diff --git a/playwright/_impl/_browser.py b/playwright/_impl/_browser.py
index 62c9ba4ec..dc04e8cf7 100644
--- a/playwright/_impl/_browser.py
+++ b/playwright/_impl/_browser.py
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ async def new_context(
         self._contexts.append(context)
         context._browser = self
         context._options = params
-        context._tracing._local_utils = self._local_utils
         return context
 
     async def new_page(
diff --git a/playwright/_impl/_browser_type.py b/playwright/_impl/_browser_type.py
index f38aad50d..500e8b138 100644
--- a/playwright/_impl/_browser_type.py
+++ b/playwright/_impl/_browser_type.py
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ async def launch(
         browser = cast(
             Browser, from_channel(await self._channel.send("launch", params))
         )
-        browser._local_utils = self._playwright._utils
         return browser
 
     async def launch_persistent_context(
@@ -150,7 +149,6 @@ async def launch_persistent_context(
             from_channel(await self._channel.send("launchPersistentContext", params)),
         )
         context._options = params
-        context.tracing._local_utils = self._playwright._utils
         return context
 
     async def connect_over_cdp(
@@ -163,7 +161,6 @@ async def connect_over_cdp(
         params = locals_to_params(locals())
         response = await self._channel.send_return_as_dict("connectOverCDP", params)
         browser = cast(Browser, from_channel(response["browser"]))
-        browser._local_utils = self._playwright._utils
 
         default_context = cast(
             Optional[BrowserContext],
@@ -194,6 +191,7 @@ async def connect(
             self._connection._object_factory,
             transport,
             self._connection._loop,
+            local_utils=self._connection.local_utils,
         )
         connection.mark_as_remote()
         connection._is_sync = self._connection._is_sync
@@ -216,7 +214,6 @@ async def connect(
         assert pre_launched_browser
         browser = cast(Browser, from_channel(pre_launched_browser))
         browser._should_close_connection_on_close = True
-        browser._local_utils = self._playwright._utils
 
         def handle_transport_close() -> None:
             for context in browser.contexts:
diff --git a/playwright/_impl/_connection.py b/playwright/_impl/_connection.py
index 36b529212..f19d02f91 100644
--- a/playwright/_impl/_connection.py
+++ b/playwright/_impl/_connection.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 from playwright._impl._transport import Transport
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from playwright._impl._local_utils import LocalUtils
     from playwright._impl._playwright import Playwright
 
 
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ def __init__(
             parent if isinstance(parent, ChannelOwner) else None
         )
         self._objects: Dict[str, "ChannelOwner"] = {}
-        self._channel = Channel(self._connection, guid)
+        self._channel: Channel = Channel(self._connection, guid)
         self._channel._object = self
         self._initializer = initializer
 
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ def __init__(
         object_factory: Callable[[ChannelOwner, str, str, Dict], ChannelOwner],
         transport: Transport,
         loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop,
+        local_utils: Optional["LocalUtils"] = None,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__()
         self._dispatcher_fiber = dispatcher_fiber
@@ -193,6 +195,12 @@ def __init__(
         self._api_zone: contextvars.ContextVar[Optional[Dict]] = contextvars.ContextVar(
             "ApiZone", default=None
         )
+        self._local_utils: Optional["LocalUtils"] = local_utils
+
+    @property
+    def local_utils(self) -> "LocalUtils":
+        assert self._local_utils
+        return self._local_utils
 
     def mark_as_remote(self) -> None:
         self.is_remote = True
diff --git a/playwright/_impl/_fetch.py b/playwright/_impl/_fetch.py
index 0e528ec34..cc0fc54d0 100644
--- a/playwright/_impl/_fetch.py
+++ b/playwright/_impl/_fetch.py
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ async def new_context(
             APIRequestContext,
             from_channel(await self.playwright._channel.send("newRequest", params)),
         )
-        context._tracing._local_utils = self.playwright._utils
         return context
 
 
diff --git a/playwright/_impl/_object_factory.py b/playwright/_impl/_object_factory.py
index e04d1adec..f6dc4a260 100644
--- a/playwright/_impl/_object_factory.py
+++ b/playwright/_impl/_object_factory.py
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ def create_remote_object(
     if type == "JSHandle":
         return JSHandle(parent, type, guid, initializer)
     if type == "LocalUtils":
-        return LocalUtils(parent, type, guid, initializer)
+        local_utils = LocalUtils(parent, type, guid, initializer)
+        if not local_utils._connection._local_utils:
+            local_utils._connection._local_utils = local_utils
+        return local_utils
     if type == "Page":
         return Page(parent, type, guid, initializer)
     if type == "Playwright":
diff --git a/playwright/_impl/_tracing.py b/playwright/_impl/_tracing.py
index fe0fa1189..b6b0025ed 100644
--- a/playwright/_impl/_tracing.py
+++ b/playwright/_impl/_tracing.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 from playwright._impl._artifact import Artifact
 from playwright._impl._connection import ChannelOwner, from_nullable_channel
 from playwright._impl._helper import locals_to_params
-from playwright._impl._local_utils import LocalUtils
 
 
 class Tracing(ChannelOwner):
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ def __init__(
         self, parent: ChannelOwner, type: str, guid: str, initializer: Dict
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(parent, type, guid, initializer)
-        _local_utils: LocalUtils
 
     async def start(
         self,
@@ -86,4 +84,6 @@ async def _do_stop_chunk(self, file_path: Union[pathlib.Path, str] = None) -> No
 
         # Add local sources to the remote trace if necessary.
         if result.get("sourceEntries", []):
-            await self._local_utils.zip(file_path, result["sourceEntries"])
+            await self._connection.local_utils.zip(
+                str(file_path), result["sourceEntries"]
+            )