diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/tracing.h b/headers/private/kernel/tracing.h
index da187b0681..25fa9a6b76 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/tracing.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/tracing.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#ifndef KERNEL_UTIL_TRACING_H
-#define KERNEL_UTIL_TRACING_H
+#ifndef KERNEL_TRACING_H
+#define KERNEL_TRACING_H
 
 
 #include <SupportDefs.h>
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#include <tracing_config.h>
 
-#define ENABLE_TRACING 0
-#define MAX_TRACE_SIZE 1024 * 1024
 
 struct trace_entry {
 	uint16  size;
@@ -88,4 +87,4 @@ status_t tracing_init(void);
 }
 #endif
 
-#endif	/* KERNEL_UTIL_TRACING_H */
+#endif	/* KERNEL_TRACING_H */
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/tracing_config.h b/headers/private/kernel/tracing_config.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c54df839a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/tracing_config.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#ifndef KERNEL_TRACING_CONFIG_H
+#define KERNEL_TRACING_CONFIG_H
+
+// general settings
+
+// enable tracing (0/1)
+#ifndef ENABLE_TRACING
+#	define ENABLE_TRACING 0
+#endif
+
+// tracing buffer size (in bytes)
+#ifndef MAX_TRACE_SIZE
+#	define MAX_TRACE_SIZE 1024 * 1024
+#endif
+
+
+// macros that enable tracing for individual components
+
+//#define BLOCK_CACHE_TRANSACTION_TRACING
+//#define SIGNAL_TRACING
+//#define SYSCALL_TRACING
+//#define TEAM_TRACING
+
+#endif	// KERNEL_TRACING_CONFIG_H
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_interrupts.S b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_interrupts.S
index 96a98505d0..89a23dcab6 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_interrupts.S
+++ b/src/system/kernel/arch/x86/arch_interrupts.S
@@ -12,15 +12,13 @@
 #include <arch/x86/descriptors.h>
 #include <commpage.h>
 #include <thread_types.h>
+#include <tracing_config.h>
 
 #include "asm_offsets.h"
 #include "syscall_numbers.h"
 #include "syscall_table.h"
 
 
-//#define SYSCALL_TRACING
-	// also define this macro in syscalls.cpp
-
 #define FUNCTION(x) .global x; .type x,@function; x
 
 #define UPDATE_THREAD_USER_TIME_COMMON()					\
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/cache/block_cache.cpp b/src/system/kernel/cache/block_cache.cpp
index 2d133d0d40..64fc93ed5c 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/cache/block_cache.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/cache/block_cache.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 
 #define DEBUG_BLOCK_CACHE
 //#define DEBUG_CHANGED
-//#define TRANSACTION_TRACING
 
 // This macro is used for fatal situations that are acceptable in a running
 // system, like out of memory situations - should only panic for debugging.
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ struct cache_transaction {
 	bool			has_sub_transaction;
 };
 
-#ifdef TRANSACTION_TRACING
+#ifdef BLOCK_CACHE_TRANSACTION_TRACING
 namespace TransactionTracing {
 
 class Action : public AbstractTraceEntry {
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/signal.cpp b/src/system/kernel/signal.cpp
index 7a175315eb..802df64ffe 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/signal.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/signal.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 #	define TRACE(x) ;
 #endif
 
-//#define SIGNAL_TRACING
 
 #define BLOCKABLE_SIGNALS		(~(KILL_SIGNALS | SIGNAL_TO_MASK(SIGSTOP)))
 #define STOP_SIGNALS \
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/syscalls.cpp b/src/system/kernel/syscalls.cpp
index a6b2f40291..5510b53af1 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/syscalls.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/syscalls.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 
-//#define SYSCALL_TRACING
-
-
 typedef struct generic_syscall generic_syscall;
 
 struct generic_syscall {
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/team.cpp b/src/system/kernel/team.cpp
index 4898f19d9c..f77579140e 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/team.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/team.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@
 #	define TRACE(x) ;
 #endif
 
-//#define TEAM_TRACING
-
 
 struct team_key {
 	team_id id;