diff --git a/cmd/common-main.go b/cmd/common-main.go
index 1faaf6cf8..98e0d2356 100644
--- a/cmd/common-main.go
+++ b/cmd/common-main.go
@@ -102,7 +102,12 @@ func handleCommonEnvVars() {
 		globalIsBrowserEnabled = bool(browserFlag)
 	}
 
-	globalHTTPTrace = os.Getenv("MINIO_HTTP_TRACE") != ""
+	traceFile := os.Getenv("MINIO_HTTP_TRACE")
+	if traceFile != "" {
+		var err error
+		globalHTTPTraceFile, err = os.OpenFile(traceFile, os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY|os.O_APPEND, 0660)
+		fatalIf(err, "error opening file %s", traceFile)
+	}
 
 	globalDomainName = os.Getenv("MINIO_DOMAIN")
 	if globalDomainName != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/globals.go b/cmd/globals.go
index 889510ed1..4e0b842e7 100644
--- a/cmd/globals.go
+++ b/cmd/globals.go
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ var (
 	globalHTTPServerErrorCh = make(chan error)
 	globalOSSignalCh        = make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 
-	// Enable HTTP request/response headers and body logging.
-	globalHTTPTrace bool
+	// File to log HTTP request/response headers and body.
+	globalHTTPTraceFile *os.File
 
 	// List of admin peers.
 	globalAdminPeers = adminPeers{}
diff --git a/cmd/handler-utils.go b/cmd/handler-utils.go
index 7dd137798..24b4ca591 100644
--- a/cmd/handler-utils.go
+++ b/cmd/handler-utils.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/minio/minio/pkg/errors"
@@ -251,18 +250,18 @@ func extractPostPolicyFormValues(form *multipart.Form) (filePart io.ReadCloser,
 
 // Log headers and body.
 func httpTraceAll(f http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
-	if !globalHTTPTrace {
+	if globalHTTPTraceFile == nil {
 		return f
 	}
-	return httptracer.TraceReqHandlerFunc(f, os.Stdout, true)
+	return httptracer.TraceReqHandlerFunc(f, globalHTTPTraceFile, true)
 }
 
 // Log only the headers.
 func httpTraceHdrs(f http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
-	if !globalHTTPTrace {
+	if globalHTTPTraceFile == nil {
 		return f
 	}
-	return httptracer.TraceReqHandlerFunc(f, os.Stdout, false)
+	return httptracer.TraceReqHandlerFunc(f, globalHTTPTraceFile, false)
 }
 
 // Returns "/bucketName/objectName" for path-style or virtual-host-style requests.
diff --git a/cmd/signals.go b/cmd/signals.go
index 59ba40529..9739fcc47 100644
--- a/cmd/signals.go
+++ b/cmd/signals.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ func handleSignals() {
 
 			exit(err == nil && oerr == nil)
 		case osSignal := <-globalOSSignalCh:
+			stopHTTPTrace()
 			log.Printf("Exiting on signal %v\n", osSignal)
 			exit(stopProcess())
 		case signal := <-globalServiceSignalCh:
@@ -71,12 +72,14 @@ func handleSignals() {
 				log.Println("Restarting on service signal")
 				err := globalHTTPServer.Shutdown()
 				errorIf(err, "Unable to shutdown http server")
+				stopHTTPTrace()
 				rerr := restartProcess()
 				errorIf(rerr, "Unable to restart the server")
 
 				exit(err == nil && rerr == nil)
 			case serviceStop:
 				log.Println("Stopping on service signal")
+				stopHTTPTrace()
 				exit(stopProcess())
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index 2171297fe..74b05f642 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -37,6 +37,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/profile"
 )
 
+// Close Http tracing file.
+func stopHTTPTrace() {
+	if globalHTTPTraceFile != nil {
+		errorIf(globalHTTPTraceFile.Close(), "Unable to close httpTraceFile %s", globalHTTPTraceFile.Name())
+		globalHTTPTraceFile = nil
+	}
+}
+
 // make a copy of http.Header
 func cloneHeader(h http.Header) http.Header {
 	h2 := make(http.Header, len(h))
diff --git a/cmd/utils_test.go b/cmd/utils_test.go
index 9d7980f73..db7dbd6e7 100644
--- a/cmd/utils_test.go
+++ b/cmd/utils_test.go
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"os"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -50,6 +52,19 @@ func TestCloneHeader(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Tests closing http tracing file.
+func TestStopHTTPTrace(t *testing.T) {
+	var err error
+	globalHTTPTraceFile, err = ioutil.TempFile("", "")
+	if err != nil {
+		defer os.Remove(globalHTTPTraceFile.Name())
+		stopHTTPTrace()
+		if globalHTTPTraceFile != nil {
+			t.Errorf("globalHTTPTraceFile is not nil, it is expected to be nil")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // Tests maximum object size.
 func TestMaxObjectSize(t *testing.T) {
 	sizes := []struct {