diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace.c b/kernel/trace/trace.c
index 3b22e70c6016..97a058623f94 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace.c
@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@ struct tracers {
 	struct tracer_flags	*flags;
 };
 
+/*
+ * Tracers that do not define their own flags use these empty flags,
+ * as tr->current_trace_flags must never be NULL.
+ */
+static struct tracer_flags no_tracer_flags;
+
 /*
  * To prevent the comm cache from being overwritten when no
  * tracing is active, only save the comm when a trace event
@@ -1318,7 +1324,12 @@ static int run_tracer_selftest(struct tracer *type)
 	tracing_reset_online_cpus(&tr->array_buffer);
 
 	tr->current_trace = type;
-	tr->current_trace_flags = type->flags ? : type->default_flags;
+	if (type->flags)
+		tr->current_trace_flags = type->flags;
+	else if (type->default_flags)
+		tr->current_trace_flags = type->default_flags;
+	else
+		tr->current_trace_flags = &no_tracer_flags;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_TRACER_MAX_TRACE
 	if (tracer_uses_snapshot(type)) {
@@ -5089,7 +5100,12 @@ int tracing_set_tracer(struct trace_array *tr, const char *buf)
 			return ret;
 	}
 
-	tr->current_trace_flags = t->flags ? : t->tracer->flags;
+	if (t->flags)
+		tr->current_trace_flags = t->flags;
+	else if (t->tracer->flags)
+		tr->current_trace_flags = t->tracer->flags;
+	else
+		tr->current_trace_flags = &no_tracer_flags;
 
 	if (trace->init) {
 		ret = tracer_init(trace, tr);