diff --git a/include/util/trace.h b/include/util/trace.h
index 619daf16c..72c34b3ae 100644
--- a/include/util/trace.h
+++ b/include/util/trace.h
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 #ifndef UTIL_TRACE_H
 #define UTIL_TRACE_H
 
+#include <stdint.h>
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 
 void wlr_trace(const char *format, ...) _WLR_ATTRIB_PRINTF(1, 2);
 void wlr_vtrace(const char *format, va_list args) _WLR_ATTRIB_PRINTF(1, 0);
 
+struct wlr_trace_ctx {
+	uint32_t seq;
+};
+
+void wlr_trace_begin_ctx(struct wlr_trace_ctx *ctx, const char *format, ...) _WLR_ATTRIB_PRINTF(2, 3);
+void wlr_trace_end_ctx(struct wlr_trace_ctx *ctx, const char *format, ...) _WLR_ATTRIB_PRINTF(2, 3);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/util/trace.c b/util/trace.c
index 50d87ab2e..babbda352 100644
--- a/util/trace.c
+++ b/util/trace.c
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
+#include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "util/trace.h"
 
 static bool trace_initialized = false;
 static FILE *trace_file = NULL;
+static uint32_t prev_ctx = 0;
 
 void wlr_vtrace(const char *fmt, va_list args) {
 	if (!trace_initialized) {
@@ -28,3 +30,29 @@ void wlr_trace(const char *fmt, ...) {
 	wlr_vtrace(fmt, args);
 	va_end(args);
 }
+
+void wlr_trace_begin_ctx(struct wlr_trace_ctx *ctx, const char *fmt, ...) {
+	*ctx = (struct wlr_trace_ctx){
+		.seq = prev_ctx++,
+	};
+
+	static char new_fmt[512];
+	snprintf(new_fmt, sizeof(new_fmt), "%s (begin_ctx=%"PRIu32")", fmt, ctx->seq);
+
+	va_list args;
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	wlr_vtrace(new_fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+}
+
+void wlr_trace_end_ctx(struct wlr_trace_ctx *ctx, const char *fmt, ...) {
+	static char new_fmt[512];
+	snprintf(new_fmt, sizeof(new_fmt), "%s (end_ctx=%"PRIu32")", fmt, ctx->seq);
+
+	va_list args;
+	va_start(args, fmt);
+	wlr_vtrace(new_fmt, args);
+	va_end(args);
+
+	ctx->seq = 0;
+}