diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/browserServerImpl.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/browserServerImpl.ts
index e3dcda6687..76a1807342 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/browserServerImpl.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/browserServerImpl.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { BrowserServerLauncher, BrowserServer } from './client/browserType';
 import { envObjectToArray } from './client/clientHelper';
 import { createGuid } from './utils/utils';
 import { ProtocolLogger } from './server/types';
-import { internalCallMetadata } from './server/instrumentation';
+import { serverSideCallMetadata } from './server/instrumentation';
 import { createPlaywright } from './server/playwright';
 import { PlaywrightServer } from './remote/playwrightServer';
 import { helper } from './server/helper';
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export class BrowserServerLauncherImpl implements BrowserServerLauncher {
   async launchServer(options: LaunchServerOptions = {}): Promise<BrowserServer> {
     const playwright = createPlaywright('javascript');
     // 1. Pre-launch the browser
-    const metadata = internalCallMetadata();
+    const metadata = serverSideCallMetadata();
     const browser = await playwright[this._browserName].launch(metadata, {
       ...options,
       ignoreDefaultArgs: Array.isArray(options.ignoreDefaultArgs) ? options.ignoreDefaultArgs : undefined,
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/dispatchers/browserDispatcher.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/dispatchers/browserDispatcher.ts
index e2a5f02112..d145747bc2 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/dispatchers/browserDispatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/dispatchers/browserDispatcher.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { CDPSessionDispatcher } from './cdpSessionDispatcher';
 import { Dispatcher, DispatcherScope } from './dispatcher';
 import { CRBrowser } from '../server/chromium/crBrowser';
 import { PageDispatcher } from './pageDispatcher';
-import { CallMetadata, internalCallMetadata } from '../server/instrumentation';
+import { CallMetadata, serverSideCallMetadata } from '../server/instrumentation';
 import { BrowserContext } from '../server/browserContext';
 import { Selectors } from '../server/selectors';
 
@@ -131,6 +131,6 @@ export class ConnectedBrowserDispatcher extends Dispatcher<Browser, channels.Bro
   }
 
   async cleanupContexts() {
-    await Promise.all(Array.from(this._contexts).map(context => context.close(internalCallMetadata())));
+    await Promise.all(Array.from(this._contexts).map(context => context.close(serverSideCallMetadata())));
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/protocol/callMetadata.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/protocol/callMetadata.ts
index b1f9fbf877..d8890d6fa6 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/protocol/callMetadata.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/protocol/callMetadata.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,12 @@ export type CallMetadata = {
   method: string;
   params: any;
   apiName?: string;
+  // Client is making an internal call that should not show up in
+  // the inspector or trace.
   internal?: boolean;
+  // Service-side is making a call to itself, this metadata does not go
+  // through the dispatcher, so is always excluded from inspector / tracing.
+  isServerSide?: boolean;
   stack?: StackFrame[];
   log: string[];
   afterSnapshot?: string;
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts
index cfb763625c..35aadf3099 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/remote/playwrightServer.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import debug from 'debug';
 import * as http from 'http';
 import WebSocket from 'ws';
 import { DispatcherConnection, DispatcherScope, Root } from '../dispatchers/dispatcher';
-import { internalCallMetadata } from '../server/instrumentation';
+import { serverSideCallMetadata } from '../server/instrumentation';
 import { createPlaywright, Playwright } from '../server/playwright';
 import { Browser } from '../server/browser';
 import { gracefullyCloseAll } from '../utils/processLauncher';
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ class Connection {
 
     const playwright = createPlaywright('javascript');
     const socksProxy = enableSocksProxy ? await this._enableSocksProxy(playwright) : undefined;
-    const browser = await playwright[executable.browserName].launch(internalCallMetadata(), {
+    const browser = await playwright[executable.browserName].launch(serverSideCallMetadata(), {
       channel: executable.type === 'browser' ? undefined : executable.name,
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/android/android.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/android/android.ts
index fefd9f2ece..1faf9529ff 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/android/android.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/android/android.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import { RecentLogsCollector } from '../../utils/debugLogger';
 import { gracefullyCloseSet } from '../../utils/processLauncher';
 import { TimeoutSettings } from '../../utils/timeoutSettings';
 import { AndroidWebView } from '../../protocol/channels';
-import { SdkObject, internalCallMetadata } from '../instrumentation';
+import { SdkObject, serverSideCallMetadata } from '../instrumentation';
 
