diff --git a/app/trace/trace.cpp b/app/trace/trace.cpp
index d4d5a5ecd..8d0f4920f 100644
--- a/app/trace/trace.cpp
+++ b/app/trace/trace.cpp
@@ -120,10 +120,9 @@ print_uint64(const char *arg_string, uint64_t arg)
 }
 
 static void
-print_string(const char *arg_string, uint64_t arg)
+print_string(const char *arg_string, const char *arg)
 {
-	char *str = (char *)&arg;
-	printf("%-7.7s%.8s ", format_argname(arg_string), str);
+	printf("%-7.7s%-16.16s ", format_argname(arg_string), arg);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -158,16 +157,17 @@ print_arg(uint8_t arg_type, const char *arg_string, const void *arg)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	memcpy(&value, arg, sizeof(value));
 	switch (arg_type) {
 	case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_PTR:
+		memcpy(&value, arg, sizeof(value));
 		print_ptr(arg_string, value);
 		break;
 	case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_INT:
+		memcpy(&value, arg, sizeof(value));
 		print_uint64(arg_string, value);
 		break;
 	case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR:
-		print_string(arg_string, value);
+		print_string(arg_string, (const char *)arg);
 		break;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/blobfs/blobfs.c b/lib/blobfs/blobfs.c
index b0638f775..6c58c8ae0 100644
--- a/lib/blobfs/blobfs.c
+++ b/lib/blobfs/blobfs.c
@@ -74,36 +74,40 @@ static pthread_mutex_t g_cache_init_lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
 SPDK_TRACE_REGISTER_FN(blobfs_trace, "blobfs", TRACE_GROUP_BLOBFS)
 {
-	spdk_trace_register_description("BLOBFS_XATTR_START",
-					TRACE_BLOBFS_XATTR_START,
-					OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
-					SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR,
-					"file");
-	spdk_trace_register_description("BLOBFS_XATTR_END",
-					TRACE_BLOBFS_XATTR_END,
-					OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
-					SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR,
-					"file");
-	spdk_trace_register_description("BLOBFS_OPEN",
-					TRACE_BLOBFS_OPEN,
-					OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
-					SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR,
-					"file");
-	spdk_trace_register_description("BLOBFS_CLOSE",
-					TRACE_BLOBFS_CLOSE,
-					OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
-					SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR,
-					"file");
-	spdk_trace_register_description("BLOBFS_DELETE_START",
-					TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_START,
-					OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
-					SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR,
-					"file");
-	spdk_trace_register_description("BLOBFS_DELETE_DONE",
-					TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_DONE,
-					OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
-					SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR,
-					"file");
+	struct spdk_trace_tpoint_opts opts[] = {
+		{
+			"BLOBFS_XATTR_START", TRACE_BLOBFS_XATTR_START,
+			OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
+			{{ "file", SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR, 40 }},
+		},
+		{
+			"BLOBFS_XATTR_END", TRACE_BLOBFS_XATTR_END,
+			OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
+			{{ "file", SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR, 40 }},
+		},
+		{
+			"BLOBFS_OPEN", TRACE_BLOBFS_OPEN,
+			OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
+			{{ "file", SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR, 40 }},
+		},
+		{
+			"BLOBFS_CLOSE", TRACE_BLOBFS_CLOSE,
+			OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
+			{{ "file", SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR, 40 }},
+		},
+		{
+			"BLOBFS_DELETE_START", TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_START,
+			OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
+			{{ "file", SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR, 40 }},
+		},
+		{
+			"BLOBFS_DELETE_DONE", TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_DONE,
+			OWNER_NONE, OBJECT_NONE, 0,
+			{{ "file", SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR, 40 }},
+		}
+	};
+
+	spdk_trace_register_description_ext(opts, SPDK_COUNTOF(opts));
 }
 
 void
@@ -119,7 +123,6 @@ struct spdk_file {
 	struct spdk_filesystem	*fs;
 	struct spdk_blob	*blob;
 	char			*name;
-	uint64_t		trace_arg_name;
 	uint64_t		length;
 	bool                    is_deleted;
 	bool			open_for_writing;
@@ -706,14 +709,6 @@ fs_load_done(void *ctx, int bserrno)
 
