diff --git a/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.ml b/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.ml
index 60a657a1f..89e2de033 100644
--- a/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.ml
+++ b/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.ml
@@ -239,14 +239,17 @@ let logger =
      let out_channel = Pervasives.open_out_gen [Open_append; Open_creat] 0o666 log_file in
      let logger = F.formatter_of_out_channel out_channel in
      register_gc_stats logger ;
-     if is_toplevel_process then (
+     ( if is_toplevel_process then (
        JsonFragment.pp logger ListBegin ;
        F.fprintf logger "%!" ;
        Epilogues.register_late ~description:"closing perf trace json" ~f:(fun () ->
            log_instant_event logger ~name:"end" Global ;
            JsonFragment.pp logger ListEnd ;
            F.fprintf logger "@." ;
-           Out_channel.close out_channel ) ) ;
+           Out_channel.close out_channel ) )
+     else
+       (* assume the trace file is here and is ready to accept list elements *)
+       JsonFragment.(pp_state := InList :: !pp_state) ) ;
      logger)
 
 
@@ -283,3 +286,6 @@ let log =
     let logger = Lazy.force logger in
     f_log logger
   else fun _ -> ()
+
+
+let init () = if Config.trace_events then ignore (Lazy.force logger)
diff --git a/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.mli b/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.mli
index 0d1598123..c3a006c89 100644
--- a/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.mli
+++ b/infer/src/base/PerfEvent.mli
@@ -42,3 +42,5 @@ val log_complete_event :
 val log_instant_event : logger -> ?timestamp:Mtime.t -> name:string -> scope -> unit
 
 val log : (logger -> unit) -> unit
+
+val init : unit -> unit
diff --git a/infer/src/base/ResultsDir.ml b/infer/src/base/ResultsDir.ml
index a4c5877df..31896f601 100644
--- a/infer/src/base/ResultsDir.ml
+++ b/infer/src/base/ResultsDir.ml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ let remove_results_dir () =
 
 let prepare_logging_and_db () =
   L.setup_log_file () ;
+  PerfEvent.init () ;
   EventLogger.prepare () ;
   if Sys.is_file ResultsDatabase.database_fullpath <> `Yes then ResultsDatabase.create_db () ;
   ResultsDatabase.new_database_connection ()
diff --git a/infer/src/clang/Capture.ml b/infer/src/clang/Capture.ml
index a92420c5f..703dd2dab 100644
--- a/infer/src/clang/Capture.ml
+++ b/infer/src/clang/Capture.ml
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ let run_clang_frontend ast_source =
   print_elapsed ()
 
 
+let run_clang_frontend ast_source =
+  PerfEvent.(
+    log (fun logger ->
+        PerfEvent.log_begin_event logger ~categories:["frontend"] ~name:"clang frontend" () )) ;
+  run_clang_frontend ast_source ;
+  PerfEvent.(log (fun logger -> PerfEvent.log_end_event logger ()))
+
+
 let run_and_validate_clang_frontend ast_source =
   try run_clang_frontend ast_source with exc ->
     IExn.reraise_if exc ~f:(fun () -> not Config.keep_going) ;
@@ -121,6 +129,14 @@ let run_clang clang_command read =
       exit_with_error 1
 
 
+let run_clang clang_command read =
+  PerfEvent.(
+    log (fun logger -> PerfEvent.log_begin_event logger ~categories:["frontend"] ~name:"clang" ())) ;
+  let result = run_clang clang_command read in
+  PerfEvent.(log (fun logger -> PerfEvent.log_end_event logger ())) ;
+  result
+
+
 let run_plugin_and_frontend source_path frontend clang_cmd =
   let clang_plugin_cmd = ClangCommand.with_plugin_args clang_cmd in
   if debug_mode then (