diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index 0e69bc8..e602480 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -549,6 +549,29 @@ static void do_change_trace_event_state(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
     bool new_state = qdict_get_bool(qdict, "option");
     st_change_trace_event_state(tp_name, new_state);
 }
+
+static void do_trace_file(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
+{
+    const char *op = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "op");
+    const char *arg = qdict_get_try_str(qdict, "arg");
+
+    if (!op) {
+        st_print_trace_file_status((FILE *)mon, &monitor_fprintf);
+    } else if (!strcmp(op, "on")) {
+        st_set_trace_file_enabled(true);
+    } else if (!strcmp(op, "off")) {
+        st_set_trace_file_enabled(false);
+    } else if (!strcmp(op, "flush")) {
+        st_flush_trace_buffer();
+    } else if (!strcmp(op, "set")) {
+        if (arg) {
+            st_set_trace_file(arg);
+        }
+    } else {
+        monitor_printf(mon, "unexpected argument \"%s\"\n", op);
+        help_cmd(mon, "trace-file");
+    }
+}
 #endif
 
 static void user_monitor_complete(void *opaque, QObject *ret_data)
diff --git a/qemu-monitor.hx b/qemu-monitor.hx
index c264c7d..49bcd8d 100644
--- a/qemu-monitor.hx
+++ b/qemu-monitor.hx
@@ -295,6 +295,20 @@ STEXI
 @findex trace-event
 changes status of a trace event
 ETEXI
+
+    {
+        .name       = "trace-file",
+        .args_type  = "op:s?,arg:F?",
+        .params     = "on|off|flush|set [arg]",
+        .help       = "open, close, or flush trace file, or set a new file name",
+        .mhandler.cmd = do_trace_file,
+    },
+
+STEXI
+@item trace-file on|off|flush
+@findex trace-file
+Open, close, or flush the trace file.  If no argument is given, the status of the trace file is displayed.
+ETEXI
 #endif
 
     {
diff --git a/simpletrace.c b/simpletrace.c
index 97045a6..f849e42 100644
--- a/simpletrace.c
+++ b/simpletrace.c
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ enum {
 static TraceRecord trace_buf[TRACE_BUF_LEN];
 static unsigned int trace_idx;
 static FILE *trace_fp;
+static char *trace_file_name = NULL;
+static bool trace_file_enabled = false;
+
+void st_print_trace_file_status(FILE *stream, int (*stream_printf)(FILE *stream, const char *fmt, ...))
+{
+    stream_printf(stream, "Trace file \"%s\" %s.\n",
+                  trace_file_name, trace_file_enabled ? "on" : "off");
+}
 
 static bool write_header(FILE *fp)
 {
@@ -54,31 +62,57 @@ static bool write_header(FILE *fp)
     return fwrite(&header, sizeof header, 1, fp) == 1;
 }
 
-static bool open_trace_file(void)
+/**
+ * set_trace_file : To set the name of a trace file.
+ * @file : pointer to the name to be set.
+ *         If NULL, set to the default name-<pid> set at config time.
+ */
+bool st_set_trace_file(const char *file)
 {
-    char *filename;
+    st_set_trace_file_enabled(false);
 
-    if (asprintf(&filename, CONFIG_TRACE_FILE, getpid()) < 0) {
-        return false;
-    }
+    free(trace_file_name);
 
-    trace_fp = fopen(filename, "w");
-    free(filename);
-    if (!trace_fp) {
-        return false;
+    if (!file) {
+        if (asprintf(&trace_file_name, CONFIG_TRACE_FILE, getpid()) < 0) {
+            trace_file_name = NULL;
+            return false;
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (asprintf(&trace_file_name, "%s", file) < 0) {
+            trace_file_name = NULL;
+            return false;
+        }
     }
-    return write_header(trace_fp);
+
+    st_set_trace_file_enabled(true);
+    return true;
 }
 
-static void flush_trace_buffer(void)
+static void flush_trace_file(void)
 {
+    /* If the trace file is not open yet, open it now */
     if (!trace_fp) {
-        open_trace_file();
+        trace_fp = fopen(trace_file_name, "w");
+        if (!trace_fp) {
+            /* Avoid repeatedly trying to open file on failure */
+            trace_file_enabled = false;
+            return;
+        }
+        write_header(trace_fp);
     }
+
     if (trace_fp) {
         size_t unused; /* for when fwrite(3) is declared warn_unused_result */
         unused = fwrite(trace_buf, trace_idx * sizeof(trace_buf[0]), 1, trace_fp);
     }
+}
+
+void st_flush_trace_buffer(void)
+{
+    if (trace_file_enabled) {
+        flush_trace_file();
+    }
 
     /* Discard written trace records */
     trace_idx = 0;
@@ -128,7 +162,7 @@ static void trace(TraceEventID event, uint64_t x1, uint64_t x2, uint64_t x3,
     rec->x6 = x6;
 
     if (++trace_idx == TRACE_BUF_LEN) {
-        flush_trace_buffer();
+        st_flush_trace_buffer();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/simpletrace.h b/simpletrace.h
index b0161d1..cf35897 100644
--- a/simpletrace.h
+++ b/simpletrace.h
@@ -32,5 +32,9 @@ void trace6(TraceEventID event, uint64_t x1, uint64_t x2, uint64_t x3, uint64_t
 void st_print_trace(FILE *stream, int (*stream_printf)(FILE *stream, const char *fmt, ...));
 void st_print_trace_events(FILE *stream, int (*stream_printf)(FILE *stream, const char *fmt, ...));
 void st_change_trace_event_state(const char *tname, bool tstate);
+void st_print_trace_file_status(FILE *stream, int (*stream_printf)(FILE *stream, const char *fmt, ...));
+void st_set_trace_file_enabled(bool enable);
+bool st_set_trace_file(const char *file);
+void st_flush_trace_buffer(void);
 
 #endif /* SIMPLETRACE_H */