 const ARTIFACTS_FOLDER = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'playwright-artifacts-');
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ export class AndroidDevice extends SdkObject {
     validateBrowserContextOptions(options, browserOptions);
 
     const browser = await CRBrowser.connect(androidBrowser, browserOptions);
-    const controller = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), this);
+    const controller = new ProgressController(serverSideCallMetadata(), this);
     const defaultContext = browser._defaultContext!;
     await controller.run(async progress => {
       await defaultContext._loadDefaultContextAsIs(progress);
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browser.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browser.ts
index 7c07e31700..6e79480b11 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browser.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browser.ts
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ export abstract class Browser extends SdkObject {
   _videoStarted(context: BrowserContext, videoId: string, path: string, pageOrError: Promise<Page | Error>) {
     const artifact = new Artifact(context, path);
     this._idToVideo.set(videoId, { context, artifact });
-    context.emit(BrowserContext.Events.VideoStarted, artifact);
     pageOrError.then(page => {
       if (page instanceof Page) {
         page._video = artifact;
+        page.emitOnContext(BrowserContext.Events.VideoStarted, artifact);
         page.emit(Page.Events.Video, artifact);
       }
     });
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserContext.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserContext.ts
index bcf3af9279..f15053fc32 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserContext.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/browserContext.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { Progress } from './progress';
 import { Selectors } from './selectors';
 import * as types from './types';
 import path from 'path';
-import { CallMetadata, internalCallMetadata, SdkObject } from './instrumentation';
+import { CallMetadata, serverSideCallMetadata, SdkObject } from './instrumentation';
 import { Debugger } from './supplements/debugger';
 import { Tracing } from './trace/recorder/tracing';
 import { HarRecorder } from './supplements/har/harRecorder';
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserContext extends SdkObject {
   }
 
   async _initialize() {
-    if (this.attribution.isInternal)
+    if (this.attribution.isInternalPlaywright)
       return;
     // Debugger will pause execution upon page.pause in headed mode.
     const contextDebugger = new Debugger(this);
@@ -326,6 +326,8 @@ export abstract class BrowserContext extends SdkObject {
 
   async newPage(metadata: CallMetadata): Promise<Page> {
     const pageDelegate = await this.newPageDelegate();
+    if (metadata.isServerSide)
+      pageDelegate.potentiallyUninitializedPage().markAsServerSideOnly();
     const pageOrError = await pageDelegate.pageOrError();
     if (pageOrError instanceof Page) {
       if (pageOrError.isClosed())
@@ -345,7 +347,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserContext extends SdkObject {
       origins: []
     };
     if (this._origins.size)  {
-      const internalMetadata = internalCallMetadata();
+      const internalMetadata = serverSideCallMetadata();
       const page = await this.newPage(internalMetadata);
       await page._setServerRequestInterceptor(handler => {
         handler.fulfill({ body: '<html></html>' }).catch(() => {});
@@ -370,7 +372,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserContext extends SdkObject {
     if (state.cookies)
       await this.addCookies(state.cookies);
     if (state.origins && state.origins.length)  {
-      const internalMetadata = internalCallMetadata();
+      const internalMetadata = serverSideCallMetadata();
       const page = await this.newPage(internalMetadata);
       await page._setServerRequestInterceptor(handler => {
         handler.fulfill({ body: '<html></html>' }).catch(() => {});
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crBrowser.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crBrowser.ts
index bc6e30ec21..b7fb59819f 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crBrowser.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crBrowser.ts
@@ -174,14 +174,14 @@ export class CRBrowser extends Browser {
     assert(!this._serviceWorkers.has(targetInfo.targetId), 'Duplicate target ' + targetInfo.targetId);
 
     if (targetInfo.type === 'background_page') {
-      const backgroundPage = new CRPage(session, targetInfo.targetId, context, null, false, true);
+      const backgroundPage = new CRPage(session, targetInfo.targetId, context, null, { hasUIWindow: false, isBackgroundPage: true });
       this._backgroundPages.set(targetInfo.targetId, backgroundPage);
       return;
     }
 
     if (targetInfo.type === 'page') {
       const opener = targetInfo.openerId ? this._crPages.get(targetInfo.openerId) || null : null;
-      const crPage = new CRPage(session, targetInfo.targetId, context, opener, true, false);
+      const crPage = new CRPage(session, targetInfo.targetId, context, opener, { hasUIWindow: true, isBackgroundPage: false });
       this._crPages.set(targetInfo.targetId, crPage);
       return;
     }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts
index 301ad2b847..a5457ad49f 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ export class CRPage implements PageDelegate {
     return crPage._mainFrameSession;
   }
 
