diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/worker/testTracing.ts b/packages/playwright/src/worker/testTracing.ts
index c820476f27..d017040f7f 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/worker/testTracing.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/worker/testTracing.ts
@@ -48,15 +48,14 @@ export class TestTracing {
   }
 
   private _shouldCaptureTrace() {
-    let capture = false;
+    if (process.env.PW_TEST_DISABLE_TRACING) return false;
+    if (this._options?.mode === 'on') return true;
+    if (this._options?.mode === 'retain-on-failure') return true;
+    if (this._options?.mode === 'on-first-retry' && this._testInfo.retry === 1) return true;
+    if (this._options?.mode === 'on-all-retries' && this._testInfo.retry > 0) return true;
+    if (this._options?.mode === 'retain-on-first-failure' && this._testInfo.retry === 0) return true;
 
-    if (this._options?.mode === 'on') capture = true;
-    if (this._options?.mode === 'retain-on-failure') capture = true;
-    if (this._options?.mode === 'on-first-retry' && this._testInfo.retry === 1) capture = true;
-    if (this._options?.mode === 'on-all-retries' && this._testInfo.retry > 0) capture = true;
-    if (this._options?.mode === 'retain-on-first-failure' && this._testInfo.retry === 0) capture = true;
-
-    return capture && !process.env.PW_TEST_DISABLE_TRACING;
+    return false;
   }
 
   async startIfNeeded(value: TraceFixtureValue) {