diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 17484dd6..025fb3c7 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package participle
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/alecthomas/participle/v2/lexer"
 )
@@ -16,6 +19,8 @@ type contextFieldSet struct {
 // Context for a single parse.
 type parseContext struct {
 	*lexer.PeekingLexer
+	depth             int
+	trace             io.Writer
 	deepestError      error
 	deepestErrorDepth int
 	lookahead         int
@@ -103,6 +108,16 @@ func (p *parseContext) Stop(err error, branch *parseContext) bool {
 
 func (p *parseContext) hasInfiniteLookahead() bool { return p.lookahead < 0 }
 
+func (p *parseContext) printTrace(n node) func() {
+	if p.trace != nil {
+		tok := p.PeekingLexer.Peek()
+		fmt.Fprintf(p.trace, "%s%q %s\n", strings.Repeat(" ", p.depth*2), tok, n.GoString())
+		p.depth += 1
+		return func() { p.depth -= 1 }
+	}
+	return func() {}
+}
+
 func maxInt(a, b int) int {
 	if a > b {
 		return a
diff --git a/ebnf.go b/ebnf.go
index 2df523e0..0b127205 100644
--- a/ebnf.go
+++ b/ebnf.go
@@ -159,9 +159,6 @@ func buildEBNF(root bool, n node, seen map[node]bool, p *ebnfp, outp *[]*ebnfp)
 		buildEBNF(true, n.expr, seen, p, outp)
 		p.out += ")"
 
-	case *trace:
-		buildEBNF(root, n.node, seen, p, outp)
-
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("unsupported node type %T", n))
 	}
diff --git a/nodes.go b/nodes.go
index a7f1a25b..d1b27eab 100644
--- a/nodes.go
+++ b/nodes.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func (p *parseable) String() string   { return ebnf(p) }
 func (p *parseable) GoString() string { return p.t.String() }
 
 func (p *parseable) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(p)()
 	rv := reflect.New(p.t)
 	v := rv.Interface().(Parseable)
 	err = v.Parse(ctx.PeekingLexer)
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ func (c *custom) String() string   { return ebnf(c) }
 func (c *custom) GoString() string { return c.typ.Name() }
 
 func (c *custom) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(c)()
 	results := c.parseFn.Call([]reflect.Value{reflect.ValueOf(ctx.PeekingLexer)})
 	if err, _ := results[1].Interface().(error); err != nil {
 		if err == NextMatch {
@@ -102,6 +104,7 @@ func (u *union) String() string   { return ebnf(u) }
 func (u *union) GoString() string { return u.typ.Name() }
 
 func (u *union) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(u)()
 	temp := disjunction{u.members}
 	vals, err := temp.Parse(ctx, parent)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -145,6 +148,7 @@ func (s *strct) String() string   { return ebnf(s) }
 func (s *strct) GoString() string { return s.typ.Name() }
 
 func (s *strct) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(s)()
 	sv := reflect.New(s.typ).Elem()
 	start := ctx.RawCursor()
 	t := ctx.Peek()
@@ -225,6 +229,7 @@ type group struct {
 func (g *group) String() string   { return ebnf(g) }
 func (g *group) GoString() string { return fmt.Sprintf("group{%s}", g.mode) }
 func (g *group) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(g)()
 	// Configure min/max matches.
 	min := 1
 	max := 1
@@ -294,6 +299,7 @@ func (n *lookaheadGroup) String() string   { return ebnf(n) }
 func (n *lookaheadGroup) GoString() string { return "lookaheadGroup{}" }
 
 func (n *lookaheadGroup) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(n)()
 	// Create a branch to avoid advancing the parser as any match will be discarded
 	branch := ctx.Branch()
 	out, err = n.expr.Parse(branch, parent)
@@ -315,6 +321,7 @@ func (d *disjunction) String() string   { return ebnf(d) }
 func (d *disjunction) GoString() string { return "disjunction{}" }
 
 func (d *disjunction) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(d)()
 	var (
 		deepestError = 0
 		firstError   error
@@ -362,6 +369,7 @@ func (s *sequence) String() string   { return ebnf(s) }
 func (s *sequence) GoString() string { return "sequence{}" }
 
 func (s *sequence) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(s)()
 	for n := s; n != nil; n = n.next {
 		child, err := n.node.Parse(ctx, parent)
 		out = append(out, child...)
@@ -396,6 +404,7 @@ func (c *capture) String() string   { return ebnf(c) }
 func (c *capture) GoString() string { return "capture{}" }
 
 func (c *capture) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(c)()
 	start := ctx.RawCursor()
 	v, err := c.node.Parse(ctx, parent)
 	if v != nil {
@@ -420,6 +429,7 @@ func (r *reference) String() string   { return ebnf(r) }
 func (r *reference) GoString() string { return fmt.Sprintf("reference{%s}", r.identifier) }
 
 func (r *reference) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(r)()
 	token, cursor := ctx.PeekAny(func(t lexer.Token) bool {
 		return t.Type == r.typ
 	})
@@ -439,6 +449,7 @@ func (o *optional) String() string   { return ebnf(o) }
 func (o *optional) GoString() string { return "optional{}" }
 
