diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerConnection.ts b/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerConnection.ts
index 22bdce30ff..d41376ad4f 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerConnection.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerConnection.ts
@@ -67,12 +67,14 @@ export class TestServerConnection implements TestServerInterface, TestServerInte
   readonly onStdio: events.Event<{ type: 'stderr' | 'stdout'; text?: string | undefined; buffer?: string | undefined; }>;
   readonly onTestFilesChanged: events.Event<{ testFiles: string[] }>;
   readonly onLoadTraceRequested: events.Event<{ traceUrl: string }>;
+  readonly onTraceViewerEvent: events.Event<{ method: string; params: any; }>;
 
   private _onCloseEmitter = new events.EventEmitter<void>();
   private _onReportEmitter = new events.EventEmitter<any>();
   private _onStdioEmitter = new events.EventEmitter<{ type: 'stderr' | 'stdout'; text?: string | undefined; buffer?: string | undefined; }>();
   private _onTestFilesChangedEmitter = new events.EventEmitter<{ testFiles: string[] }>();
   private _onLoadTraceRequestedEmitter = new events.EventEmitter<{ traceUrl: string }>();
+  private _onTraceViewerEventEmitter = new events.EventEmitter<{ method: string; params: any }>();
 
   private _lastId = 0;
   private _transport: TestServerTransport;
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ export class TestServerConnection implements TestServerInterface, TestServerInte
     this.onStdio = this._onStdioEmitter.event;
     this.onTestFilesChanged = this._onTestFilesChangedEmitter.event;
     this.onLoadTraceRequested = this._onLoadTraceRequestedEmitter.event;
+    this.onTraceViewerEvent = this._onTraceViewerEventEmitter.event;
 
     this._transport = transport;
     this._transport.onmessage(data => {
@@ -146,6 +149,8 @@ export class TestServerConnection implements TestServerInterface, TestServerInte
       this._onTestFilesChangedEmitter.fire(params);
     else if (method === 'loadTraceRequested')
       this._onLoadTraceRequestedEmitter.fire(params);
+    else if (method === 'traceViewerEvent')
+      this._onTraceViewerEventEmitter.fire(params);
   }
 
   async initialize(params: Parameters<TestServerInterface['initialize']>[0]): ReturnType<TestServerInterface['initialize']> {
@@ -236,6 +241,22 @@ export class TestServerConnection implements TestServerInterface, TestServerInte
     this._sendMessageNoReply('stopTests', params);
   }
 
+  async openTraceViewer(params: Parameters<TestServerInterface['openTraceViewer']>[0]): ReturnType<TestServerInterface['openTraceViewer']>  {
+    await this._sendMessage('openTraceViewer', params);
+  }
+
+  async closeTraceViewer(params: Parameters<TestServerInterface['closeTraceViewer']>[0]): ReturnType<TestServerInterface['closeTraceViewer']> {
+    await this._sendMessage('closeTraceViewer', params);
+  }
+
+  async dispatchTraceViewerEvent(params: Parameters<TestServerInterface['dispatchTraceViewerEvent']>[0]): ReturnType<TestServerInterface['dispatchTraceViewerEvent']> {
+    await this._sendMessage('dispatchTraceViewerEvent', params);
+  }
+
+  dispatchTraceViewerEventNoReply(params: Parameters<TestServerInterface['dispatchTraceViewerEvent']>[0]) {
+    this._sendMessageNoReply('dispatchTraceViewerEvent', params);
+  }
+
   async closeGracefully(params: Parameters<TestServerInterface['closeGracefully']>[0]): ReturnType<TestServerInterface['closeGracefully']> {
     await this._sendMessage('closeGracefully', params);
   }
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerInterface.ts b/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerInterface.ts
index 22cb9e35ef..ba6ddbcd83 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerInterface.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/isomorphic/testServerInterface.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import type { JsonEvent } from './teleReceiver';
 // -- Reuse boundary -- Everything below this line is reused in the vscode extension.
 
 export type ReportEntry = JsonEvent;
+export type TraceViewerEvent = JsonEvent;
 
 export interface TestServerInterface {
   initialize(params: {
@@ -114,6 +115,12 @@ export interface TestServerInterface {
 
   stopTests(params: {}): Promise<void>;
 
