diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 5421eca66a..951c4d0ec5 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -776,6 +776,7 @@ if have_system
     'hw/riscv',
     'migration',
     'net',
+    'softmmu',
     'ui',
   ]
 endif
diff --git a/softmmu/balloon.c b/softmmu/balloon.c
index b89646f85d..23452295cd 100644
--- a/softmmu/balloon.c
+++ b/softmmu/balloon.c
@@ -28,10 +28,10 @@
 #include "qemu/atomic.h"
 #include "sysemu/kvm.h"
 #include "sysemu/balloon.h"
-#include "trace/trace-root.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qapi/qapi-commands-misc.h"
 #include "qapi/qmp/qerror.h"
+#include "trace.h"
 
 static QEMUBalloonEvent *balloon_event_fn;
 static QEMUBalloonStatus *balloon_stat_fn;
diff --git a/softmmu/ioport.c b/softmmu/ioport.c
index a799697c5d..cb8adb0b93 100644
--- a/softmmu/ioport.c
+++ b/softmmu/ioport.c
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "cpu.h"
 #include "exec/ioport.h"
-#include "trace/trace-root.h"
 #include "exec/memory.h"
 #include "exec/address-spaces.h"
+#include "trace.h"
 
 typedef struct MemoryRegionPortioList {
     MemoryRegion mr;
diff --git a/softmmu/memory.c b/softmmu/memory.c
index 70b93104e8..d030eb6f7c 100644
--- a/softmmu/memory.c
+++ b/softmmu/memory.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
 #include "qemu/qemu-print.h"
 #include "qom/object.h"
-#include "trace/trace-root.h"
+#include "trace.h"
 
 #include "exec/memory-internal.h"
 #include "exec/ram_addr.h"
diff --git a/softmmu/trace-events b/softmmu/trace-events
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b80ca042e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/softmmu/trace-events
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# See docs/devel/tracing.txt for syntax documentation.
+
+# balloon.c
+# Since requests are raised via monitor, not many tracepoints are needed.
+balloon_event(void *opaque, unsigned long addr) "opaque %p addr %lu"
+
+# ioport.c
+cpu_in(unsigned int addr, char size, unsigned int val) "addr 0x%x(%c) value %u"
+cpu_out(unsigned int addr, char size, unsigned int val) "addr 0x%x(%c) value %u"
+
+# memory.c
+memory_region_ops_read(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
+memory_region_ops_write(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
+memory_region_subpage_read(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t offset, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p offset 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
+memory_region_subpage_write(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t offset, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p offset 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
+memory_region_ram_device_read(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
+memory_region_ram_device_write(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
+flatview_new(void *view, void *root) "%p (root %p)"
+flatview_destroy(void *view, void *root) "%p (root %p)"
+flatview_destroy_rcu(void *view, void *root) "%p (root %p)"
+
+# vl.c
+vm_state_notify(int running, int reason, const char *reason_str) "running %d reason %d (%s)"
+load_file(const char *name, const char *path) "name %s location %s"
+runstate_set(int current_state, const char *current_state_str, int new_state, const char *new_state_str) "current_run_state %d (%s) new_state %d (%s)"
+system_wakeup_request(int reason) "reason=%d"
+qemu_system_shutdown_request(int reason) "reason=%d"
+qemu_system_powerdown_request(void) ""
diff --git a/softmmu/trace.h b/softmmu/trace.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2ad1011572
--- /dev/null
+++ b/softmmu/trace.h
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include "trace/trace-softmmu.h"
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 0cc86b0766..f7b103467c 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
 
 #include "disas/disas.h"
 
-#include "trace/trace-root.h"
+#include "trace.h"
 #include "trace/control.h"
 #include "qemu/plugin.h"
 #include "qemu/queue.h"
diff --git a/trace-events b/trace-events
index 42107ebc69..5882c2d5fc 100644
--- a/trace-events
+++ b/trace-events
@@ -25,22 +25,6 @@
 #
 # The <format-string> should be a sprintf()-compatible format string.
 
-# ioport.c
-cpu_in(unsigned int addr, char size, unsigned int val) "addr 0x%x(%c) value %u"
-cpu_out(unsigned int addr, char size, unsigned int val) "addr 0x%x(%c) value %u"
-
-# balloon.c
-# Since requests are raised via monitor, not many tracepoints are needed.
-balloon_event(void *opaque, unsigned long addr) "opaque %p addr %lu"
-
-# vl.c
-vm_state_notify(int running, int reason, const char *reason_str) "running %d reason %d (%s)"
-load_file(const char *name, const char *path) "name %s location %s"
-runstate_set(int current_state, const char *current_state_str, int new_state, const char *new_state_str) "current_run_state %d (%s) new_state %d (%s)"
-system_wakeup_request(int reason) "reason=%d"
-qemu_system_shutdown_request(int reason) "reason=%d"
-qemu_system_powerdown_request(void) ""
-
 # dma-helpers.c
 dma_blk_io(void *dbs, void *bs, int64_t offset, bool to_dev) "dbs=%p bs=%p offset=%" PRId64 " to_dev=%d"
 dma_aio_cancel(void *dbs) "dbs=%p"
@@ -55,17 +39,6 @@ ram_block_discard_range(const char *rbname, void *hva, size_t length, bool need_
 memory_notdirty_write_access(uint64_t vaddr, uint64_t ram_addr, unsigned size) "0x%" PRIx64 " ram_addr 0x%" PRIx64 " size %u"
 memory_notdirty_set_dirty(uint64_t vaddr) "0x%" PRIx64
 
-# memory.c
-memory_region_ops_read(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
-memory_region_ops_write(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
-memory_region_subpage_read(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t offset, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p offset 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
-memory_region_subpage_write(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t offset, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p offset 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
-memory_region_ram_device_read(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
-memory_region_ram_device_write(int cpu_index, void *mr, uint64_t addr, uint64_t value, unsigned size) "cpu %d mr %p addr 0x%"PRIx64" value 0x%"PRIx64" size %u"
-flatview_new(void *view, void *root) "%p (root %p)"
-flatview_destroy(void *view, void *root) "%p (root %p)"
-flatview_destroy_rcu(void *view, void *root) "%p (root %p)"
-
 # gdbstub.c
 gdbstub_op_start(const char *device) "Starting gdbstub using device %s"
 gdbstub_op_exiting(uint8_t code) "notifying exit with code=0x%02x"