 func (o *optional) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(o)()
 	branch := ctx.Branch()
 	out, err = o.node.Parse(branch, parent)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -466,6 +477,7 @@ func (r *repetition) GoString() string { return "repetition{}" }
 // Parse a repetition. Once a repetition is encountered it will always match, so grammars
 // should ensure that branches are differentiated prior to the repetition.
 func (r *repetition) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(r)()
 	i := 0
 	for ; i < MaxIterations; i++ {
 		branch := ctx.Branch()
@@ -505,6 +517,7 @@ func (l *literal) String() string   { return ebnf(l) }
 func (l *literal) GoString() string { return fmt.Sprintf("literal{%q, %q}", l.s, l.tt) }
 
 func (l *literal) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(l)()
 	match := func(t lexer.Token) bool {
 		var equal bool
 		if ctx.caseInsensitive[t.Type] {
@@ -530,6 +543,7 @@ func (n *negation) String() string   { return ebnf(n) }
 func (n *negation) GoString() string { return "negation{}" }
 
 func (n *negation) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) (out []reflect.Value, err error) {
+	defer ctx.printTrace(n)()
 	// Create a branch to avoid advancing the parser, but call neither Stop nor Accept on it
 	// since we will discard a match.
 	branch := ctx.Branch()
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index b453cb47..3c8dae7d 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package participle
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"reflect"
 
 	"github.com/alecthomas/participle/v2/lexer"
@@ -111,6 +112,13 @@ func Union[T any](members ...T) Option {
 // ParseOption modifies how an individual parse is applied.
 type ParseOption func(p *parseContext)
 
+// Trace the parse to "w".
+func Trace(w io.Writer) ParseOption {
+	return func(p *parseContext) {
+		p.trace = w
+	}
+}
+
 // AllowTrailing tokens without erroring.
 //
 // That is, do not error if a full parse completes but additional tokens remain.
diff --git a/parser.go b/parser.go
index 0a1a71dd..39d34ec6 100644
--- a/parser.go
+++ b/parser.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ type customDef struct {
 // A Parser for a particular grammar and lexer.
 type Parser struct {
 	root            node
-	trace           io.Writer
 	lex             lexer.Definition
 	typ             reflect.Type
 	useLookahead    int
@@ -114,9 +113,6 @@ func Build(grammar interface{}, options ...Option) (parser *Parser, err error) {
 	if err := validate(p.root); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if p.trace != nil {
-		p.root = injectTrace(p.trace, 0, p.root)
-	}
 	return p, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/parser_test.go b/parser_test.go
index dd631cd1..4d633c5d 100644
--- a/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser_test.go
@@ -1834,8 +1834,10 @@ func TestParserWithUnion(t *testing.T) {
 		{`{ [ { [12] } ] }`, grammar{B: BMember2{AMember2{BMember2{AMember2{BMember1{12}}}}}}},
 	} {
 		var actual grammar
-		require.NoError(t, parser.ParseString("", c.src, &actual))
+		var trace strings.Builder
+		require.NoError(t, parser.ParseString("", c.src, &actual, participle.Trace(&trace)))
 		require.Equal(t, c.expected, actual)
+		require.NotEqual(t, "", trace.String())
 	}
 
 	require.Equal(t, strings.TrimSpace(`
diff --git a/trace.go b/trace.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 4f1d239e..00000000
--- a/trace.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-package participle
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"io"
-	"reflect"
-	"strings"
-)
-
-// Trace the parse to "w".
-func Trace(w io.Writer) Option {
-	return func(p *Parser) error {
-		p.trace = w
-		return nil
-	}
-}
-
-type trace struct {
-	w      io.Writer
-	indent int
-	node
-}
-
-func (t *trace) Parse(ctx *parseContext, parent reflect.Value) ([]reflect.Value, error) {
-	tok := ctx.Peek()
-	fmt.Fprintf(t.w, "%s%q %s\n", strings.Repeat(" ", t.indent), tok, t.node.GoString())
-	return t.node.Parse(ctx, parent)
-}
-
-func injectTrace(w io.Writer, indent int, n node) node {
-	out := &trace{w, indent, n}
-	switch n := n.(type) {
-	case *disjunction:
-		for i, child := range n.nodes {
-			n.nodes[i] = injectTrace(w, indent+2, child)
-		}
-	case *union:
-		for i, child := range n.members {
-			n.members[i] = injectTrace(w, indent+2, child)
-		}
-	case *strct:
-		n.expr = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.expr)
-	case *sequence:
-		n.node = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.node)
-		// injectTrace(w, indent, n.next)
-	case *parseable:
-	case *custom:
-	case *capture:
-		n.node = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.node)
-	case *reference:
-	case *optional:
-		n.node = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.node)
-	case *repetition:
-		n.node = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.node)
-	case *negation:
-		n.node = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.node)
-	case *literal:
-	case *group:
-		n.expr = injectTrace(w, indent+2, n.expr)
-	}
-	return out
-}