-  constructor(client: CRSession, targetId: string, browserContext: CRBrowserContext, opener: CRPage | null, hasUIWindow: boolean, isBackgroundPage: boolean) {
+  constructor(client: CRSession, targetId: string, browserContext: CRBrowserContext, opener: CRPage | null, bits: { hasUIWindow: boolean, isBackgroundPage: boolean }) {
     this._targetId = targetId;
     this._opener = opener;
-    this._isBackgroundPage = isBackgroundPage;
+    this._isBackgroundPage = bits.isBackgroundPage;
     const dragManager = new DragManager(this);
     this.rawKeyboard = new RawKeyboardImpl(client, browserContext._browser._platform() === 'mac', dragManager);
     this.rawMouse = new RawMouseImpl(this, client, dragManager);
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export class CRPage implements PageDelegate {
     }
     // Note: it is important to call |reportAsNew| before resolving pageOrError promise,
     // so that anyone who awaits pageOrError got a ready and reported page.
-    this._pagePromise = this._mainFrameSession._initialize(hasUIWindow).then(async r => {
+    this._pagePromise = this._mainFrameSession._initialize(bits.hasUIWindow).then(async r => {
       await this._page.initOpener(this._opener);
       return r;
     }).catch(async e => {
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ export class CRPage implements PageDelegate {
     });
   }
 
+  potentiallyUninitializedPage(): Page {
+    return this._page;
+  }
+
   private _reportAsNew(error?: Error) {
     if (this._isBackgroundPage) {
       if (!error)
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/videoRecorder.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/videoRecorder.ts
index 644af4fe18..b320d0fda3 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/videoRecorder.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/videoRecorder.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { assert, monotonicTime } from '../../utils/utils';
 import { Page } from '../page';
 import { launchProcess } from '../../utils/processLauncher';
 import { Progress, ProgressController } from '../progress';
-import { internalCallMetadata } from '../instrumentation';
+import { serverSideCallMetadata } from '../instrumentation';
 import * as types from '../types';
 
 const fps = 25;
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export class VideoRecorder {
     if (!options.outputFile.endsWith('.webm'))
       throw new Error('File must have .webm extension');
 
-    const controller = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), page);
+    const controller = new ProgressController(serverSideCallMetadata(), page);
     controller.setLogName('browser');
     return await controller.run(async progress => {
       const recorder = new VideoRecorder(page, ffmpegPath, progress);
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/electron/electron.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/electron/electron.ts
index 356fe2c656..6b6b02de06 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/electron/electron.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/electron/electron.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import { BrowserOptions, BrowserProcess, PlaywrightOptions } from '../browser';
 import * as childProcess from 'child_process';
 import * as readline from 'readline';
 import { RecentLogsCollector } from '../../utils/debugLogger';
-import { internalCallMetadata, SdkObject } from '../instrumentation';
+import { serverSideCallMetadata, SdkObject } from '../instrumentation';
 import * as channels from '../../protocol/channels';
 import { BrowserContextOptions } from '../types';
 
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ export class ElectronApplication extends SdkObject {
   }
 
   async close() {
-    const progressController = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), this);
+    const progressController = new ProgressController(serverSideCallMetadata(), this);
     const closed = progressController.run(progress => helper.waitForEvent(progress, this, ElectronApplication.Events.Close).promise);
-    await this._browserContext.close(internalCallMetadata());
+    await this._browserContext.close(serverSideCallMetadata());
     this._nodeConnection.close();
     await closed;
   }
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export class Electron extends SdkObject {
     const {
       args = [],
     } = options;
-    const controller = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), this);
+    const controller = new ProgressController(serverSideCallMetadata(), this);
     controller.setLogName('browser');
     return controller.run(async progress => {
       let app: ElectronApplication | undefined = undefined;
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/firefox/ffPage.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/firefox/ffPage.ts
index 6eba2ebc64..3e37cc5ea9 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/firefox/ffPage.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/firefox/ffPage.ts
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ export class FFPage implements PageDelegate {
     this.evaluateOnNewDocument('', UTILITY_WORLD_NAME).catch(e => this._markAsError(e));
   }
 
