diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/vm_session_component.h b/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/vm_session_component.h
index a320975b9f..ec5bc2e4bb 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/vm_session_component.h
+++ b/repos/base-nova/src/core/include/vm_session_component.h
@@ -62,32 +62,8 @@ class Core::Vm_session_component
 				Session_label      const     &_label;
 				addr_t             const      _pd_sel;
 
-				struct Trace_control_slot
-				{
-					unsigned index = 0;
-					Trace::Control_area &_trace_control_area;
-
-					Trace_control_slot(Trace::Control_area &trace_control_area)
-					: _trace_control_area(trace_control_area)
-					{
-						if (!_trace_control_area.alloc(index))
-							throw Out_of_ram();
-					}
-
-					~Trace_control_slot()
-					{
-						_trace_control_area.free(index);
-					}
-
-					Trace::Control &control()
-					{
-						return *_trace_control_area.at(index);
-					}
-				};
-
-				Trace_control_slot _trace_control_slot;
-
-				Trace::Source _trace_source { *this, _trace_control_slot.control() };
+				Trace::Control_area::Result  _trace_control_slot;
+				Constructible<Trace::Source> _trace_source { };
 
 			public:
 
diff --git a/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc b/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc
index a833957e5c..9ca6467ffa 100644
--- a/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc
+++ b/repos/base-nova/src/core/vm_session_component.cc
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ Vm_session_component::Vcpu::Vcpu(Rpc_entrypoint            &ep,
 	_priority(priority),
 	_label(label),
 	_pd_sel(pd_sel),
-	_trace_control_slot(trace_control_area)
+	_trace_control_slot(trace_control_area.alloc())
 {
 	/* account caps required to setup vCPU */
 	Cap_quota_guard::Reservation caps(_cap_alloc, Cap_quota{CAP_RANGE});
@@ -220,7 +220,12 @@ Vm_session_component::Vcpu::Vcpu(Rpc_entrypoint            &ep,
 
 	_ep.manage(this);
 
-	_trace_sources.insert(&_trace_source);
+	trace_control_area.with_control(_trace_control_slot,
+		[&] (Trace::Control &control) {
+			_trace_source.construct(*this, control);
+			Trace::Source &source = *_trace_source;
+			_trace_sources.insert(&source);
+		});
 
 	caps.acknowledge();
 }
@@ -230,7 +235,10 @@ Vm_session_component::Vcpu::~Vcpu()
 {
 	_ep.dissolve(this);
 
-	_trace_sources.remove(&_trace_source);
+	if (_trace_source.constructed()) {
+		Trace::Source &source = *_trace_source;
+		_trace_sources.remove(&source);
+	}
 
 	if (_sel_sm_ec_sc != invalid_sel()) {
 		_cap_alloc.replenish(Cap_quota{CAP_RANGE});
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc b/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc
index edcb431d79..16813d2dee 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/cpu_session_component.cc
@@ -274,6 +274,9 @@ Cpu_session_component::Cpu_session_component(Rpc_entrypoint         &session_ep,
 	_quota(quota), _ref(0),
 	_native_cpu(*this, args)
 {
+	if (!_trace_control_area.valid())
+		raise(_trace_control_area.error);
+
 	Arg a = Arg_string::find_arg(args, "priority");
 	if (a.valid()) {
 		_priority = (unsigned)a.ulong_value(0);
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/cpu_thread_component.cc b/repos/base/src/core/cpu_thread_component.cc
index 568bc4e947..cc4873bff7 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/cpu_thread_component.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/cpu_thread_component.cc
@@ -93,18 +93,24 @@ void Cpu_thread_component::affinity(Affinity::Location location)
 
 unsigned Cpu_thread_component::trace_control_index()
 {
-	return _trace_control_slot.index;
+	return _trace_control_slot.convert<unsigned>(
+		[&] (Trace::Control_area::Slot const &slot) { return slot.index; },
+		[&] (Trace::Control_area::Error)            { return 0u; });
 }
 
 
 Dataspace_capability Cpu_thread_component::trace_buffer()
 {
-	return _trace_source.buffer();
+	if (!_trace_source.constructed())
+		return { };
+	return _trace_source->buffer();
 }
 
 
 Dataspace_capability Cpu_thread_component::trace_policy()
 {
-	return _trace_source.policy();
+	if (!_trace_source.constructed())
+		return { };
+	return _trace_source->policy();
 }
 
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/cpu_thread_component.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/cpu_thread_component.h
index 1850e32175..2a8d181b90 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/cpu_thread_component.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/cpu_thread_component.h
@@ -69,32 +69,9 @@ class Core::Cpu_thread_component : public  Rpc_object<Cpu_thread>,
 		 */
 		Signal_context_capability _thread_sigh { };
 
-		struct Trace_control_slot
-		{
-			unsigned index = 0;
-			Trace::Control_area &trace_control_area;
+		Trace::Control_area::Result _trace_control_slot;
 
-			Trace_control_slot(Trace::Control_area &trace_control_area)
-			: trace_control_area(trace_control_area)
-			{
-				if (!trace_control_area.alloc(index))
-					throw Out_of_ram();
-			}
-
-			~Trace_control_slot()
-			{
-				trace_control_area.free(index);
-			}
-
-			Trace::Control &control()
-			{
-				return *trace_control_area.at(index);
-			}
-		};
-
-		Trace_control_slot _trace_control_slot;
-
-		Trace::Source _trace_source { *this, _trace_control_slot.control() };
+		Constructible<Trace::Source> _trace_source { };
 
