diff --git a/core/_bootstrap.php b/core/_bootstrap.php
index 6dffbf14..a003ed6e 100644
--- a/core/_bootstrap.php
+++ b/core/_bootstrap.php
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ require_once "vendor/autoload.php";
 _version_check();
 _sanitise_environment();
 
+// The trace system has a certain amount of memory consumption every time it is used,
+// so to prevent running out of memory during complex operations code that uses it should
+// check if tracer output is enabled before making use of it.
+$tracer_enabled = constant('TRACE_FILE')!==null;
+
 // load base files
 $_tracer->begin("Bootstrap");
 $_tracer->begin("Opening files");
diff --git a/core/database.php b/core/database.php
index 003816d4..2cbf077f 100644
--- a/core/database.php
+++ b/core/database.php
@@ -190,10 +190,12 @@ class Database
 
     private function count_time(string $method, float $start, string $query, ?array $args): void
     {
-		global $_tracer;
+		global $_tracer, $tracer_enabled;
 		$dur = microtime(true) - $start;
-		$query = trim(preg_replace('/^[\t ]+/m', '', $query));  // trim leading whitespace
-		$_tracer->complete($start * 1000000, $dur * 1000000, "DB Query", ["query"=>$query, "args"=>$args, "method"=>$method]);
+        if($tracer_enabled) {
+            $query = trim(preg_replace('/^[\t ]+/m', '', $query));  // trim leading whitespace
+            $_tracer->complete($start * 1000000, $dur * 1000000, "DB Query", ["query"=>$query, "args"=>$args, "method"=>$method]);
+        }
 		$this->query_count++;
         $this->dbtime += $dur;
     }
diff --git a/core/send_event.php b/core/send_event.php
index ae2c42f3..24897658 100644
--- a/core/send_event.php
+++ b/core/send_event.php
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ $_shm_event_count = 0;
  */
 function send_event(Event $event): void
 {
+    global $tracer_enabled;
+    
     global $_shm_event_listeners, $_shm_event_count, $_tracer;
     if (!isset($_shm_event_listeners[get_class($event)])) {
         return;
@@ -116,8 +118,6 @@ function send_event(Event $event): void
 
     // send_event() is performance sensitive, and with the number
     // of times tracer gets called the time starts to add up
-    $tracer_enabled = constant('TRACE_FILE');
-
     if ($tracer_enabled) $_tracer->begin(get_class($event));
     // SHIT: http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=35106
     $my_event_listeners = $_shm_event_listeners[get_class($event)];