+  potentiallyUninitializedPage(): Page {
+    return this._page;
+  }
+
   async _markAsError(error: Error) {
     // Same error may be report twice: channer disconnected and session.send fails.
     if (this._initializationFailed)
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts
index cf0243329b..637f402f5e 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/frames.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import { Progress, ProgressController } from './progress';
 import { assert, constructURLBasedOnBaseURL, makeWaitForNextTask } from '../utils/utils';
 import { ManualPromise } from '../utils/async';
 import { debugLogger } from '../utils/debugLogger';
-import { CallMetadata, internalCallMetadata, SdkObject } from './instrumentation';
+import { CallMetadata, serverSideCallMetadata, SdkObject } from './instrumentation';
 import type InjectedScript from './injected/injectedScript';
 import type { ElementStateWithoutStable, FrameExpectParams, InjectedScriptPoll, InjectedScriptProgress } from './injected/injectedScript';
 import { isSessionClosedError } from './protocolError';
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ export class FrameManager {
         route.continue(request, {});
       return;
     }
-    this._page._browserContext.emit(BrowserContext.Events.Request, request);
+    this._page.emitOnContext(BrowserContext.Events.Request, request);
     if (route)
       this._page._requestStarted(request, route);
   }
@@ -285,14 +285,14 @@ export class FrameManager {
   requestReceivedResponse(response: network.Response) {
     if (response.request()._isFavicon)
       return;
-    this._page._browserContext.emit(BrowserContext.Events.Response, response);
+    this._page.emitOnContext(BrowserContext.Events.Response, response);
   }
 
   reportRequestFinished(request: network.Request, response: network.Response | null) {
     this._inflightRequestFinished(request);
     if (request._isFavicon)
       return;
-    this._page._browserContext.emit(BrowserContext.Events.RequestFinished, { request, response });
+    this._page.emitOnContext(BrowserContext.Events.RequestFinished, { request, response });
   }
 
   requestFailed(request: network.Request, canceled: boolean) {
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ export class FrameManager {
     }
     if (request._isFavicon)
       return;
-    this._page._browserContext.emit(BrowserContext.Events.RequestFailed, request);
+    this._page.emitOnContext(BrowserContext.Events.RequestFailed, request);
   }
 
   dialogDidOpen(dialog: Dialog) {
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@ export class Frame extends SdkObject {
         return result;
       return JSON.stringify(result);
     }`;
-    const handle = await this._waitForFunctionExpression(internalCallMetadata(), expression, true, undefined, { timeout: progress.timeUntilDeadline() }, 'utility');
+    const handle = await this._waitForFunctionExpression(serverSideCallMetadata(), expression, true, undefined, { timeout: progress.timeUntilDeadline() }, 'utility');
     return JSON.parse(handle.rawValue()) as R;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts
index 4a31d10007..478f4b2cff 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/instrumentation.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import type { Frame } from './frames';
 import type { Page } from './page';
 
 export type Attribution = {
-  isInternal: boolean,
+  isInternalPlaywright: boolean,
   browserType?: BrowserType;
   browser?: Browser;
   context?: BrowserContext | APIRequestContext;
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ export function createInstrumentation(): Instrumentation {
   });
 }
 
-export function internalCallMetadata(): CallMetadata {
+export function serverSideCallMetadata(): CallMetadata {
   return {
     id: '',
     wallTime: 0,
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export function internalCallMetadata(): CallMetadata {
     method: '',
     params: {},
     log: [],
-    snapshots: []
+    snapshots: [],
+    isServerSide: true,
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/page.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/page.ts
index 51be7ca751..df2bb31823 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/page.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/page.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export interface PageDelegate {
   exposeBinding(binding: PageBinding): Promise<void>;
   evaluateOnNewDocument(source: string): Promise<void>;
   closePage(runBeforeUnload: boolean): Promise<void>;
+  potentiallyUninitializedPage(): Page;
   pageOrError(): Promise<Page | Error>;
 
   navigateFrame(frame: frames.Frame, url: string, referrer: string | undefined): Promise<frames.GotoResult>;
@@ -158,6 +159,7 @@ export class Page extends SdkObject {
   _video: Artifact | null = null;
   _opener: Page | undefined;
   private _frameThrottler = new FrameThrottler(10, 200);
+  private _isServerSideOnly = false;
 