 }
 
-static void
-_file_build_trace_arg_name(struct spdk_file *f)
-{
-	f->trace_arg_name = 0;
-	memcpy(&f->trace_arg_name, f->name,
-	       spdk_min(sizeof(f->trace_arg_name), strlen(f->name)));
-}
-
 static void
 iter_cb(void *ctx, struct spdk_blob *blob, int rc)
 {
@@ -761,7 +756,6 @@ iter_cb(void *ctx, struct spdk_blob *blob, int rc)
 		}
 
 		f->name = strdup(name);
-		_file_build_trace_arg_name(f);
 		f->blobid = spdk_blob_get_id(blob);
 		f->length = *length;
 		f->length_flushed = *length;
@@ -1120,7 +1114,6 @@ spdk_fs_create_file_async(struct spdk_filesystem *fs, const char *name,
 		cb_fn(cb_arg, -ENOMEM);
 		return;
 	}
-	_file_build_trace_arg_name(file);
 	spdk_bs_create_blob(fs->bs, fs_create_blob_create_cb, args);
 }
 
@@ -1184,7 +1177,7 @@ fs_open_blob_done(void *ctx, struct spdk_blob *blob, int bserrno)
 		req = TAILQ_FIRST(&f->open_requests);
 		args = &req->args;
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&f->open_requests, req, args.op.open.tailq);
-		spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_OPEN, 0, 0, 0, f->trace_arg_name);
+		spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_OPEN, 0, 0, 0, f->name);
 		args->fn.file_op_with_handle(args->arg, f, bserrno);
 		free_fs_request(req);
 	}
@@ -1363,7 +1356,6 @@ _fs_md_rename_file(struct spdk_fs_request *req)
 
 	free(f->name);
 	f->name = strdup(args->op.rename.new_name);
-	_file_build_trace_arg_name(f);
 	args->file = f;
 	spdk_bs_open_blob(args->fs->bs, f->blobid, fs_rename_blob_open_cb, req);
 }
@@ -1524,21 +1516,13 @@ spdk_fs_delete_file_async(struct spdk_filesystem *fs, const char *name,
 	spdk_bs_delete_blob(fs->bs, blobid, blob_delete_cb, req);
 }
 
-static uint64_t
-fs_name_to_uint64(const char *name)
-{
-	uint64_t result = 0;
-	memcpy(&result, name, spdk_min(sizeof(result), strlen(name)));
-	return result;
-}
-
 static void
 __fs_delete_file_done(void *arg, int fserrno)
 {
 	struct spdk_fs_request *req = arg;
 	struct spdk_fs_cb_args *args = &req->args;
 
-	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_DONE, 0, 0, 0, fs_name_to_uint64(args->op.delete.name));
+	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_DONE, 0, 0, 0, args->op.delete.name);
 	__wake_caller(args, fserrno);
 }
 
@@ -1548,7 +1532,7 @@ __fs_delete_file(void *arg)
 	struct spdk_fs_request *req = arg;
 	struct spdk_fs_cb_args *args = &req->args;
 
-	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_START, 0, 0, 0, fs_name_to_uint64(args->op.delete.name));
+	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_DELETE_START, 0, 0, 0, args->op.delete.name);
 	spdk_fs_delete_file_async(args->fs, args->op.delete.name, __fs_delete_file_done, req);
 }
 
