diff --git a/qapi/meson.build b/qapi/meson.build
index b22558ca73..656ef0e039 100644
--- a/qapi/meson.build
+++ b/qapi/meson.build
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ endforeach
 qapi_files = custom_target('shared QAPI source files',
   output: qapi_util_outputs + qapi_specific_outputs + qapi_nonmodule_outputs,
   input: [ files('qapi-schema.json') ],
-  command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', 'qapi', '-b', '@INPUT0@', '--gen-trace' ],
+  command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', 'qapi', '-b', '@INPUT0@' ],
   depend_files: [ qapi_inputs, qapi_gen_depends ])
 
 # Now go through all the outputs and add them to the right sourceset.
diff --git a/qga/meson.build b/qga/meson.build
index 724d5a667b..f06b726ad3 100644
--- a/qga/meson.build
+++ b/qga/meson.build
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ qga_qapi_outputs = [
 qga_qapi_files = custom_target('QGA QAPI files',
                                output: qga_qapi_outputs,
                                input: 'qapi-schema.json',
-                               command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', 'qga', '-p', 'qga-', '@INPUT0@' ],
+                               command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', 'qga', '-p', 'qga-', '@INPUT0@',
+                                          '--suppress-tracing' ],
                                depend_files: qapi_gen_depends)
 
 qga_ss = ss.source_set()
diff --git a/scripts/qapi/main.py b/scripts/qapi/main.py
index 687d408aba..fc216a53d3 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/main.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/main.py
@@ -76,10 +76,10 @@ def main() -> int:
                         dest='unmask',
                         help="expose non-ABI names in introspection")
 
-    # Option --gen-trace exists so we can avoid solving build system
+    # Option --suppress-tracing exists so we can avoid solving build system
     # problems.  TODO Drop it when we no longer need it.
-    parser.add_argument('--gen-trace', action='store_true',
-                        help="add trace events to qmp marshals")
+    parser.add_argument('--suppress-tracing', action='store_true',
+                        help="suppress adding trace events to qmp marshals")
 
     parser.add_argument('schema', action='store')
     args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def main() -> int:
                  prefix=args.prefix,
                  unmask=args.unmask,
                  builtins=args.builtins,
-                 gen_tracing=args.gen_trace)
+                 gen_tracing=not args.suppress_tracing)
     except QAPIError as err:
         print(f"{sys.argv[0]}: {str(err)}", file=sys.stderr)
         return 1
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index c8ab6272d1..94a425d94a 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ test_qapi_files = custom_target('Test QAPI files',
                                              'qapi-schema/include/sub-module.json',
                                              'qapi-schema/sub-sub-module.json'),
                                 command: [ qapi_gen, '-o', meson.current_build_dir(),
-                                           '-b', '-p', 'test-', '@INPUT0@' ],
+                                           '-b', '-p', 'test-', '@INPUT0@',
+                                           '--suppress-tracing' ],
                                 depend_files: qapi_gen_depends)
 
 # meson doesn't like generated output in other directories