   constructor(delegate: PageDelegate, browserContext: BrowserContext) {
     super(browserContext, 'page');
@@ -203,8 +205,8 @@ export class Page extends SdkObject {
       this._setIsError(error);
     }
     this._initialized = true;
-    this._browserContext.emit(BrowserContext.Events.Page, this);
-    // I may happen that page iniatialization finishes after Close event has already been sent,
+    this.emitOnContext(BrowserContext.Events.Page, this);
+    // I may happen that page initialization finishes after Close event has already been sent,
     // in that case we fire another Close event to ensure that each reported Page will have
     // corresponding Close event after it is reported on the context.
     if (this.isClosed())
@@ -215,6 +217,12 @@ export class Page extends SdkObject {
     return this._initialized ? this : undefined;
   }
 
+  emitOnContext(event: string | symbol, ...args: any[]) {
+    if (this._isServerSideOnly)
+      return;
+    this._browserContext.emit(event, ...args);
+  }
+
   async _doSlowMo() {
     const slowMo = this._browserContext._browser.options.slowMo;
     if (!slowMo)
@@ -611,6 +619,10 @@ export class Page extends SdkObject {
   async hideHighlight() {
     await Promise.all(this.frames().map(frame => frame.hideHighlight().catch(() => {})));
   }
+
+  markAsServerSideOnly() {
+    this._isServerSideOnly = true;
+  }
 }
 
 export class Worker extends SdkObject {
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/playwright.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/playwright.ts
index 8240459fe8..f84c2962bc 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/playwright.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/playwright.ts
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ export class Playwright extends SdkObject {
   readonly options: PlaywrightOptions;
   private _allPages = new Set<Page>();
 
-  constructor(sdkLanguage: string, isInternal: boolean) {
-    super({ attribution: { isInternal }, instrumentation: createInstrumentation() } as any, undefined, 'Playwright');
+  constructor(sdkLanguage: string, isInternalPlaywright: boolean) {
+    super({ attribution: { isInternalPlaywright }, instrumentation: createInstrumentation() } as any, undefined, 'Playwright');
     this.instrumentation.addListener({
       onPageOpen: page => this._allPages.add(page),
       onPageClose: page => this._allPages.delete(page),
@@ -63,6 +63,6 @@ export class Playwright extends SdkObject {
   }
 }
 
-export function createPlaywright(sdkLanguage: string, isInternal: boolean = false) {
-  return new Playwright(sdkLanguage, isInternal);
+export function createPlaywright(sdkLanguage: string, isInternalPlaywright: boolean = false) {
+  return new Playwright(sdkLanguage, isInternalPlaywright);
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
index af3429b04d..1d7c470904 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/supplements/recorder/recorderApp.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import path from 'path';
 import { Page } from '../../page';
 import { ProgressController } from '../../progress';
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
-import { internalCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
+import { serverSideCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
 import type { CallLog, EventData, Mode, Source } from './recorderTypes';
 import { isUnderTest } from '../../../utils/utils';
 import * as mime from 'mime';
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter implements IRecorderApp {
   }
 
   async close() {
-    await this._page.context().close(internalCallMetadata());
+    await this._page.context().close(serverSideCallMetadata());
   }
 
   private async _init() {
@@ -89,11 +89,11 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter implements IRecorderApp {
 
     this._page.once('close', () => {
       this.emit('close');
-      this._page.context().close(internalCallMetadata()).catch(() => {});
+      this._page.context().close(serverSideCallMetadata()).catch(() => {});
     });
 
     const mainFrame = this._page.mainFrame();
-    await mainFrame.goto(internalCallMetadata(), 'https://playwright/index.html');
+    await mainFrame.goto(serverSideCallMetadata(), 'https://playwright/index.html');
   }
 
   static async open(sdkLanguage: string, headed: boolean): Promise<IRecorderApp> {
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter implements IRecorderApp {
     ];
     if (process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT)
       args.push(`--remote-debugging-port=${process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT}`);
-    const context = await recorderPlaywright.chromium.launchPersistentContext(internalCallMetadata(), '', {
+    const context = await recorderPlaywright.chromium.launchPersistentContext(serverSideCallMetadata(), '', {
       channel: findChromiumChannel(sdkLanguage),
       args,
       noDefaultViewport: true,
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export class RecorderApp extends EventEmitter implements IRecorderApp {
       headless: !!process.env.PWTEST_CLI_HEADLESS || (isUnderTest() && !headed),
       useWebSocket: !!process.env.PWTEST_RECORDER_PORT
     });
-    const controller = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), context._browser);
+    const controller = new ProgressController(serverSideCallMetadata(), context._browser);
     await controller.run(async progress => {
       await context._browser._defaultContext!._loadDefaultContextAsIs(progress);
     });
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
index ab71bbbfcf..57e9ea4af6 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/trace/viewer/traceViewer.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import { findChromiumChannel } from '../../../utils/registry';
 import { isUnderTest } from '../../../utils/utils';
 import { BrowserContext } from '../../browserContext';
 import { installAppIcon } from '../../chromium/crApp';
-import { internalCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
+import { serverSideCallMetadata } from '../../instrumentation';
 import { createPlaywright } from '../../playwright';
 import { ProgressController } from '../../progress';
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export async function showTraceViewer(traceUrls: string[], browserName: string,
   if (isUnderTest())
     args.push(`--remote-debugging-port=0`);
 
-  const context = await traceViewerPlaywright[traceViewerBrowser as 'chromium'].launchPersistentContext(internalCallMetadata(), '', {
+  const context = await traceViewerPlaywright[traceViewerBrowser as 'chromium'].launchPersistentContext(serverSideCallMetadata(), '', {
     // TODO: store language in the trace.
     channel: findChromiumChannel(traceViewerPlaywright.options.sdkLanguage),
     args,
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export async function showTraceViewer(traceUrls: string[], browserName: string,
     useWebSocket: isUnderTest()
   });
 
-  const controller = new ProgressController(internalCallMetadata(), context._browser);
+  const controller = new ProgressController(serverSideCallMetadata(), context._browser);
   await controller.run(async progress => {
     await context._browser._defaultContext!._loadDefaultContextAsIs(progress);
   });
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ export async function showTraceViewer(traceUrls: string[], browserName: string,
     await installAppIcon(page);
 
   if (isUnderTest())
-    page.on('close', () => context.close(internalCallMetadata()).catch(() => {}));
+    page.on('close', () => context.close(serverSideCallMetadata()).catch(() => {}));
   else
     page.on('close', () => process.exit());
 
   const searchQuery = traceUrls.length ? '?' + traceUrls.map(t => `trace=${t}`).join('&') : '';
-  await page.mainFrame().goto(internalCallMetadata(), urlPrefix + `/trace/index.html${searchQuery}`);
+  await page.mainFrame().goto(serverSideCallMetadata(), urlPrefix + `/trace/index.html${searchQuery}`);
   return context;
 }
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/webkit/wkPage.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/webkit/wkPage.ts
index ca2888baa3..9d21c6dcb4 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/webkit/wkPage.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/webkit/wkPage.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@ export class WKPage implements PageDelegate {
     }
   }
 
+  potentiallyUninitializedPage(): Page {
+    return this._page;
+  }
+
   private async _initializePageProxySession() {
     const promises: Promise<any>[] = [
       this._pageProxySession.send('Dialog.enable'),
diff --git a/tests/browsercontext-storage-state.spec.ts b/tests/browsercontext-storage-state.spec.ts
index 99fe00894d..bf9ece7000 100644
--- a/tests/browsercontext-storage-state.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/browsercontext-storage-state.spec.ts
@@ -141,3 +141,24 @@ it('should capture cookies', async ({ server, context, page, contextFactory }) =
     'empty=',
   ]);
 });
+
+it('should not emit events about internal page', async ({ contextFactory }) => {
+  const context = await contextFactory();
+  const page = await context.newPage();
+  await page.route('**/*', route => {
+    route.fulfill({ body: '<html></html>' });
+  });
+  await page.goto('https://www.example.com');
+  await page.evaluate(() => localStorage['name1'] = 'value1');
+  await page.goto('https://www.domain.com');
+  await page.evaluate(() => localStorage['name2'] = 'value2');
+
+  const events = [];
+  context.on('page', e => events.push(e));
+  context.on('request', e => events.push(e));
+  context.on('requestfailed', e => events.push(e));
+  context.on('requestfinished', e => events.push(e));
+  context.on('response', e => events.push(e));
+  await context.storageState();
+  expect(events).toHaveLength(0);
+});