifier:
 //
-//	import _ "goa.design/plugins/v3/otel" // ← delete this line
+//	import _ "goa.design/plugins/v3/otel"
+//
+// When using otelhttp as a mux middleware (recommended), the Goa muxer sets
+// r.Pattern before middlewares run, so otelhttp picks up the route
+// automatically. In that case this plugin is not necessary:
+//
+//	mux := goahttp.NewMuxer()
+//	mux.Use(otelhttp.NewMiddleware("service"))
 package otel
 
 import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
 	"goa.design/goa/v3/codegen"
 	"goa.design/goa/v3/eval"
 )
@@ -20,10 +28,34 @@ func init() {
 	codegen.RegisterPluginLast("otel", "gen", nil, Generate)
 }
 
-// Generate is a no-op kept for backward compatibility. The Goa HTTP muxer now
-// sets r.Pattern on every request, making explicit route tagging unnecessary.
-//
-// Deprecated: Remove the otel plugin import from your design package.
-func Generate(_ string, _ []eval.Root, files []*codegen.File) ([]*codegen.File, error) {
+// Generate modifies the generated HTTP server code to set the http.route
+// OpenTelemetry span attribute on each handler. This ensures the attribute
+// is present regardless of how otelhttp is wired (external handler wrapping
+// or mux middleware).
+func Generate(genpkg string, roots []eval.Root, files []*codegen.File) ([]*codegen.File, error) {
+	for _, f := range files {
+		if filepath.Base(f.Path) != "server.go" {
+			continue
+		}
+		for _, s := range f.SectionTemplates {
+			if s.Name == "server-handler" {
+				s.Source = strings.Replace(
+					s.Source,
+					`mux.Handle("{{ .Verb }}", "{{ .Path }}", f)`,
+					`mux.Handle("{{ .Verb }}", "{{ .Path }}", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		trace.SpanFromContext(r.Context()).SetAttributes(semconv.HTTPRoute("{{ .Path }}"))
+		f(w, r)
+	})`,
+					1,
+				)
+			}
+		}
+		imports := f.SectionTemplates[0].Data.(map[string]any)["Imports"].([]*codegen.ImportSpec)
+		imports = append(imports,
+			&codegen.ImportSpec{Path: "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"},
+			&codegen.ImportSpec{Path: "go.opentelemetry.io/otel/semconv/v1.38.0", Name: "semconv"},
+		)
+		f.SectionTemplates[0].Data.(map[string]any)["Imports"] = imports
+	}
 	return files, nil
 }
diff --git a/otel/generate_test.go b/otel/generate_test.go
index d79e3e86..f2e9142d 100644
--- a/otel/generate_test.go
+++ b/otel/generate_test.go
@@ -37,10 +37,6 @@ func TestOtel(t *testing.T) {
 			fs, err := Generate("", []eval.Root{root}, serverFiles)
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 			require.Len(t, fs, 2)
-			// Generate is a no-op: the returned files must be identical
-			// to the input server files.
-			assert.Same(t, serverFiles[0], fs[0])
-			assert.Same(t, serverFiles[1], fs[1])
 			sections := fs[0].Section("server-handler")
 			require.Len(t, sections, 1)
 			section := sections[0]
diff --git a/otel/testdata/multiple routes.golden b/otel/testdata/multiple routes.golden
index 7605fbd6..0f2b7550 100644
--- a/otel/testdata/multiple routes.golden	
+++ b/otel/testdata/multiple routes.golden	
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ func MountMethodHandler(mux goahttp.Muxer, h http.Handler) {
 			h.ServeHTTP(w, r)
 		}
 	}
-	mux.Handle("GET", "/", f)
-	mux.Handle("GET", "/other", f)
+	mux.Handle("GET", "/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		trace.SpanFromContext(r.Context()).SetAttributes(semconv.HTTPRoute("/"))
+		f(w, r)
+	})
+	mux.Handle("GET", "/other", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		trace.SpanFromContext(r.Context()).SetAttributes(semconv.HTTPRoute("/other"))
+		f(w, r)
+	})
 }
diff --git a/otel/testdata/one route.golden b/otel/testdata/one route.golden
index 827900a3..f8b34d22 100644
--- a/otel/testdata/one route.golden	
+++ b/otel/testdata/one route.golden	
@@ -7,5 +7,8 @@ func MountMethodHandler(mux goahttp.Muxer, h http.Handler) {
 			h.ServeHTTP(w, r)
 		}
 	}
-	mux.Handle("GET", "/", f)
+	mux.Handle("GET", "/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		trace.SpanFromContext(r.Context()).SetAttributes(semconv.HTTPRoute("/"))
+		f(w, r)
+	})
 }