diff --git a/src/V3EmitC.cpp b/src/V3EmitC.cpp
index ffe1bab79..d5e4f9b66 100644
--- a/src/V3EmitC.cpp
+++ b/src/V3EmitC.cpp
@@ -2156,7 +2156,7 @@ void EmitCImp::emitDestructorImp(AstNodeModule* modp) {
         // Call via function in __Trace.cpp as this .cpp file does not have trace header
         if (v3Global.needTraceDumper()) {
             puts("#ifdef VM_TRACE\n");
-            puts("if (VL_UNLIKELY(__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp)) _traceDumpClose();\n");
+            puts("if (VL_UNLIKELY(__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumping)) _traceDumpClose();\n");
             puts("#endif  // VM_TRACE\n");
         }
     }
@@ -2368,7 +2368,7 @@ void EmitCImp::emitWrapEval(AstNodeModule* modp) {
         putsDecoration("// Tracing\n");
         // SystemC's eval loop deals with calling trace, not us
         if (v3Global.needTraceDumper() && !optSystemC()) {
-            puts("if (VL_UNLIKELY(vlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp)) _traceDump();\n");
+            puts("if (VL_UNLIKELY(vlSymsp->__Vm_dumping)) _traceDump();\n");
         }
         puts("#endif  // VM_TRACE\n");
     }
@@ -2443,7 +2443,7 @@ void EmitCImp::emitWrapEval(AstNodeModule* modp) {
         puts(EmitCBaseVisitor::symTopAssign()+"\n");
         putsDecoration("// Tracing\n");
         // SystemC's eval loop deals with calling trace, not us
-        puts("if (VL_UNLIKELY(vlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp)) _traceDump();\n");
+        puts("if (VL_UNLIKELY(vlSymsp->__Vm_dumping)) _traceDump();\n");
         puts("#endif  // VM_TRACE\n");
         puts("}\n");
     }
@@ -3083,20 +3083,21 @@ class EmitCTrace : EmitCStmts {
 
         if (v3Global.needTraceDumper()) {
             puts("void " + topClassName() + "::_traceDumpOpen() {\n");
+            puts(  "VerilatedLockGuard lock(__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperMutex);\n");
             puts(  "if (VL_UNLIKELY(!__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp)) {\n");
-            puts(    "VerilatedLockGuard lock(__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperMutex);\n");
             puts(    "__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp = new " + v3Global.opt.traceClassLang() + "();\n");
             puts(    "const char* cp = vl_dumpctl_filenamep();\n");
             puts(    "trace(__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp, 0, 0);\n");
             puts(    "__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp->open(vl_dumpctl_filenamep());\n");
             puts(    "__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp->changeThread();\n");
+            puts(    "__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumping = true;\n");
             puts(  "}\n");
             puts("}\n");
             splitSizeInc(10);
 
             puts("void " + topClassName() + "::_traceDumpClose() {\n");
-            // Caller checked for __Vm_dumperp non-NULL
             puts(  "VerilatedLockGuard lock(__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperMutex);\n");
+            puts(  "__VlSymsp->__Vm_dumping = false;\n");
             puts(  "delete __VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp; __VlSymsp->__Vm_dumperp = NULL;\n");
             puts("}\n");
             splitSizeInc(10);
diff --git a/src/V3EmitCSyms.cpp b/src/V3EmitCSyms.cpp
index 8533060a2..69dbc8ad4 100644
--- a/src/V3EmitCSyms.cpp
+++ b/src/V3EmitCSyms.cpp
@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ void EmitCSyms::emitSymHdr() {
     if (v3Global.needTraceDumper()) {
         // __Vm_dumperp is local, otherwise we wouldn't know what design's eval()
         // should call a global dumpperp
+        puts("bool __Vm_dumping;  // Dumping is active\n");
         puts("VerilatedMutex __Vm_dumperMutex;  // Protect __Vm_dumperp\n");
         puts(v3Global.opt.traceClassLang()
              + "* __Vm_dumperp VL_GUARDED_BY(__Vm_dumperMutex);  /// Trace class for $dump*\n");
@@ -590,7 +591,10 @@ void EmitCSyms::emitSymImp() {
     puts(symClassName()+"::"+symClassName()+"("+topClassName()+"* topp, const char* namep)\n");
     puts("    // Setup locals\n");
     puts("    : __Vm_namep(namep)\n");  // No leak, as gets destroyed when the top is destroyed
-    if (v3Global.needTraceDumper()) puts("    , __Vm_dumperp(NULL)\n");
+    if (v3Global.needTraceDumper()) {
+        puts("    , __Vm_dumping(false)\n");
+        puts("    , __Vm_dumperp(NULL)\n");
+    }
     if (v3Global.opt.trace()) puts("    , __Vm_activity(false)\n");
     puts("    , __Vm_didInit(false)\n");
     puts("    // Setup submodule names\n");