diff --git a/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go b/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go
index fc7572e4..9ff316cb 100644
--- a/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go
+++ b/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go
@@ -317,6 +317,13 @@ func traceCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			return 1
 		}
 
+		if Headless {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: headless mode not supported with trace\n")
+		}
+		if AcceptMulti {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: accept multiclient mode not supported with trace")
+		}
+
 		debugname, err := filepath.Abs(cmd.Flag("output").Value.String())
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v\n", err)
@@ -343,12 +350,9 @@ func traceCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 			processArgs = append([]string{debugname}, targetArgs...)
 		}
-		// Make a TCP listener
-		listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", Addr)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Printf("couldn't start listener: %s\n", err)
-			return 1
-		}
+
+		// Make a local in-memory connection that client and server use to communicate
+		listener, clientConn := service.ListenerPipe()
 		defer listener.Close()
 
 		// Create and start a debug server
@@ -364,7 +368,7 @@ func traceCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 			return 1
 		}
-		client := rpc2.NewClient(listener.Addr().String())
+		client := rpc2.NewClientFromConn(clientConn)
 		funcs, err := client.ListFunctions(regexp)
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
@@ -430,7 +434,7 @@ func connectCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "An empty address was provided. You must provide an address as the first argument.\n")
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-	os.Exit(connect(addr, conf, executingOther))
+	os.Exit(connect(addr, nil, conf, executingOther))
 }
 
 func splitArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) ([]string, []string) {
@@ -440,9 +444,14 @@ func splitArgs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) ([]string, []string) {
 	return args, []string{}
 }
 
-func connect(addr string, conf *config.Config, kind executeKind) int {
+func connect(addr string, clientConn net.Conn, conf *config.Config, kind executeKind) int {
 	// Create and start a terminal - attach to running instance
-	client := rpc2.NewClient(addr)
+	var client *rpc2.RPCClient
+	if clientConn != nil {
+		client = rpc2.NewClientFromConn(clientConn)
+	} else {
+		client = rpc2.NewClient(addr)
+	}
 	if client.Recorded() && (kind == executingGeneratedFile || kind == executingGeneratedTest) {
 		// When using the rr backend remove the trace directory if we built the
 		// executable
@@ -474,14 +483,6 @@ func execute(attachPid int, processArgs []string, conf *config.Config, coreFile
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	// Make a TCP listener
-	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", Addr)
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("couldn't start listener: %s\n", err)
-		return 1
-	}
-	defer listener.Close()
-
 	if Headless && (InitFile != "") {
 		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "Warning: init file ignored\n")
 	}
@@ -493,6 +494,22 @@ func execute(attachPid int, processArgs []string, conf *config.Config, coreFile
 		AcceptMulti = false
 	}
 
+	var listener net.Listener
+	var clientConn net.Conn
+	var err error
+
+	// Make a TCP listener
+	if Headless {
+		listener, err = net.Listen("tcp", Addr)
+	} else {
+		listener, clientConn = service.ListenerPipe()
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Printf("couldn't start listener: %s\n", err)
+		return 1
+	}
+	defer listener.Close()
+
 	var server interface {
 		Run() error
 		Stop() error
@@ -554,7 +571,7 @@ func execute(attachPid int, processArgs []string, conf *config.Config, coreFile
 		return status
 	}
 
-	return connect(listener.Addr().String(), conf, kind)
+	return connect(listener.Addr().String(), clientConn, conf, kind)
 }
 