 		Trace::Source_registry &_trace_sources;
 
@@ -164,7 +141,7 @@ class Core::Cpu_thread_component : public  Rpc_object<Cpu_thread>,
 			_pd_element(pd_threads, *this),
 			_platform_thread(platform_pd, ep, cpu_ram, core_rm, quota, name.string(),
 			                 priority, location, utcb),
-			_trace_control_slot(trace_control_area),
+			_trace_control_slot(trace_control_area.alloc()),
 			_trace_sources(trace_sources),
 			_managed_thread_cap(_ep, *this),
 			_rm_client(cpu_session_cap, _managed_thread_cap.cap(),
@@ -177,12 +154,20 @@ class Core::Cpu_thread_component : public  Rpc_object<Cpu_thread>,
 
 			_address_space_region_map.add_client(_rm_client);
 			_platform_thread.pager(_rm_client);
-			_trace_sources.insert(&_trace_source);
+			trace_control_area.with_control(_trace_control_slot,
+				[&] (Trace::Control &control) {
+					_trace_source.construct(*this, control);
+					Trace::Source &source = *_trace_source;
+					_trace_sources.insert(&source);
+				});
 		}
 
 		~Cpu_thread_component()
 		{
-			_trace_sources.remove(&_trace_source);
+			if (_trace_source.constructed()) {
+				Trace::Source &source = *_trace_source;
+				_trace_sources.remove(&source);
+			}
 			_pager_ep.dissolve(_rm_client);
 
 			_address_space_region_map.remove_client(_rm_client);
diff --git a/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/control_area.h b/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/control_area.h
index afdf1841d8..2d6ce8430b 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/control_area.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/core/include/trace/control_area.h
@@ -24,67 +24,79 @@
 namespace Genode { namespace Trace { class Control_area; } }
 
 
-class Genode::Trace::Control_area
+struct Genode::Trace::Control_area : Noncopyable
 {
-	public:
+	enum { SIZE = 8192 };
 
-		enum { SIZE = 8192 };
+	Alloc_error error = Alloc_error::DENIED;
+	Constructible<Attached_ram_dataspace> _area { };
 
-	private:
+	bool _index_valid(unsigned const index) const {
+		return index < SIZE / sizeof(Control); }
 
-		Ram_allocator                &_ram;
-		Region_map                   &_rm;
-		Attached_ram_dataspace const  _area;
+	auto _with_control_at_index(unsigned i, auto const &fn,
+	                                        auto const &missing_fn) const
+	-> decltype(missing_fn())
+	{
+		if (!_area.constructed() || !_index_valid(i))
+			return missing_fn();
 
-		bool _index_valid(unsigned const index) const {
-			return index < SIZE / sizeof(Trace::Control); }
+		return fn(_area->local_addr<Control>()[i]);
+	}
 
-		/*
-		 * Noncopyable
-		 */
-		Control_area(Control_area const &);
-		Control_area &operator = (Control_area const &);
+	Control_area(Ram_allocator &ram, Region_map &rm)
+	{
+		try { _area.construct(ram, rm, SIZE); }
+		catch (Out_of_ram)  { error = Alloc_error::OUT_OF_RAM; }
+		catch (Out_of_caps) { error = Alloc_error::OUT_OF_CAPS; }
+		catch (...)         { }
+	}
 
-		Trace::Control * _local_base() const {
-			return _area.local_addr<Trace::Control>(); }
+	~Control_area() { }
 
-	public:
+	bool valid() const { return _area.constructed(); }
 
-		Control_area(Ram_allocator &ram, Region_map &rm)
-		:
-			_ram(ram), _rm(rm), _area(ram, rm, SIZE)
-		{ }
+	Ram::Capability dataspace() const
+	{
+		return _area.constructed() ? _area->cap() : Ram::Capability();
+	}
 
-		~Control_area() { }
+	struct Attr { unsigned index; };
 
-		Dataspace_capability dataspace() const { return _area.cap(); }
+	using Error  = Denied;
+	using Slot   = Allocation<Control_area>;
+	using Result = Slot::Attempt;
 
-		bool alloc(unsigned &index_out)
+	Result alloc()
+	{
+		auto try_alloc = [&] (Control &control)
 		{
-			for (unsigned index = 0; _index_valid(index); index++) {
-				if (!_local_base()[index].is_free()) {
-					continue;
-				}
+			if (!control.is_free())
+				return false;
+			control.alloc();
+			return true;
+		};
 
-				_local_base()[index].alloc();
-				index_out = index;
-				return true;
-			}
+		for (unsigned i = 0; _index_valid(i); i++)
+			if (_with_control_at_index(i, try_alloc, [&] { return false; }))
+				return { *this, { i } };
 
-			error("trace-control allocation failed");
-			return false;
-		}
+		return Error();
+	}
 
-		void free(unsigned index)
-		{
-			if (_index_valid(index))
-				_local_base()[index].reset();
-		}
+	void _free(Slot &slot)
+	{
+		_with_control_at_index(slot.index,
+			[&] (Control &control) { control.reset(); }, [] { });
+	}
 
-		Trace::Control *at(unsigned index)
-		{
-			return _index_valid(index) ? &(_local_base()[index]) : nullptr;
-		}
+	void with_control(Result const &slot, auto const &fn) const
+	{
+		slot.with_result(
+			[&] (Slot const &slot) {
+				_with_control_at_index(slot.index, fn, [&] { }); },
+			[&] (Error) { });
+	}
 };
 
 #endif /* _CORE__INCLUDE__TRACE__CONTROL_AREA_H_ */