diff --git a/src/base/SConscript b/src/base/SConscript
index 5bf0633..548fda7 100644
--- a/src/base/SConscript
+++ b/src/base/SConscript
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
 DebugFlag('AnnotateQ', "State machine annotation queue debugging")
 DebugFlag('AnnotateVerbose', "Dump all state machine annotation details")
 DebugFlag('FmtFlag', "Show the --debug-flag that enabled each debug message")
+DebugFlag('FmtTicksOff', "Don't show tick count on debug messages")
 DebugFlag('GDBAcc', "Remote debugger accesses")
 DebugFlag('GDBExtra', "Dump extra information on reads and writes")
 DebugFlag('GDBMisc', "Breakpoints, traps, watchpoints, etc.")
diff --git a/src/base/trace.cc b/src/base/trace.cc
index c7f338b..6b18787 100644
--- a/src/base/trace.cc
+++ b/src/base/trace.cc
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "base/output.hh"
 #include "base/str.hh"
 #include "debug/FmtFlag.hh"
+#include "debug/FmtTicksOff.hh"
 
 const std::string &name()
 {
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@
     if (!name.empty() && ignore.match(name))
         return;
 
-    if (when != MaxTick)
+    if (!DTRACE(FmtTicksOff) && (when != MaxTick))
         ccprintf(stream, "%7d: ", when);
 
     if (DTRACE(FmtFlag) && !flag.empty())
diff --git a/src/cpu/SConscript b/src/cpu/SConscript
index bd66390..0cbe013 100644
--- a/src/cpu/SConscript
+++ b/src/cpu/SConscript
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@
 DebugFlag('ExecResult', 'Format: Include results from execution')
 DebugFlag('ExecSymbol', 'Format: Try to include symbol names')
 DebugFlag('ExecThread', 'Format: Include thread ID in trace')
-DebugFlag('ExecTicks', 'Format: Include tick count')
 DebugFlag('ExecMicro', 'Filter: Include microops')
 DebugFlag('ExecMacro', 'Filter: Include macroops')
 DebugFlag('ExecUser', 'Filter: Trace user mode instructions')
@@ -63,14 +62,12 @@
 CompoundFlag('ExecAll', [ 'ExecEnable', 'ExecCPSeq', 'ExecEffAddr',
     'ExecFaulting', 'ExecFetchSeq', 'ExecOpClass', 'ExecRegDelta',
     'ExecResult', 'ExecSymbol', 'ExecThread',
-    'ExecTicks', 'ExecMicro', 'ExecMacro', 'ExecUser', 'ExecKernel',
+    'ExecMicro', 'ExecMacro', 'ExecUser', 'ExecKernel',
     'ExecAsid', 'ExecFlags' ])
-CompoundFlag('Exec', [ 'ExecEnable', 'ExecTicks', 'ExecOpClass', 'ExecThread',
+CompoundFlag('Exec', [ 'ExecEnable', 'ExecOpClass', 'ExecThread',
     'ExecEffAddr', 'ExecResult', 'ExecSymbol', 'ExecMicro', 'ExecMacro',
     'ExecFaulting', 'ExecUser', 'ExecKernel' ])
-CompoundFlag('ExecNoTicks', [ 'ExecEnable', 'ExecOpClass', 'ExecThread',
-    'ExecEffAddr', 'ExecResult', 'ExecMicro', 'ExecMacro', 'ExecFaulting',
-    'ExecUser', 'ExecKernel' ])
+CompoundFlag('ExecNoTicks', [ 'Exec', 'FmtTicksOff' ])
 
 Source('pc_event.cc')
 
diff --git a/src/cpu/exetrace.cc b/src/cpu/exetrace.cc
index a228893..bbfd3d3 100644
--- a/src/cpu/exetrace.cc
+++ b/src/cpu/exetrace.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2017 ARM Limited
+ * Copyright (c) 2017, 2019 ARM Limited
  * All rights reserved
  *
  * The license below extends only to copyright in the software and shall
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #include "cpu/static_inst.hh"
 #include "cpu/thread_context.hh"
 #include "debug/ExecAll.hh"
+#include "debug/FmtTicksOff.hh"
 #include "enums/OpClass.hh"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@
         if (!in_user_mode && !Debug::ExecKernel) return;
     }
 
-    if (Debug::ExecTicks)
+    if (!DTRACE(FmtTicksOff))
         dumpTicks(outs);
 
     outs << thread->getCpuPtr()->name() << " ";