diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 2c937b298ef70c..6cbf6b60fdc8f9 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ static node_module* modlist_builtin;
 static node_module* modlist_linked;
 static node_module* modlist_addon;
 static bool trace_enabled = false;
-static const char* trace_enabled_categories = nullptr;
+static std::string trace_enabled_categories;  // NOLINT(runtime/string)
 
 #if defined(NODE_HAVE_I18N_SUPPORT)
 // Path to ICU data (for i18n / Intl)
diff --git a/src/tracing/agent.cc b/src/tracing/agent.cc
index ceab09e5a2789c..669bae130c7f94 100644
--- a/src/tracing/agent.cc
+++ b/src/tracing/agent.cc
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@ namespace node {
 namespace tracing {
 
 using v8::platform::tracing::TraceConfig;
+using std::string;
 
 Agent::Agent() {}
 
-void Agent::Start(v8::Platform* platform, const char* enabled_categories) {
+void Agent::Start(v8::Platform* platform, const string& enabled_categories) {
   platform_ = platform;
 
   int err = uv_loop_init(&tracing_loop_);
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ void Agent::Start(v8::Platform* platform, const char* enabled_categories) {
   tracing_controller_ = new TracingController();
 
   TraceConfig* trace_config = new TraceConfig();
-  if (enabled_categories) {
+  if (!enabled_categories.empty()) {
     std::stringstream category_list(enabled_categories);
     while (category_list.good()) {
       std::string category;
diff --git a/src/tracing/agent.h b/src/tracing/agent.h
index f6cb5af97f4bbc..2174d5b8965c2a 100644
--- a/src/tracing/agent.h
+++ b/src/tracing/agent.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace tracing {
 class Agent {
  public:
   explicit Agent();
-  void Start(v8::Platform* platform, const char* enabled_categories);
+  void Start(v8::Platform* platform, const std::string& enabled_categories);
   void Stop();
 
  private: