diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-master-clock-default.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-master-clock-default.c
index 6ee78fa7a..8d50ab8f3 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-master-clock-default.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-master-clock-default.c
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@
  * of #ClutterMasterClock.
  */
 
-#include <cogl/cogl-trace.h>
-
 #include "clutter-build-config.h"
 
+#include <cogl/cogl.h>
+
 #include "clutter-master-clock.h"
 #include "clutter-master-clock-default.h"
 #include "clutter-debug.h"
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
index a5d73e63f..07ba9dfae 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-stage.c
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@
 #include "clutter-private.h"
 
 #include "cogl/cogl.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
 
 struct _ClutterStageQueueRedrawEntry
 {
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/cogl/clutter-stage-cogl.c b/clutter/clutter/cogl/clutter-stage-cogl.c
index 530ac1306..f345313cf 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/cogl/clutter-stage-cogl.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/cogl/clutter-stage-cogl.c
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@
 #include "clutter-stage-private.h"
 #include "clutter-stage-view-private.h"
 
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
-
 #define MAX_STACK_RECTS 256
 
 typedef struct _ClutterStageViewCoglPrivate
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-defines.h.meson b/cogl/cogl/cogl-defines.h.meson
index 6e144b29c..4c9535239 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-defines.h.meson
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-defines.h.meson
@@ -46,3 +46,5 @@
 #mesondefine COGL_HAS_X11_SUPPORT
 #mesondefine COGL_HAS_XLIB
 #mesondefine COGL_HAS_XLIB_SUPPORT
+
+#mesondefine COGL_HAS_TRACING
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c
index 983b7d4bb..ffe42edeb 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.c
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 #ifdef HAVE_TRACING
 
 #include <sysprof-capture.h>
+#include <sysprof-capture-writer.h>
+#include <sysprof-clock.h>
 #include <syscall.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -30,6 +32,18 @@
 #define COGL_TRACE_OUTPUT_FILE "cogl-trace-sp-capture.syscap"
 #define BUFFER_LENGTH (4096 * 4)
 
+struct _CoglTraceContext
+{
+  SysprofCaptureWriter *writer;
+};
+
+typedef struct _CoglTraceThreadContext
+{
+  int cpu_id;
+  GPid pid;
+  char *group;
+} CoglTraceThreadContext;
+
 typedef struct
 {
   int   fd;
@@ -228,6 +242,37 @@ cogl_set_tracing_disabled_on_thread (GMainContext *main_context)
   g_source_unref (source);
 }
 
+void
+cogl_trace_end (CoglTraceHead *head)
+{
+  SysprofTimeStamp end_time;
+  CoglTraceContext *trace_context;
+  CoglTraceThreadContext *trace_thread_context;
+
+  end_time = g_get_monotonic_time () * 1000;
+  trace_context = cogl_trace_context;
+  trace_thread_context = g_private_get (&cogl_trace_thread_data);
+
+  g_mutex_lock (&cogl_trace_mutex);
+  if (!sysprof_capture_writer_add_mark (trace_context->writer,
+                                        head->begin_time,
+                                        trace_thread_context->cpu_id,
+                                        trace_thread_context->pid,
+                                        (uint64_t) end_time - head->begin_time,
+                                        trace_thread_context->group,
+                                        head->name,
+                                        NULL))
+    {
+      /* 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);
+}
+
 #else
 
 #include <string.h>
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h
index e9c9edafc..0b1e7f0de 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-trace.h
@@ -19,31 +19,20 @@
 #ifndef COGL_TRACE_H
 #define COGL_TRACE_H
 
-#include "cogl-config.h"
-
-#ifdef HAVE_TRACING
-
 #include <glib.h>
-#include <sysprof-capture-writer.h>
-#include <sysprof-clock.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
-typedef struct _CoglTraceContext
-{
-  SysprofCaptureWriter *writer;
-} CoglTraceContext;
+#include "cogl/cogl-defines.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl-macros.h"
 