+  openTraceViewer(params: { traceViewerURL: string; openInBrowser?: boolean }): Promise<void>;
+
+  closeTraceViewer(params: {}): Promise<void>;
+
+  dispatchTraceViewerEvent(params: { method: string; params: any; }): Promise<void>;
+
   closeGracefully(params: {}): Promise<void>;
 }
 
@@ -122,6 +129,7 @@ export interface TestServerInterfaceEvents {
   onStdio: Event<{ type: 'stdout' | 'stderr', text?: string, buffer?: string }>;
   onTestFilesChanged: Event<{ testFiles: string[] }>;
   onLoadTraceRequested: Event<{ traceUrl: string }>;
+  onTraceViewerEvent: Event<{ method: string; params: any; }>;
 }
 
 export interface TestServerInterfaceEventEmitters {
@@ -129,4 +137,5 @@ export interface TestServerInterfaceEventEmitters {
   dispatchEvent(event: 'stdio', params: { type: 'stdout' | 'stderr', text?: string, buffer?: string }): void;
   dispatchEvent(event: 'testFilesChanged', params: { testFiles: string[] }): void;
   dispatchEvent(event: 'loadTraceRequested', params: { traceUrl: string }): void;
+  dispatchEvent(event: 'traceViewerEvent', params: { method: string; params: any; }): void;
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/runner/testServer.ts b/packages/playwright/src/runner/testServer.ts
index 5d67385dc5..74f712df4f 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/runner/testServer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/runner/testServer.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
-import { installRootRedirect, openTraceInBrowser, openTraceViewerApp, registry, startTraceViewerServer } from 'playwright-core/lib/server';
+import { installRootRedirect, openTraceInBrowser, openTraceViewerApp, registry, serverSideCallMetadata, startTraceViewerServer } from 'playwright-core/lib/server';
 import { ManualPromise, gracefullyProcessExitDoNotHang, isUnderTest } from 'playwright-core/lib/utils';
 import type { Transport, HttpServer } from 'playwright-core/lib/utils';
 import type * as reporterTypes from '../../types/testReporter';
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import { serializeError } from '../util';
 import { baseFullConfig } from '../isomorphic/teleReceiver';
 import { InternalReporter } from '../reporters/internalReporter';
 import type { ReporterV2 } from '../reporters/reporterV2';
+import type { Page } from 'playwright-core/lib/server/page';
 
 const originalStdoutWrite = process.stdout.write;
 const originalStderrWrite = process.stderr.write;
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ export class TestServerDispatcher implements TestServerInterface {
   private _watchTestDirs = false;
   private _closeOnDisconnect = false;
   private _populateDependenciesOnList = false;
+  private _traceViewerPagePromise: Promise<Page> | undefined;
 
   constructor(configLocation: ConfigLocation) {
     this._configLocation = configLocation;
@@ -390,6 +392,42 @@ export class TestServerDispatcher implements TestServerInterface {
     }
   }
 
+  async openTraceViewer(params: { traceViewerURL: string; openInBrowser?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+    if (this._traceViewerPagePromise)
+      throw new Error(`Trace Viewer already open`);
+
+    if (params.openInBrowser) {
+      await openTraceInBrowser(params.traceViewerURL);
+    } else {
+      this._traceViewerPagePromise = openTraceViewerApp(params.traceViewerURL, 'chromium', {
+        headless: isUnderTest() && process.env.PWTEST_HEADED_FOR_TEST !== '1',
+        persistentContextOptions: {
+          handleSIGINT: false,
+        },
+      });
+      const page = await this._traceViewerPagePromise;
+      page.on('close', () => {
+        this._traceViewerPagePromise = undefined;
+        this._dispatchEvent('traceViewerEvent', { method: 'didClose', params: {} });
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  async closeTraceViewer(): Promise<void> {
+    if (!this._traceViewerPagePromise)
+      return;
+    const page = await this._traceViewerPagePromise;
+    await page.close(serverSideCallMetadata());
+    this._traceViewerPagePromise = undefined;
+  }
+
+  async dispatchTraceViewerEvent(params: { method: string; params: any; }): Promise<void> {
+    if (params.method === 'loadTraceRequested')
+      this._dispatchEvent('loadTraceRequested', params.params);
+    else
+      this._dispatchEvent('traceViewerEvent', params);
+  }
+
   async closeGracefully() {
     gracefullyProcessExitDoNotHang(0);
   }