diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 592db84dcc88c7..7e8738080b3c5e 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -279,15 +279,18 @@ static struct {
     controller->AddTraceStateObserver(new NodeTraceStateObserver(controller));
     tracing::TraceEventHelper::SetTracingController(controller);
     StartTracingAgent();
+    // Tracing must be initialized before platform threads are created.
     platform_ = new NodePlatform(thread_pool_size, controller);
     V8::InitializePlatform(platform_);
   }
 
   void Dispose() {
-    tracing_agent_.reset(nullptr);
     platform_->Shutdown();
     delete platform_;
     platform_ = nullptr;
+    // Destroy tracing after the platform (and platform threads) have been
+    // stopped.
+    tracing_agent_.reset(nullptr);
   }
 
   void DrainVMTasks(Isolate* isolate) {
diff --git a/src/node_platform.cc b/src/node_platform.cc
index 03ef07eb1c65a6..ad0cd0db3ec684 100644
--- a/src/node_platform.cc
+++ b/src/node_platform.cc
@@ -280,10 +280,9 @@ int PerIsolatePlatformData::unref() {
 NodePlatform::NodePlatform(int thread_pool_size,
                            TracingController* tracing_controller) {
   if (tracing_controller) {
-    tracing_controller_.reset(tracing_controller);
+    tracing_controller_ = tracing_controller;
   } else {
-    TracingController* controller = new TracingController();
-    tracing_controller_.reset(controller);
+    tracing_controller_ = new TracingController();
   }
   background_task_runner_ =
       std::make_shared<BackgroundTaskRunner>(thread_pool_size);
@@ -457,7 +456,7 @@ double NodePlatform::CurrentClockTimeMillis() {
 }
 
 TracingController* NodePlatform::GetTracingController() {
-  return tracing_controller_.get();
+  return tracing_controller_;
 }
 
 template <class T>
diff --git a/src/node_platform.h b/src/node_platform.h
index 8359119c2f0c7b..c89c6a5ff6708e 100644
--- a/src/node_platform.h
+++ b/src/node_platform.h
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ class NodePlatform : public MultiIsolatePlatform {
   std::unordered_map<v8::Isolate*,
                      std::shared_ptr<PerIsolatePlatformData>> per_isolate_;
 
-  std::unique_ptr<v8::TracingController> tracing_controller_;
+
+  v8::TracingController* tracing_controller_;
   std::shared_ptr<BackgroundTaskRunner> background_task_runner_;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/tracing/agent.cc b/src/tracing/agent.cc
index 5a4d637bda0356..fd5cb3387b14ae 100644
--- a/src/tracing/agent.cc
+++ b/src/tracing/agent.cc
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ using v8::platform::tracing::TraceConfig;
 using v8::platform::tracing::TraceWriter;
 using std::string;
 
-Agent::Agent() {
-  tracing_controller_ = new TracingController();
+Agent::Agent() : tracing_controller_(new TracingController()) {
   tracing_controller_->Initialize(nullptr);
 
   CHECK_EQ(uv_loop_init(&tracing_loop_), 0);
@@ -117,7 +116,7 @@ AgentWriterHandle Agent::AddClient(
     use_categories = &categories_with_default;
   }
 
-  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_, this);
+  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_.get(), this);
   int id = next_writer_id_++;
   AsyncTraceWriter* raw = writer.get();
   writers_[id] = std::move(writer);
@@ -157,7 +156,7 @@ void Agent::Disconnect(int client) {
     Mutex::ScopedLock lock(initialize_writer_mutex_);
     to_be_initialized_.erase(writers_[client].get());
   }
-  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_, this);
+  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_.get(), this);
   writers_.erase(client);
   categories_.erase(client);
 }
@@ -166,13 +165,13 @@ void Agent::Enable(int id, const std::set<std::string>& categories) {
   if (categories.empty())
     return;
 
-  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_, this,
+  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_.get(), this,
                                id != kDefaultHandleId);
   categories_[id].insert(categories.begin(), categories.end());
 }
 
 void Agent::Disable(int id, const std::set<std::string>& categories) {
-  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_, this,
+  ScopedSuspendTracing suspend(tracing_controller_.get(), this,
                                id != kDefaultHandleId);
   std::multiset<std::string>& writer_categories = categories_[id];
   for (const std::string& category : categories) {
diff --git a/src/tracing/agent.h b/src/tracing/agent.h
index 045aaef85e8ea6..bb2e514aee2914 100644
--- a/src/tracing/agent.h
+++ b/src/tracing/agent.h
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ class Agent {
   Agent();
   ~Agent();
 
-  TracingController* GetTracingController() { return tracing_controller_; }
+  TracingController* GetTracingController() {
+    return tracing_controller_.get();
+  }
 
   enum UseDefaultCategoryMode {
     kUseDefaultCategories,
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ class Agent {
   // These maps store the original arguments to AddClient(), by id.
   std::unordered_map<int, std::multiset<std::string>> categories_;
   std::unordered_map<int, std::unique_ptr<AsyncTraceWriter>> writers_;
-  TracingController* tracing_controller_ = nullptr;
+  std::unique_ptr<TracingController> tracing_controller_;
 
   // Variables related to initializing per-event-loop properties of individual
   // writers, such as libuv handles.