diff --git a/common/utils/T/local_tracer.c b/common/utils/T/local_tracer.c
index 5d46d2d38d2954c3ed15cb4081ec56fe98ff8979..df6d350a8be862cd2827ea913c15bcb5b33e2c0b 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/local_tracer.c
+++ b/common/utils/T/local_tracer.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <inttypes.h>
+#include <signal.h>
 
 #include "T_defs.h"
 #include "T_IDs.h"
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ again:
 
 dead:
   /* socket died, let's stop all traces and wait for another tracer */
+  /* TODO: be careful with those write, they might write less than wanted */
   buf[0] = 1;
   if (write(to, buf, 1) != 1) abort();
   len = T_NUMBER_OF_IDS;
@@ -312,6 +314,9 @@ void T_local_tracer_main(int remote_port, int wait_for_tracer,
   int dont_wait = wait_for_tracer ? 0 : 1;
   void *f;
 
+  /* write on a socket fails if the other end is closed and we get SIGPIPE */
+  if (signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN) == SIG_ERR) abort();
+
   init_shm();
   s = local_socket;
 
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/enb.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/enb.c
index 9cb8d12699b5f3a0c2320ea58e95f2e3665594f5..d0a2f3810434c009cfdc3edce86e5c9affdfb089 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/enb.c
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/enb.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
+#include <signal.h>
 #include "database.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include "handler.h"
@@ -246,6 +247,9 @@ int main(int n, char **v)
   enb_gui eg;
   enb_data enb_data;
 
+  /* write on a socket fails if the other end is closed and we get SIGPIPE */
+  if (signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN) == SIG_ERR) abort();
+
   on_off_name = malloc(n * sizeof(char *)); if (on_off_name == NULL) abort();
   on_off_action = malloc(n * sizeof(int)); if (on_off_action == NULL) abort();
 
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c
index 2118cc1bf95732ef818a9eef31329c416e3b6d48..4b977a3eaa90772ad2161d56fb9271aa25e7dcb6 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/textlog.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
+#include <signal.h>
 #include "database.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include "handler.h"
@@ -93,6 +94,9 @@ int main(int n, char **v)
   int gui_active = 1;
   textlog_data textlog_data;
 
+  /* write on a socket fails if the other end is closed and we get SIGPIPE */
+  if (signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN) == SIG_ERR) abort();
+
   on_off_name = malloc(n * sizeof(char *)); if (on_off_name == NULL) abort();
   on_off_action = malloc(n * sizeof(int)); if (on_off_action == NULL) abort();
 
diff --git a/common/utils/T/tracer/vcd.c b/common/utils/T/tracer/vcd.c
index 2dc34aead9d77e4c8c5f2b4a5423350c7a9dcbc3..e2460282b0b8e733bdb0c5d787f276fb9873c266 100644
--- a/common/utils/T/tracer/vcd.c
+++ b/common/utils/T/tracer/vcd.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
+#include <signal.h>
 #include "database.h"
 #include "event.h"
 #include "handler.h"
@@ -129,6 +130,9 @@ int main(int n, char **v)
   gui *g;
   vcd_data vcd_data;
 
+  /* write on a socket fails if the other end is closed and we get SIGPIPE */
+  if (signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN) == SIG_ERR) abort();
+
   on_off_name = malloc(n * sizeof(char *)); if (on_off_name == NULL) abort();
   on_off_action = malloc(n * sizeof(int)); if (on_off_action == NULL) abort();