@@ -2221,7 +2205,7 @@ __file_cache_finish_sync(void *ctx, int bserrno)
 	file->length_xattr = sync_args->op.sync.length;
 	assert(sync_args->op.sync.offset <= file->length_flushed);
 	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_XATTR_END, 0, sync_args->op.sync.offset,
-			  0, file->trace_arg_name);
+			  0, file->name);
 	BLOBFS_TRACE(file, "sync done offset=%jx\n", sync_args->op.sync.offset);
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&file->sync_requests, sync_req, args.op.sync.tailq);
 	pthread_spin_unlock(&file->lock);
@@ -2254,7 +2238,7 @@ __check_sync_reqs(struct spdk_file *file)
 
 		pthread_spin_unlock(&file->lock);
 		spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_XATTR_START, 0, file->length_flushed,
-				  0, file->trace_arg_name);
+				  0, file->name);
 		spdk_blob_sync_md(file->blob, __file_cache_finish_sync, sync_req);
 	} else {
 		pthread_spin_unlock(&file->lock);
@@ -2832,7 +2816,7 @@ __file_close_async_done(void *ctx, int bserrno)
 	struct spdk_fs_cb_args *args = &req->args;
 	struct spdk_file *file = args->file;
 
-	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_CLOSE, 0, 0, 0, file->trace_arg_name);
+	spdk_trace_record(TRACE_BLOBFS_CLOSE, 0, 0, 0, file->name);
 
 	if (file->is_deleted) {
 		spdk_fs_delete_file_async(file->fs, file->name, blob_delete_cb, ctx);
diff --git a/lib/trace/trace.c b/lib/trace/trace.c
index bf9cf4b6e..9ad8e5f12 100644
--- a/lib/trace/trace.c
+++ b/lib/trace/trace.c
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ _spdk_trace_record(uint64_t tsc, uint16_t tpoint_id, uint16_t poller_id, uint32_
 	struct spdk_trace_history *lcore_history;
 	struct spdk_trace_entry *next_entry;
 	struct spdk_trace_tpoint *tpoint;
+	const char *strval;
 	unsigned lcore, i, offset;
-	uint64_t value, next_circular_entry;
+	uint64_t intval, next_circular_entry;
 	va_list vl;
 
 	lcore = spdk_env_get_current_core();
@@ -90,9 +91,21 @@ _spdk_trace_record(uint64_t tsc, uint16_t tpoint_id, uint16_t poller_id, uint32_
 
 	va_start(vl, num_args);
 	for (i = 0, offset = 0; i < tpoint->num_args; ++i) {
-		/* All values are currently passed as uint64_t */
-		value = va_arg(vl, uint64_t);
-		memcpy(&next_entry->args[offset], &value, sizeof(value));
+		switch (tpoint->args[i].type) {
+		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR:
+			strval = va_arg(vl, const char *);
+			snprintf(&next_entry->args[offset], tpoint->args[i].size, "%s", strval);
+			break;
+		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_INT:
+		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_PTR:
+			intval = va_arg(vl, uint64_t);
+			memcpy(&next_entry->args[offset], &intval, sizeof(intval));
+			break;
+		default:
+			assert(0 && "Invalid trace argument type");
+			break;
+		}
+
 		offset += tpoint->args[i].size;
 	}
 	va_end(vl);
diff --git a/lib/trace/trace_flags.c b/lib/trace/trace_flags.c
index d2fefe0f2..8faf135a5 100644
--- a/lib/trace/trace_flags.c
+++ b/lib/trace/trace_flags.c
@@ -310,10 +310,13 @@ trace_register_description(const struct spdk_trace_tpoint_opts *opts)
 		switch (opts->args[i].type) {
 		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_INT:
 		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_PTR:
-		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR:
-			/* For now all trace types need to be passed as uint64_t */
+			/* The integers and pointers have to be exactly 64b long */
 			assert(opts->args[i].size == sizeof(uint64_t));
 			break;
+		case SPDK_TRACE_ARG_TYPE_STR:
+			/* Strings need to have at least one byte for the NULL terminator */
+			assert(opts->args[i].size > 0);
+			break;
 		default:
 			assert(0 && "invalid trace argument type");
 			break;