diff --git a/lighthouse-core/gather/connections/connection.js b/lighthouse-core/gather/connections/connection.js
index 30c7f2567bba..ec3370892a02 100644
--- a/lighthouse-core/gather/connections/connection.js
+++ b/lighthouse-core/gather/connections/connection.js
@@ -46,15 +46,16 @@ class Connection {
    * Call protocol methods
    * @param {!string} method
    * @param {!Object} params
+   * @param {{silent: boolean}=} cmdOpts
    * @return {!Promise}
    */
-  sendCommand(method, params = {}) {
+  sendCommand(method, params = {}, cmdOpts = {}) {
     log.formatProtocol('method => browser', {method, params}, 'verbose');
     const id = ++this._lastCommandId;
     const message = JSON.stringify({id, method, params});
     this.sendRawMessage(message);
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      this._callbacks.set(id, {resolve, reject, method});
+      this._callbacks.set(id, {resolve, reject, method, options: cmdOpts});
     });
   }
 
@@ -98,7 +99,8 @@ class Connection {
 
       return callback.resolve(Promise.resolve().then(_ => {
         if (object.error) {
-          log.formatProtocol('method <= browser ERR', {method: callback.method}, 'error');
+          const logLevel = callback.options && callback.options.silent ? 'verbose' : 'error';
+          log.formatProtocol('method <= browser ERR', {method: callback.method}, logLevel);
           throw new Error(`Protocol error (${callback.method}): ${object.error.message}`);
         }
 
diff --git a/lighthouse-core/gather/driver.js b/lighthouse-core/gather/driver.js
index 8a588bf45f50..d91f8b3d32fc 100644
--- a/lighthouse-core/gather/driver.js
+++ b/lighthouse-core/gather/driver.js
@@ -187,9 +187,10 @@ class Driver {
    * Call protocol methods
    * @param {!string} method
    * @param {!Object} params
+   * @param {{silent: boolean}=} cmdOpts
    * @return {!Promise}
    */
-  sendCommand(method, params) {
+  sendCommand(method, params, cmdOpts) {
     const domainCommand = /^(\w+)\.(enable|disable)$/.exec(method);
     if (domainCommand) {
       const enable = domainCommand[2] === 'enable';
@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@ class Driver {
       }
     }
 
-    return this._connection.sendCommand(method, params);
+    return this._connection.sendCommand(method, params, cmdOpts);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -710,9 +711,23 @@ class Driver {
 
     // Enable Page domain to wait for Page.loadEventFired
     return this.sendCommand('Page.enable')
+      // ensure tracing is stopped before we can start
+      // see https://github.com/GoogleChrome/lighthouse/issues/1091
+      .then(_ => this.endTraceIfStarted())
       .then(_ => this.sendCommand('Tracing.start', tracingOpts));
   }
 
+  endTraceIfStarted() {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      const traceCallback = () => resolve();
+      this.once('Tracing.tracingComplete', traceCallback);
+      return this.sendCommand('Tracing.end', undefined, {silent: true}).catch(() => {
+        this.off('Tracing.tracingComplete', traceCallback);
+        traceCallback();
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
   endTrace() {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // When the tracing has ended this will fire with a stream handle.
diff --git a/lighthouse-core/test/gather/driver-test.js b/lighthouse-core/test/gather/driver-test.js
index eed22af4b850..da0b156eb2e8 100644
--- a/lighthouse-core/test/gather/driver-test.js
+++ b/lighthouse-core/test/gather/driver-test.js
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ connection.sendCommand = function(command, params) {
     case 'ServiceWorker.enable':
     case 'ServiceWorker.disable':
       return Promise.resolve();
+    case 'Tracing.end':
+      return Promise.reject(new Error('tracing not started'));
     default:
       throw Error(`Stub not implemented: ${command}`);
   }
@@ -186,6 +188,21 @@ describe('Browser Driver', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('waits for tracingComplete when tracing already started', () => {
+    const fakeConnection = new Connection();
+    const fakeDriver = new Driver(fakeConnection);
+    const commands = [];
+    fakeConnection.sendCommand = evt => {
+      commands.push(evt);
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    };
+
+    fakeDriver.once = createOnceStub({'Tracing.tracingComplete': {}});
+    return fakeDriver.beginTrace().then(() => {
+      assert.deepEqual(commands, ['Page.enable', 'Tracing.end', 'Tracing.start']);
+    });
+  });
+
   it('will request default traceCategories', () => {
     return driverStub.beginTrace().then(() => {
       const traceCmd = sendCommandParams.find(obj => obj.command === 'Tracing.start');