-typedef struct _CoglTraceThreadContext
-{
-  int cpu_id;
-  GPid pid;
-  char *group;
-} CoglTraceThreadContext;
+#ifdef COGL_HAS_TRACING
+
+typedef struct _CoglTraceContext CoglTraceContext;
 
 typedef struct _CoglTraceHead
 {
-  SysprofTimeStamp begin_time;
+  uint64_t begin_time;
   const char *name;
 } CoglTraceHead;
 
@@ -69,36 +58,8 @@ cogl_trace_begin (CoglTraceHead *head,
   head->name = name;
 }
 
-static inline void
-cogl_trace_end (CoglTraceHead *head)
-{
-  SysprofTimeStamp end_time;
-  CoglTraceContext *trace_context;
-  CoglTraceThreadContext *trace_thread_context;
-
-  end_time = g_get_monotonic_time () * 1000;
-  trace_context = cogl_trace_context;
-  trace_thread_context = g_private_get (&cogl_trace_thread_data);
-
-  g_mutex_lock (&cogl_trace_mutex);
-  if (!sysprof_capture_writer_add_mark (trace_context->writer,
-                                        head->begin_time,
-                                        trace_thread_context->cpu_id,
-                                        trace_thread_context->pid,
-                                        (uint64_t) end_time - head->begin_time,
-                                        trace_thread_context->group,
-                                        head->name,
-                                        NULL))
-    {
-      /* 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_end (CoglTraceHead *head);
 
 static inline void
 cogl_auto_trace_end_helper (CoglTraceHead **head)
@@ -126,7 +87,7 @@ cogl_auto_trace_end_helper (CoglTraceHead **head)
       ScopedCoglTrace##Name = &CoglTrace##Name; \
     }
 
-#else /* HAVE_TRACING */
+#else /* COGL_HAS_TRACING */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
@@ -142,6 +103,6 @@ void cogl_set_tracing_enabled_on_thread (void       *data,
                                          const char *filename);
 void cogl_set_tracing_disabled_on_thread (void *data);
 
-#endif /* HAVE_TRACING */
+#endif /* COGL_HAS_TRACING */
 
 #endif /* COGL_TRACE_H */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl.h
index a71d09fbf..64ba6d25b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl.h
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
 #include <cogl/cogl-poll.h>
 #include <cogl/cogl-fence.h>
 #include <cogl/cogl-glib-source.h>
+#include <cogl/cogl-trace.h>
 /* XXX: This will definitly go away once all the Clutter winsys
  * code has been migrated down into Cogl! */
 #include <cogl/deprecated/cogl-clutter.h>
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/meson.build b/cogl/cogl/meson.build
index be93ba2f9..4fedf352f 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/meson.build
+++ b/cogl/cogl/meson.build
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ cdata.set('COGL_HAS_X11', have_x11)
 cdata.set('COGL_HAS_X11_SUPPORT', have_x11)
 cdata.set('COGL_HAS_XLIB', have_x11)
 cdata.set('COGL_HAS_XLIB_SUPPORT', have_x11)
+cdata.set('COGL_HAS_TRACING', have_profiler)
 
 cogl_defines_h = configure_file(
   input: 'cogl-defines.h.meson',
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ cogl_headers = [
   'cogl-texture-2d.h',
   'cogl-texture-2d-sliced.h',
   'cogl-types.h',
+  'cogl-trace.h',
   'cogl.h',
 ]
 
@@ -288,7 +290,6 @@ cogl_sources = [
   'cogl-blend-string.h',
   'cogl-debug.c',
   'cogl-trace.c',
-  'cogl-trace.h',
   'cogl-sub-texture-private.h',
   'cogl-texture-private.h',
   'cogl-texture-2d-private.h',
diff --git a/src/backends/meta-profiler.c b/src/backends/meta-profiler.c
index 0d6270162..43e49aa38 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-profiler.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-profiler.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <gio/gunixfdlist.h>
 
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 
 #define META_SYSPROF_PROFILER_DBUS_PATH "/org/gnome/Sysprof3/Profiler"
 
