In a J2EE application server, a method of passing context information among transactions in a hierarchical parent-child transaction chain executing in a single thread of execution. The method comprises generating a correlator corresponding to a top level transaction spawning a plurality of child transactions in the parent-child transaction chain. The correlator is stored in a Java thread local (JTL) stack associated with the thread of execution. For each child transaction, the JTL stack is referenced to access a correlator associated with a parent of the child transaction. The method further comprises utilizing context information provided by said parent correlator to generate a correlator for said child transaction.