diff --git a/core/test/scenarios/api-test-pptr.js b/core/test/scenarios/api-test-pptr.js
index b293ee81d286..811141e86467 100644
--- a/core/test/scenarios/api-test-pptr.js
+++ b/core/test/scenarios/api-test-pptr.js
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ describe('Individual modes API', function() {
       if (!result) throw new Error('Lighthouse failed to produce a result');
 
       const {lhr, artifacts} = result;
+      state.saveTrace(artifacts.Trace);
       expect(artifacts.URL).toEqual({
         finalDisplayedUrl: `${state.serverBaseUrl}/onclick.html#done`,
       });
@@ -133,6 +134,8 @@ describe('Individual modes API', function() {
 
       if (!result) throw new Error('Lighthouse failed to produce a result');
 
+      state.saveTrace(result.artifacts.Trace);
+
       expect(result.artifacts.URL).toEqual({
         finalDisplayedUrl: `${serverBaseUrl}/onclick.html#done`,
       });
@@ -165,6 +168,8 @@ describe('Individual modes API', function() {
 
       if (!result) throw new Error('Lighthouse failed to produce a result');
 
+      state.saveTrace(result.artifacts.Trace);
+
       const networkRequestsDetails = /** @type {LH.Audit.Details.Table} */ (
         result.lhr.audits['network-requests'].details);
       const networkRequests = networkRequestsDetails?.items
@@ -222,6 +227,7 @@ Array [
       if (!result) throw new Error('Lighthouse failed to produce a result');
 
       const {lhr, artifacts} = result;
+      state.saveTrace(artifacts.Trace);
       expect(artifacts.URL).toEqual({
         requestedUrl: url,
         mainDocumentUrl: url,
@@ -263,6 +269,7 @@ Array [
       expect(requestor).toHaveBeenCalled();
 
       const {lhr, artifacts} = result;
+      state.saveTrace(artifacts.Trace);
       expect(lhr.requestedUrl).toEqual(requestedUrl);
       expect(lhr.finalDisplayedUrl).toEqual(mainDocumentUrl);
       expect(artifacts.URL).toEqual({
diff --git a/core/test/scenarios/pptr-test-utils.js b/core/test/scenarios/pptr-test-utils.js
index 885dd4611c6a..93278c12eb2b 100644
--- a/core/test/scenarios/pptr-test-utils.js
+++ b/core/test/scenarios/pptr-test-utils.js
@@ -33,24 +33,16 @@ function createTestState() {
     throw new Error(`${name} used without invoking \`state.before\``);
   }});
 
-  /** @type {puppeteer.Browser} */
-  let browser = any('browser');
-  /** @type {puppeteer.Page} */
-  let page = any('page');
-  /** @type {StaticServer} */
-  let server = any('server');
-  /** @type {StaticServer} */
-  let secondaryServer = any('server');
-  let serverBaseUrl = '';
-  let secondaryServerBaseUrl = '';
+  /** @type {LH.Trace|undefined} */
+  let trace;
 
   return {
-    browser,
-    page,
-    server,
-    secondaryServer,
-    serverBaseUrl,
-    secondaryServerBaseUrl,
+    browser: /** @type {puppeteer.Browser} */ (any('browser')),
+    page: /** @type {puppeteer.Page} */ (any('page')),
+    server: /** @type {StaticServer} */ (any('server')),
+    secondaryServer: /** @type {StaticServer} */ (any('server')),
+    serverBaseUrl: '',
+    secondaryServerBaseUrl: '',
 
     /**
      * @param {number=} port
@@ -58,17 +50,17 @@ function createTestState() {
      */
     installServerHooks(port = 10200, secondaryPort = 10503) {
       before(async () => {
-        server = new Server(port);
-        secondaryServer = new Server(secondaryPort);
-        await server.listen(port, '127.0.0.1');
-        await secondaryServer.listen(secondaryPort, '127.0.0.1');
-        serverBaseUrl = `http://localhost:${this.server.getPort()}`;
-        secondaryServerBaseUrl = `http://localhost:${this.secondaryServer.getPort()}`;
+        this.server = new Server(port);
+        this.secondaryServer = new Server(secondaryPort);
+        await this.server.listen(port, '127.0.0.1');
+        await this.secondaryServer.listen(secondaryPort, '127.0.0.1');
+        this.serverBaseUrl = `http://localhost:${this.server.getPort()}`;
+        this.secondaryServerBaseUrl = `http://localhost:${this.secondaryServer.getPort()}`;
       });
 
       after(async () => {
-        await server.close();
-        await secondaryServer.close();
+        await this.server.close();
+        await this.secondaryServer.close();
       });
     },
 
@@ -76,7 +68,7 @@ function createTestState() {
       this.installServerHooks();
 
       before(async () => {
-        browser = await puppeteer.launch({
+        this.browser = await puppeteer.launch({
           headless: true,
           executablePath: getChromePath(),
           ignoreDefaultArgs: ['--enable-automation'],
@@ -84,26 +76,36 @@ function createTestState() {
       });
 
       beforeEach(async () => {
-        page = await browser.newPage();
-        await page.tracing.start();
+        trace = undefined;
+        this.page = await this.browser.newPage();
       });
 
-      afterEach(async function() {
-        await page.close();
-        const traceData = await page.tracing.stop();
+      afterEach(async () => {
+        await this.page.close();
+      });
+
+      afterEach(function() {
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-invalid-this
         const currentTest = this.currentTest;
-        if (currentTest?.state === 'failed' && traceData) {
-          const testOutputDir = `${UNIT_OUTPUT_DIR}/${currentTest.fullTitle()}`;
+        if (currentTest?.state === 'failed' && trace) {
+          const dirname = currentTest.fullTitle().replace(/[^a-z0-9]/gi, '_').toLowerCase();
+          const testOutputDir = `${UNIT_OUTPUT_DIR}/${dirname}`;
           fs.mkdirSync(testOutputDir, {recursive: true});
-          fs.writeFileSync(`${testOutputDir}/trace.json`, traceData);
+          fs.writeFileSync(`${testOutputDir}/trace.json`, JSON.stringify(trace, null, 2));
         }
       });
 
       after(async () => {
-        await browser.close();
+        await this.browser.close();
       });
     },
+
+    /**
+     * @param {LH.Trace} testTrace
+     */
+    saveTrace(testTrace) {
+      trace = testTrace;
+    },
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/core/test/scenarios/start-end-navigation-test-pptr.js b/core/test/scenarios/start-end-navigation-test-pptr.js
index 294489bf5a9a..efa50d1e1b2e 100644
--- a/core/test/scenarios/start-end-navigation-test-pptr.js
+++ b/core/test/scenarios/start-end-navigation-test-pptr.js
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ describe('Start/End navigation', function() {
     const lhr = flowResult.steps[0].lhr;
     const artifacts = flowArtifacts.gatherSteps[0].artifacts;
 
+    state.saveTrace(artifacts.Trace);
+
     expect(artifacts.URL).toEqual({
       requestedUrl: `${state.serverBaseUrl}/?redirect=/index.html`,
       mainDocumentUrl: `${state.serverBaseUrl}/index.html`,