diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 833fd6bc4c..e0cfafe8d9 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ qemu_icondir = get_option('datadir') / 'icons'
 
 config_host_data = configuration_data()
 genh = []
+qapi_trace_events = []
 
 target_dirs = config_host['TARGET_DIRS'].split()
 have_linux_user = false
@@ -2557,6 +2558,8 @@ if 'CONFIG_VHOST_USER' in config_host
   vhost_user = libvhost_user.get_variable('vhost_user_dep')
 endif
 
+# NOTE: the trace/ subdirectory needs the qapi_trace_events variable
+# that is filled in by qapi/.
 subdir('qapi')
 subdir('qobject')
 subdir('stubs')
diff --git a/qapi/meson.build b/qapi/meson.build
index c0c49c15e4..b22558ca73 100644
--- a/qapi/meson.build
+++ b/qapi/meson.build
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ foreach module : qapi_all_modules
       'qapi-events-@0@.h'.format(module),
       'qapi-commands-@0@.c'.format(module),
       'qapi-commands-@0@.h'.format(module),
+      'qapi-commands-@0@.trace-events'.format(module),
     ]
   endif
   if module.endswith('-target')
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ endforeach
 qapi_files = custom_target('shared QAPI source files',
   output: qapi_util_outputs + qapi_specific_outputs + qapi_nonmodule_outputs,
   input: [ files('qapi-schema.json') ],
-  command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', 'qapi', '-b', '@INPUT0@' ],
+  command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', 'qapi', '-b', '@INPUT0@', '--gen-trace' ],
   depend_files: [ qapi_inputs, qapi_gen_depends ])
 
 # Now go through all the outputs and add them to the right sourceset.
@@ -137,6 +138,9 @@ foreach output : qapi_util_outputs
   if output.endswith('.h')
     genh += qapi_files[i]
   endif
+  if output.endswith('.trace-events')
+    qapi_trace_events += qapi_files[i]
+  endif
   util_ss.add(qapi_files[i])
   i = i + 1
 endforeach
@@ -145,6 +149,9 @@ foreach output : qapi_specific_outputs + qapi_nonmodule_outputs
   if output.endswith('.h')
     genh += qapi_files[i]
   endif
+  if output.endswith('.trace-events')
+    qapi_trace_events += qapi_files[i]
+  endif
   specific_ss.add(when: 'CONFIG_SOFTMMU', if_true: qapi_files[i])
   i = i + 1
 endforeach
diff --git a/trace/meson.build b/trace/meson.build
index 573dd699c6..c4794a1f2a 100644
--- a/trace/meson.build
+++ b/trace/meson.build
@@ -2,10 +2,15 @@
 specific_ss.add(files('control-target.c'))
 
 trace_events_files = []
-foreach dir : [ '.' ] + trace_events_subdirs
-  trace_events_file = meson.project_source_root() / dir / 'trace-events'
+foreach item : [ '.' ] + trace_events_subdirs + qapi_trace_events
+  if item in qapi_trace_events
+    trace_events_file = item
+    group_name = item.full_path().split('/')[-1].underscorify()
+  else
+    trace_events_file = meson.project_source_root() / item / 'trace-events'
+    group_name = item == '.' ? 'root' : item.underscorify()
+  endif
   trace_events_files += [ trace_events_file ]
-  group_name = dir == '.' ? 'root' : dir.underscorify()
   group = '--group=' + group_name
   fmt = '@0@-' + group_name + '.@1@'