diff --git a/bin/named/controlconf.c b/bin/named/controlconf.c
index eff48e0af7..9044d4dce4 100644
--- a/bin/named/controlconf.c
+++ b/bin/named/controlconf.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 #include <named/main.h>
 #include <named/server.h>
 
-#undef NAMED_CONTROLCONF_TRACE
+/* Add -DNAMED_CONTROLCONF_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 typedef struct controlkey controlkey_t;
 typedef ISC_LIST(controlkey_t) controlkeylist_t;
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h
index e1b94ed369..15977b1638 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/adb.h
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@
  *** Imports
  ***/
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_ADB_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_ADB_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/catz.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/catz.h
index 2d7f3e44fc..826e8df093 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/catz.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/catz.h
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-/*
- * Define this for reference count tracing in the unit
- */
-#undef DNS_CATZ_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_CATZ_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
index 373fa30384..b3657be2e8 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/db.h
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@
 ***** Imports
 *****/
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_DB_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_DB_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/dispatch.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/dispatch.h
index 0e302f288e..80ef3c9d77 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/dispatch.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/dispatch.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 
 #include <dns/types.h>
 
-#undef DNS_DISPATCH_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_DISPATCH_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/forward.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/forward.h
index 8ce9f6abc7..e300a9555c 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/forward.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/forward.h
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 #include <dns/qp.h>
 #include <dns/types.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_FORWARD_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_FORWARD_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h
index ea35307da4..acf06a9218 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/message.h
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <dst/dst.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_MESSAGE_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_MESSAGE_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 /*! \file dns/message.h
  * \brief Message Handling Module
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/nametree.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/nametree.h
index 228a62b9c5..9fec23041b 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/nametree.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/nametree.h
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <dst/dst.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_NAMETREE_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_NAMETREE_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 typedef enum {
 	DNS_NAMETREE_BOOL,
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/nta.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/nta.h
index 308f3f5b68..777a0fd3a4 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/nta.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/nta.h
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@
 #include <dns/types.h>
 #include <dns/view.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_NTA_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_NTA_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/request.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/request.h
index 5e112cb437..ccbc9e2b20 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/request.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/request.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
 #include <dns/types.h>
 
-#undef DNS_REQUEST_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_REQUEST_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 #define DNS_REQUESTOPT_TCP     0x00000001U
 #define DNS_REQUESTOPT_CASE    0x00000002U
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/resolver.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/resolver.h
index 01725a13ec..66ab0888ec 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/resolver.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/resolver.h
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 #include <dns/fixedname.h>
 #include <dns/types.h>
 
-#undef DNS_RESOLVER_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_RESOLVER_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/rpz.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/rpz.h
index 79d0e228a8..eaf6fe982f 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/rpz.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/rpz.h
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-/*
- * Define this for reference count tracing in the unit
- */
-#undef DNS_RPZ_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_RPZ_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/tsig.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/tsig.h
index c4bf46a622..edd0694df0 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/tsig.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/tsig.h
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@
 
 #include <dst/dst.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_TSIG_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_TSIG_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 /*
  * Algorithms.
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/xfrin.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/xfrin.h
index 40c38d961c..d44b440143 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/xfrin.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/xfrin.h
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@
 #include <dns/transport.h>
 #include <dns/types.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_XFRIN_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_XFRIN_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 /***
  *** Types
diff --git a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
index 2e3b10ebfa..de48246d1d 100644
--- a/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
+++ b/lib/dns/include/dns/zone.h
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@
 #include <dns/xfrin.h>
 #include <dns/zt.h>
 
-/* Define to 1 for detailed reference tracing */
-#undef DNS_ZONE_TRACE
+/* Add -DDNS_ZONE_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 typedef enum {
 	dns_zone_none,
diff --git a/lib/dns/resolver.c b/lib/dns/resolver.c
index 2c91606b16..c9847e3b09 100644
--- a/lib/dns/resolver.c
+++ b/lib/dns/resolver.c
@@ -74,11 +74,6 @@
 #include <dns/validator.h>
 #include <dns/zone.h>
 
-/* Detailed logging of fctx attach/detach */
-#ifndef FCTX_TRACE
-#undef FCTX_TRACE
-#endif
-
 #ifdef WANT_QUERYTRACE
 #define RTRACE(m)                                                             \
 	isc_log_write(dns_lctx, DNS_LOGCATEGORY_RESOLVER,                     \
diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/loop.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/loop.h
index ba049ae1e3..a434190cc4 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/loop.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/loop.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 typedef void (*isc_job_cb)(void *);
 
-#undef ISC_LOOP_TRACE
+/* Add -DISC_LOOP_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h
index 19250b5283..8bcbb1da7f 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/netmgr.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include <isc/tls.h>
 #include <isc/types.h>
 
-#undef ISC_NETMGR_TRACE
+/* Add -DISC_NETMGR_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 #if defined(SO_REUSEPORT_LB) || (defined(SO_REUSEPORT) && defined(__linux__))
 #define HAVE_SO_REUSEPORT_LB 1
diff --git a/lib/isc/include/isc/quota.h b/lib/isc/include/isc/quota.h
index 85654dd66f..571cd5b09b 100644
--- a/lib/isc/include/isc/quota.h
+++ b/lib/isc/include/isc/quota.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 ***** Types.
 *****/
 
-#undef ISC_QUOTA_TRACE
+/* Add -DISC_QUOTA_TRACE=1 to CFLAGS for detailed reference tracing */
 
 ISC_LANG_BEGINDECLS