diff --git a/Poplar.toml b/Poplar.toml
index a2d4f88340..c3232cec0e 100644
--- a/Poplar.toml
+++ b/Poplar.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ user_tasks = [
     "virtio_gpu user/virtio_gpu",
     "fb_console user/fb_console",
 ]
+# Useful values: `virtio_*`, `usb_ehci_*`, `usb_packet_*`, `usb_*`
+qemu_trace = ""
 
 [mq_pro]
 release = true
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/config.rs b/tools/xtask/src/config.rs
index 029999525b..17a9412cf6 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/config.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/config.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub release: bool,
     pub kernel_features: Vec<String>,
     pub user_tasks: Vec<UserTask>,
+    pub qemu_trace: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ pub struct PlatformInfo {
     pub release: Option<bool>,
     pub kernel_features: Option<Vec<String>>,
     pub user_tasks: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    pub qemu_trace: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl Config {
@@ -78,8 +80,9 @@ impl Config {
                 UserTask { name, source_dir }
             })
             .collect();
+        let qemu_trace = platform_info.and_then(|info| info.qemu_trace.clone());
 
-        Config { platform, release, kernel_features, user_tasks }
+        Config { platform, release, kernel_features, user_tasks, qemu_trace }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/main.rs b/tools/xtask/src/main.rs
index d7c0e54505..b3db6ad3a5 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/main.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/main.rs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     .debug_int_firehose(flags.debug_int_firehose)
                     .debug_mmu_firehose(flags.debug_mmu_firehose)
                     .debug_cpu_firehose(flags.debug_cpu_firehose)
+                    .trace(config.qemu_trace)
                     .run(),
                 Platform::Rv64Virt => {
                     let ramdisk = dist_result.build_ramdisk();
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     .ramdisk(Some(ramdisk))
                     .open_display(flags.display)
                     .debug_int_firehose(flags.debug_int_firehose)
+                    .trace(config.qemu_trace)
                     .run()
                 }
                 _ => {
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/riscv/qemu.rs b/tools/xtask/src/riscv/qemu.rs
index 1e071a9d38..e58d1f0533 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/riscv/qemu.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/riscv/qemu.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ pub struct RunQemuRiscV {
 
     pub open_display: bool,
     pub debug_int_firehose: bool,
+    pub trace: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl RunQemuRiscV {
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ impl RunQemuRiscV {
             disk_image,
             open_display: false,
             debug_int_firehose: false,
+            trace: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -41,6 +43,10 @@ impl RunQemuRiscV {
         Self { debug_int_firehose: enabled, ..self }
     }
 
+    pub fn trace(self, trace: Option<String>) -> Self {
+        Self { trace, ..self }
+    }
+
     pub fn run(self) -> Result<()> {
         let mut qemu = Command::new("qemu-system-riscv64");
 
@@ -99,6 +105,10 @@ impl RunQemuRiscV {
             qemu.args(&["-monitor", "tcp:127.0.0.1:55555,server,nowait"]);
         }
 
+        if let Some(trace) = self.trace {
+            qemu.args(&["--trace", &trace]);
+        }
+
         println!("QEMU command: {:?}", qemu);
         qemu.status()
             .wrap_err("Failed to invoke qemu-system-riscv")?
diff --git a/tools/xtask/src/x64/qemu.rs b/tools/xtask/src/x64/qemu.rs
index 1af807003a..0158ed8683 100644
--- a/tools/xtask/src/x64/qemu.rs
+++ b/tools/xtask/src/x64/qemu.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ pub struct RunQemuX64 {
     pub debug_mmu_firehose: bool,
     /// Passes `-d cpu` to QEMU. Note that this disables KVM even if `kvm` is set.
     pub debug_cpu_firehose: bool,
+    pub trace: Option<String>,
 
     /*
      * Firmware
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ impl RunQemuX64 {
             debug_int_firehose: false,
             debug_mmu_firehose: false,
             debug_cpu_firehose: false,
+            trace: None,
 
             ovmf_dir: PathBuf::from("bundled/ovmf/"),
             ovmf_debugcon_to_file: false,
@@ -68,6 +70,10 @@ impl RunQemuX64 {
         Self { debug_cpu_firehose: enabled, ..self }
     }
 
+    pub fn trace(self, trace: Option<String>) -> Self {
+        Self { trace, ..self }
+    }
+
     fn use_kvm(&self) -> bool {
         self.kvm && !(self.debug_int_firehose || self.debug_mmu_firehose || self.debug_cpu_firehose)
     }
@@ -103,6 +109,10 @@ impl RunQemuX64 {
         // qemu.args(&["-smp", &self.cpus.to_string()]);
         qemu.args(&["-m", &self.ram.to_string()]);
 
+        if let Some(trace) = self.trace {
+            qemu.args(&["--trace", &trace]);
+        }
+
         // Emit serial on both stdio and to a file
         qemu.args(&["-chardev", "stdio,id=char0,logfile=qemu_serial_x64.log"]);
         qemu.args(&["-serial", "chardev:char0"]);