diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
index c16ad5d151..32cbba0982 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
@@ -125,12 +125,13 @@ export async function installRootRedirect(server: HttpServer, traceUrls: string[
   for (const reporter of options.reporter || [])
     params.append('reporter', reporter);
 
-  let baseUrl = './trace/';
+  let baseUrl = '';
   if (process.env.PW_HMR === '1') {
     params.set('testServerPort', '' + server.port());
-    baseUrl = 'http://localhost:44223/'; // port is hardcoded in build.js
+    baseUrl = 'http://localhost:44223'; // port is hardcoded in build.js
   }
-  const urlPath  = `${baseUrl}${options.webApp || 'index.html'}?${params.toString()}`;
+
+  const urlPath  = `${baseUrl}/trace/${options.webApp || 'index.html'}?${params.toString()}`;
 
   server.routePath('/', (_, response) => {
     response.statusCode = 302;
diff --git a/utils/build/build.js b/utils/build/build.js
index b9b9d0a70e..53a3267302 100644
--- a/utils/build/build.js
+++ b/utils/build/build.js
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ steps.push({
 if (watchMode) {
   steps.push({
     command: 'npx',
-    args: ['vite', '--port', '44223'],
+    args: ['vite', '--port', '44223', '--base', '/trace/'],
     shell: true,
     cwd: path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'packages', 'trace-viewer'),
     concurrent: true,