diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c
index cc724c984..3d47b2e92 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c
@@ -338,6 +338,38 @@ cogl_trace_end (CoglTraceHead *head)
   g_free (head->description);
 }
 
+void
+cogl_trace_mark (const char *name,
+                 const char *description)
+{
+  SysprofTimeStamp time;
+  CoglTraceContext *trace_context;
+  CoglTraceThreadContext *trace_thread_context;
+
+  time = g_get_monotonic_time () * 1000;
+  trace_thread_context = g_private_get (&cogl_trace_thread_data);
+  trace_context = trace_thread_context->trace_context;
+
+  g_mutex_lock (&cogl_trace_mutex);
+  if (!sysprof_capture_writer_add_mark (trace_context->writer,
+                                        time,
+                                        trace_thread_context->cpu_id,
+                                        trace_thread_context->pid,
+                                        0,
+                                        trace_thread_context->group,
+                                        name,
+                                        description))
+    {
+      /* XXX: g_main_context_get_thread_default() might be wrong, it probably
+       * needs to store the GMainContext in CoglTraceThreadContext when creating
+       * and use it here.
+       */
+      if (errno == EPIPE)
+        cogl_set_tracing_disabled_on_thread (g_main_context_get_thread_default ());
+    }
+  g_mutex_unlock (&cogl_trace_mutex);
+}
+
 void
 cogl_trace_describe (CoglTraceHead *head,
                      const char    *description)
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h
index 32935b56f..d0d1efc6f 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ COGL_EXPORT void
 cogl_trace_describe (CoglTraceHead *head,
                      const char    *description);
 
+COGL_EXPORT void
+cogl_trace_mark (const char *name,
+                 const char *description);
+
 static inline void
 cogl_auto_trace_end_helper (CoglTraceHead **head)
 {
@@ -132,6 +136,17 @@ cogl_is_tracing_enabled (void)
       ScopedCoglTrace##Name = &CoglTrace##Name; \
     }
 
+#define COGL_TRACE_MESSAGE(name, ...) \
+  G_STMT_START \
+    { \
+      if (cogl_is_tracing_enabled ()) \
+        { \
+          g_autofree char *CoglTraceMessage = g_strdup_printf (__VA_ARGS__); \
+          cogl_trace_mark (name, CoglTraceMessage); \
+        } \
+    } \
+  G_STMT_END
+
 #else /* HAVE_PROFILER */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -141,6 +156,7 @@ cogl_is_tracing_enabled (void)
 #define COGL_TRACE_DESCRIBE(Name, description) (void) 0
 #define COGL_TRACE_SCOPED_ANCHOR(Name) (void) 0
 #define COGL_TRACE_BEGIN_ANCHORED(Name, name) (void) 0
+#define COGL_TRACE_MESSAGE(name, ...) (void) 0
 
 COGL_EXPORT
 gboolean cogl_start_tracing_with_path (const char  *filename,