diff --git a/src/arch/sparc/SConscript b/src/arch/sparc/SConscript
index 6a4c08a8e..148277358 100644
--- a/src/arch/sparc/SConscript
+++ b/src/arch/sparc/SConscript
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ if env['TARGET_ISA'] == 'sparc':
     Source('utility.cc')
 
     SimObject('SparcTLB.py')
-    TraceFlag('Sparc')
+    TraceFlag('Sparc', "Generic SPARC ISA stuff")
 
     if env['FULL_SYSTEM']:
         SimObject('SparcSystem.py')
diff --git a/src/arch/x86/SConscript b/src/arch/x86/SConscript
index 37719e75d..a57e388ea 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/SConscript
+++ b/src/arch/x86/SConscript
@@ -106,11 +106,11 @@ if env['TARGET_ISA'] == 'x86':
     Source('utility.cc')
 
     SimObject('X86TLB.py')
-    TraceFlag('Predecoder')
-    TraceFlag('X86')
+    TraceFlag('Predecoder', "Predecoder debug output")
+    TraceFlag('X86', "Generic X86 ISA debugging")
 
     if env['FULL_SYSTEM']:
-        TraceFlag('LocalApic')
+        TraceFlag('LocalApic', "Local APIC debugging")
 
         SimObject('X86LocalApic.py')
         SimObject('X86System.py')
diff --git a/src/base/SConscript b/src/base/SConscript
index c09fdc976..000060e93 100644
--- a/src/base/SConscript
+++ b/src/base/SConscript
@@ -81,16 +81,18 @@ if env['USE_MYSQL']:
     Source('mysql.cc')
     Source('stats/mysql.cc')
 
-TraceFlag('Annotate')
-TraceFlag('GDBAcc')
-TraceFlag('GDBExtra')
-TraceFlag('GDBMisc')
-TraceFlag('GDBRead')
-TraceFlag('GDBRecv')
-TraceFlag('GDBSend')
-TraceFlag('GDBWrite')
-TraceFlag('SQL')
-TraceFlag('StatEvents')
+TraceFlag('Annotate', "State machine annotation debugging")
+TraceFlag('GDBAcc', "Remote debugger accesses")
+TraceFlag('GDBExtra', "Dump extra information on reads and writes")
+TraceFlag('GDBMisc', "Breakpoints, traps, watchpoints, etc.")
+TraceFlag('GDBRead', "Reads to the remote address space")
+TraceFlag('GDBRecv', "Messages received from the remote application")
+TraceFlag('GDBSend', "Messages sent to the remote application")
+TraceFlag('GDBWrite', "Writes to the remote address space")
+TraceFlag('SQL', "SQL queries sent to the server")
+TraceFlag('StatEvents', "Statistics event tracking")
 
-CompoundFlag('GDBAll', [ 'GDBMisc', 'GDBAcc', 'GDBRead', 'GDBWrite', 'GDBSend',
-    'GDBRecv', 'GDBExtra' ])
+CompoundFlag('GDBAll',
+    [ 'GDBMisc', 'GDBAcc', 'GDBRead', 'GDBWrite', 'GDBSend', 'GDBRecv',
+      'GDBExtra' ],
+    desc="All Remote debugging flags")