diff --git a/scripts/tracetool/__init__.py b/scripts/tracetool/__init__.py
index a11f36b5d4..dc93416e9d 100644
--- a/scripts/tracetool/__init__.py
+++ b/scripts/tracetool/__init__.py
@@ -266,6 +266,7 @@ def formats(self):
     QEMU_TRACE               = "trace_%(name)s"
     QEMU_TRACE_TCG           = QEMU_TRACE + "_tcg"
     QEMU_DSTATE              = "_TRACE_%(NAME)s_DSTATE"
+    QEMU_EVENT               = "_TRACE_%(NAME)s_EVENT"
 
     def api(self, fmt=None):
         if fmt is None:
diff --git a/scripts/tracetool/format/events_c.py b/scripts/tracetool/format/events_c.py
index ef873fa137..a97054fd58 100644
--- a/scripts/tracetool/format/events_c.py
+++ b/scripts/tracetool/format/events_c.py
@@ -28,22 +28,29 @@ def generate(events, backend):
     for e in events:
         out('uint16_t %s;' % e.api(e.QEMU_DSTATE))
 
-    out('TraceEvent trace_events[TRACE_EVENT_COUNT] = {')
-
     for e in events:
         if "vcpu" in e.properties:
             vcpu_id = "TRACE_VCPU_" + e.name.upper()
         else:
             vcpu_id = "TRACE_VCPU_EVENT_COUNT"
-        out('    { .id = %(id)s, .vcpu_id = %(vcpu_id)s,'
-            ' .name = \"%(name)s\",'
-            ' .sstate = %(sstate)s,',
-            ' .dstate = &%(dstate)s, }, ',
+        out('TraceEvent %(event)s = {',
+            '    .id = %(id)s,',
+            '    .vcpu_id = %(vcpu_id)s,',
+            '    .name = \"%(name)s\",',
+            '    .sstate = %(sstate)s,',
+            '    .dstate = &%(dstate)s ',
+            '};',
+            event = e.api(e.QEMU_EVENT),
             id = "TRACE_" + e.name.upper(),
             vcpu_id = vcpu_id,
             name = e.name,
             sstate = "TRACE_%s_ENABLED" % e.name.upper(),
             dstate = e.api(e.QEMU_DSTATE))
 
+    out('TraceEvent *trace_events[TRACE_EVENT_COUNT] = {')
+
+    for e in events:
+        out('    &%(event)s,', event = e.api(e.QEMU_EVENT))
+
     out('};',
         '')
diff --git a/scripts/tracetool/format/events_h.py b/scripts/tracetool/format/events_h.py
index 03417de0ec..80a66c57d5 100644
--- a/scripts/tracetool/format/events_h.py
+++ b/scripts/tracetool/format/events_h.py
@@ -21,7 +21,13 @@ def generate(events, backend):
         '',
         '#ifndef TRACE__GENERATED_EVENTS_H',
         '#define TRACE__GENERATED_EVENTS_H',
-        '')
+        '',
+        '#include "trace/event-internal.h"',
+        )
+
+    for e in events:
+        out('extern TraceEvent %(event)s;',
+            event = e.api(e.QEMU_EVENT))
 
     # event identifiers
     out('typedef enum {')
@@ -58,6 +64,5 @@ def generate(events, backend):
                 enabled=enabled)
         out('#define TRACE_%s_ENABLED %d' % (e.name.upper(), enabled))
 
-    out('#include "trace/event-internal.h"',
-        '',
+    out('',
         '#endif  /* TRACE__GENERATED_EVENTS_H */')
diff --git a/trace/control-internal.h b/trace/control-internal.h
index a6d8d2e7c9..808f85dc06 100644
--- a/trace/control-internal.h
+++ b/trace/control-internal.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #include "qom/cpu.h"
 
 
-extern TraceEvent trace_events[];
+extern TraceEvent *trace_events[];
 extern int trace_events_enabled_count;
 
 
diff --git a/trace/control.c b/trace/control.c
index e57f2d3f05..9035846b26 100644
--- a/trace/control.c
+++ b/trace/control.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void trace_event_iter_init(TraceEventIter *iter, const char *pattern)
 TraceEvent *trace_event_iter_next(TraceEventIter *iter)
 {
     while (iter->event < TRACE_EVENT_COUNT) {
-        TraceEvent *ev = &(trace_events[iter->event]);
+        TraceEvent *ev = trace_events[iter->event];
         iter->event++;
         if (!iter->pattern ||
             pattern_glob(iter->pattern,