 func optflags(args []string) []string {
diff --git a/service/listenerpipe.go b/service/listenerpipe.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..952d492e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/service/listenerpipe.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package service
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+// ListenerPipe returns a full-duplex in-memory connection, like net.Pipe.
+// Unlike net.Pipe one end of the connection is returned as an object
+// satisfying the net.Listener interface.
+// The first call to the Accept method of this object will return a net.Conn
+// connected to the other net.Conn returned by ListenerPipe.
+// Any subsequent calls to Accept will block until the listener is closed.
+func ListenerPipe() (net.Listener, net.Conn) {
+	conn0, conn1 := net.Pipe()
+	return &preconnectedListener{conn: conn0, closech: make(chan struct{})}, conn1
+}
+
+// preconnectedListener satisfies the net.Listener interface by accepting a
+// single pre-established connection.
+// The first call to Accept will return the conn field, any subsequent call
+// will block until the listener is closed.
+type preconnectedListener struct {
+	accepted bool
+	conn     net.Conn
+	closech  chan struct{}
+	closeMu  sync.Mutex
+	acceptMu sync.Mutex
+}
+
+// Accept returns the pre-established connection the first time it's called,
+// it blocks until the listener is closed on every subsequent call.
+func (l *preconnectedListener) Accept() (net.Conn, error) {
+	l.acceptMu.Lock()
+	defer l.acceptMu.Unlock()
+	if !l.accepted {
+		l.accepted = true
+		return l.conn, nil
+	}
+	<-l.closech
+	return nil, errors.New("accept failed: listener closed")
+}
+
+// Close closes the listener.
+func (l *preconnectedListener) Close() error {
+	l.closeMu.Lock()
+	defer l.closeMu.Unlock()
+	if l.closech == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	close(l.closech)
+	l.closech = nil
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Addr returns the listener's network address.
+func (l *preconnectedListener) Addr() net.Addr {
+	return l.conn.LocalAddr()
+}
diff --git a/service/rpc2/client.go b/service/rpc2/client.go
index 34415177..bb22cd2e 100644
--- a/service/rpc2/client.go
+++ b/service/rpc2/client.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package rpc2
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"net"
 	"net/rpc"
 	"net/rpc/jsonrpc"
 	"time"
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 
 // Client is a RPC service.Client.
 type RPCClient struct {
-	addr   string
 	client *rpc.Client
 
 	retValLoadCfg *api.LoadConfig
@@ -28,11 +28,20 @@ func NewClient(addr string) *RPCClient {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal("dialing:", err)
 	}
-	c := &RPCClient{addr: addr, client: client}
+	return newFromRPCClient(client)
+}
+
+func newFromRPCClient(client *rpc.Client) *RPCClient {
+	c := &RPCClient{client: client}
 	c.call("SetApiVersion", api.SetAPIVersionIn{2}, &api.SetAPIVersionOut{})
 	return c
 }
 
+// NewClientFromConn creates a new RPCClient from the given connection.
+func NewClientFromConn(conn net.Conn) *RPCClient {
+	return newFromRPCClient(jsonrpc.NewClient(conn))
+}
+
 func (c *RPCClient) ProcessPid() int {
 	out := new(ProcessPidOut)
 	c.call("ProcessPid", ProcessPidIn{}, out)
diff --git a/service/test/integration2_test.go b/service/test/integration2_test.go
index 17fc21be..4c49da79 100644
--- a/service/test/integration2_test.go
+++ b/service/test/integration2_test.go
@@ -41,11 +41,7 @@ func withTestClient2(name string, t *testing.T, fn func(c service.Client)) {
 	if testBackend == "rr" {
 		protest.MustHaveRecordingAllowed(t)
 	}
-	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", "localhost:0")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("couldn't start listener: %s\n", err)
-	}
-	defer listener.Close()
+	listener, clientConn := service.ListenerPipe()
 	server := rpccommon.NewServer(&service.Config{
 		Listener:    listener,
 		ProcessArgs: []string{protest.BuildFixture(name, 0).Path},
@@ -54,7 +50,7 @@ func withTestClient2(name string, t *testing.T, fn func(c service.Client)) {
 	if err := server.Run(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	client := rpc2.NewClient(listener.Addr().String())
+	client := rpc2.NewClientFromConn(clientConn)
 	defer func() {
 		dir, _ := client.TraceDirectory()
 		client.Detach(true)