diff --git a/src/compile.zig b/src/compile.zig
index 6e8766e..ca72de9 100644
--- a/src/compile.zig
+++ b/src/compile.zig
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ const VM = @import("./vm.zig").VM;
 
 const ParsingError = @import("./errors.zig").ParsingError;
 
-const DEBUG_TRACE_EXECUTION = @import("./main.zig").DEBUG_TRACE_EXECUTION;
-
 const Precedence = enum {
     None,
     Assignement,
@@ -130,7 +128,7 @@ const Parser = struct {
     }
 
     fn end_parser(self: *Parser) !void {
-        if (!self.had_error and DEBUG_TRACE_EXECUTION) {
+        if (!self.had_error and self.vm.has_tracing()) {
             self.chunk.dissassemble("code");
         }
         try self.emit_return();
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index dda02ec..cb80543 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ const InterpretResult = @import("./vm.zig").InterpretResult;
 // XXX imported to run tests.
 const Table = @import("./table.zig");
 
-pub const DEBUG_TRACE_EXECUTION = true;
-
 pub fn repl(allocator: Allocator, vm: *VM) !void {
     var line: [1024]u8 = undefined;
 
@@ -61,6 +59,12 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     var vm = VM.new(allocator);
     defer vm.free();
 
+    var env = try std.process.getEnvMap(allocator);
+    defer env.deinit();
+    if (env.get("TRACE") != null) {
+        vm.set_trace(true);
+    }
+
     if (args.len == 1) {
         try repl(allocator, &vm);
     } else if (args.len == 2) {
diff --git a/src/vm.zig b/src/vm.zig
index 809fd65..050e6ad 100644
--- a/src/vm.zig
+++ b/src/vm.zig
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ pub const VM = struct {
     // In the book, a linked list between objects is used to handle this.
     references: std.ArrayList(*Obj),
     strings: Table,
+    tracing: bool,
 
     pub fn new(allocator: Allocator) VM {
         return VM{
@@ -41,18 +42,30 @@ pub const VM = struct {
             .stack = std.ArrayList(Value).init(allocator),
             .references = std.ArrayList(*Obj).init(allocator),
             .strings = Table.new(allocator),
+            .tracing = false,
         };
     }
 
     pub fn free(self: *VM) void {
         self.stack.deinit();
 
-        self.strings.dump();
+        if (self.has_tracing()) {
+            self.strings.dump();
+        }
+
         self.strings.deinit();
         self.clean_references();
         self.references.deinit();
     }
 
+    pub fn set_trace(self: *VM, tracing: bool) void {
+        self.tracing = tracing;
+    }
+
+    pub fn has_tracing(self: *VM) bool {
+        return self.tracing;
+    }
+
     pub fn interpret(self: *VM, allocator: Allocator, content: []const u8) !InterpretResult {
         var chunk = Chunk.new(allocator);
         defer chunk.deinit();
@@ -70,7 +83,7 @@ pub const VM = struct {
 
     pub fn run(self: *VM) !InterpretResult {
         while (true) {
-            if (DEBUG_TRACE_EXECUTION) {
+            if (self.has_tracing()) {
                 if (self.stack.items.len > 0) {
                     debug.print("{s:32}", .{""});
                     for (self.stack.items) |item| {