diff --git a/repos/os/include/spec/arm/os/backtrace.h b/repos/os/include/spec/arm/os/backtrace.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd25acd0ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/os/include/spec/arm/os/backtrace.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+ * \brief   Backtrace helper utility
+ * \date    2015-09-18
+ * \author  Christian Prochaska
+ * \author  Stefan Kalkowski
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__SPEC__ARM__OS__BACKTRACE_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__SPEC__ARM__OS__BACKTRACE_H_
+
+#include <base/log.h>
+
+namespace Genode { void inline backtrace() __attribute__((always_inline)); }
+
+/**
+ * Print frame pointer based backtrace
+ *
+ * To use this function compile your code with the -fno-omit-frame-pointer GCC
+ * option.
+ */
+void inline Genode::backtrace()
+{
+	addr_t * fp;
+
+	asm volatile ("mov %0, %%fp" : "=r"(fp) : :);
+
+	while (fp && *fp) {
+		Genode::log(Hex(*fp));
+		fp = (addr_t*)*(fp - 1);
+	}
+}
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__SPEC__ARM__OS__BACKTRACE_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/os/include/spec/x86_32/os/backtrace.h b/repos/os/include/spec/x86_32/os/backtrace.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95e083456d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/os/include/spec/x86_32/os/backtrace.h
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * \brief   Backtrace helper utility
+ * \date    2015-09-18
+ * \author  Christian Prochaska
+ * \author  Stefan Kalkowski
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__SPEC__X86_32__OS__BACKTRACE_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__SPEC__X86_32__OS__BACKTRACE_H_
+
+#include <base/stdint.h>
+#include <base/log.h>
+
+namespace Genode { void inline backtrace() __attribute__((always_inline)); }
+
+/**
+ * Print frame pointer based backtrace
+ *
+ * To use this function compile your code with the -fno-omit-frame-pointer GCC
+ * option.
+ */
+void inline Genode::backtrace()
+{
+	Genode::addr_t * fp;
+
+		asm volatile ("movl %%ebp, %0" : "=r"(fp) : :);
+
+		while (fp && *(fp + 1)) {
+			Genode::log(Hex(*(fp + 1)));
+			fp = (Genode::addr_t*)*fp;
+		}
+}
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__SPEC__X86_32__OS__BACKTRACE_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/os/include/spec/x86_64/os/backtrace.h b/repos/os/include/spec/x86_64/os/backtrace.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06c6e20779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/os/include/spec/x86_64/os/backtrace.h
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * \brief   Backtrace helper utility
+ * \date    2015-09-18
+ * \author  Christian Prochaska
+ * \author  Stefan Kalkowski
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__SPEC__X86_64__OS__BACKTRACE_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__SPEC__X86_64__OS__BACKTRACE_H_
+
+#include <base/stdint.h>
+#include <base/log.h>
+
+namespace Genode { void inline backtrace() __attribute__((always_inline)); }
+
+/**
+ * Print frame pointer based backtrace
+ *
+ * To use this function compile your code with the -fno-omit-frame-pointer GCC
+ * option.
+ */
+void inline Genode::backtrace()
+{
+	Genode::addr_t * fp;
+
+		asm volatile ("movq %%rbp, %0" : "=r"(fp) : :);
+
+		while (fp && *(fp + 1)) {
+			Genode::log(Hex(*(fp + 1)));
+			fp = (Genode::addr_t*)*fp;
+		}
+}
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__SPEC__X86_64__OS__BACKTRACE_H_ */