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
index 77f1ed2c8..6c4a474e2 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-backend-native.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 #include "backends/native/meta-renderer-native.h"
 #include "backends/native/meta-seat-native.h"
 #include "backends/native/meta-stage-native.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "core/meta-border.h"
 #include "meta/main.h"
 
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-kms.c b/src/backends/native/meta-kms.c
index e542d6257..f48ce9abd 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-kms.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-kms.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include "backends/native/meta-kms-impl-simple.h"
 #include "backends/native/meta-kms-update-private.h"
 #include "backends/native/meta-udev.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 
 /**
  * SECTION:kms
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
index 1ebc761eb..d1d713040 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-renderer-native.c
@@ -69,9 +69,8 @@
 #include "backends/native/meta-output-kms.h"
 #include "backends/native/meta-renderer-native-gles3.h"
 #include "backends/native/meta-renderer-native.h"
+//#include "cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
 #include "core/boxes-private.h"
 
 #ifndef EGL_DRM_MASTER_FD_EXT
diff --git a/src/compositor/compositor.c b/src/compositor/compositor.c
index f19f03be9..111965797 100644
--- a/src/compositor/compositor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/compositor.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 #include "backends/x11/meta-event-x11.h"
 #include "backends/x11/meta-stage-x11.h"
 #include "clutter/clutter-mutter.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-x11.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-wayland.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h"
diff --git a/src/core/display.c b/src/core/display.c
index 6377ed697..0917f4693 100644
--- a/src/core/display.c
+++ b/src/core/display.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 #include "clutter/x11/clutter-x11.h"
 #include "compositor/compositor-private.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-compositor-x11.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "core/bell.h"
 #include "core/boxes-private.h"
 #include "core/display-private.h"
diff --git a/src/core/stack.c b/src/core/stack.c
index 6518be9b3..f7e0f1b90 100644
--- a/src/core/stack.c
+++ b/src/core/stack.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #include "core/stack.h"
 
 #include "backends/meta-logical-monitor.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "core/frame.h"
 #include "core/main-private.h"
 #include "core/meta-workspace-manager-private.h"
diff --git a/src/core/util.c b/src/core/util.c
index accd74654..3854b3737 100644
--- a/src/core/util.c
+++ b/src/core/util.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>  /* Just for the definition of the various gravities */
 
 #include "clutter/clutter.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "meta/common.h"
 #include "meta/main.h"
 
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ destroy_later (MetaLater *later)
   unref_later (later);
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_TRACING
+#ifdef COGL_HAS_TRACING
 static const char *
 later_type_to_string (MetaLaterType when)
 {
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index 06988dd1b..3356fc790 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 
 #include "backends/meta-backend-private.h"
 #include "backends/meta-logical-monitor.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "core/boxes-private.h"
 #include "core/constraints.h"
 #include "core/edge-resistance.h"
diff --git a/src/core/workspace.c b/src/core/workspace.c
index 59a502df1..6125481a1 100644
--- a/src/core/workspace.c
+++ b/src/core/workspace.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 #include "backends/meta-backend-private.h"
 #include "backends/meta-logical-monitor.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "core/boxes-private.h"
 #include "core/meta-workspace-manager-private.h"
 #include "core/workspace-private.h"
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
index 58beea61c..f7cdb0171 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-surface.c
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
 #include "backends/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h"
 #include "clutter/clutter.h"
 #include "clutter/wayland/clutter-wayland-compositor.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-wayland-server.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-surface-actor-wayland.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-surface-actor.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-window-actor-private.h"
diff --git a/src/x11/events.c b/src/x11/events.c
index 95cc714d0..f159f1db3 100644
--- a/src/x11/events.c
+++ b/src/x11/events.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 #include "backends/meta-cursor-tracker-private.h"
 #include "backends/x11/meta-backend-x11.h"
 #include "compositor/meta-compositor-x11.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-trace.h"
+#include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "core/bell.h"
 #include "core/display-private.h"
 #include "core/meta-workspace-manager-private.h"