diff --git a/apps/openssl.c b/apps/openssl.c
index 44dbda7625..a63f82b15b 100644
--- a/apps/openssl.c
+++ b/apps/openssl.c
@@ -185,6 +185,33 @@ static void cleanup_trace(void)
     sk_tracedata_pop_free(trace_data_stack, tracedata_free);
 }
 
+static void setup_trace_category(int category)
+{
+    BIO *channel;
+    tracedata *trace_data;
+
+    if (OSSL_trace_enabled(category))
+        return;
+
+    channel = BIO_push(BIO_new(apps_bf_prefix()),
+                       dup_bio_err(FORMAT_TEXT));
+    trace_data = OPENSSL_zalloc(sizeof(*trace_data));
+
+    if (trace_data == NULL
+        || (trace_data->bio = channel) == NULL
+        || OSSL_trace_set_callback(category, internal_trace_cb,
+                                   trace_data) == 0
+        || sk_tracedata_push(trace_data_stack, trace_data) == 0) {
+
+        fprintf(stderr,
+                "warning: unable to setup trace callback for category '%s'.\n",
+                OSSL_trace_get_category_name(category));
+
+        OSSL_trace_set_callback(category, NULL, NULL);
+        BIO_free_all(channel);
+    }
+}
+
 static void setup_trace(const char *str)
 {
     char *val;
@@ -199,26 +226,15 @@ static void setup_trace(const char *str)
         for (valp = val; (item = strtok(valp, ",")) != NULL; valp = NULL) {
             int category = OSSL_trace_get_category_num(item);
 
-            if (category >= 0) {
-                BIO *channel = BIO_push(BIO_new(apps_bf_prefix()),
-                                        dup_bio_err(FORMAT_TEXT));
-                tracedata *trace_data = OPENSSL_zalloc(sizeof(*trace_data));
-
-                if (trace_data == NULL
-                    || (trace_data->bio = channel) == NULL
-                    || OSSL_trace_set_callback(category, internal_trace_cb,
-                                               trace_data) == 0
-                    || sk_tracedata_push(trace_data_stack, trace_data) == 0) {
-                    OSSL_trace_set_callback(category, NULL, NULL);
-                    BIO_free_all(channel);
-                    fprintf(stderr,
-                            "warning: unable to setup trace callback for category '%s'.\n",
-                            item);
-                }
+            if (category == OSSL_TRACE_CATEGORY_ANY) {
+                while (++category < OSSL_TRACE_CATEGORY_NUM)
+                    setup_trace_category(category);
+                break;
+            } else if (category > 0) {
+                setup_trace_category(category);
             } else {
                 fprintf(stderr,
-                        "warning: unknown trace category: '%s'.\n",
-                        item);
+                        "warning: unknown trace category: '%s'.\n", item);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/crypto/trace.c b/crypto/trace.c
index 5e2fec299a..70e93c292d 100644
--- a/crypto/trace.c
+++ b/crypto/trace.c
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ int OSSL_trace_set_channel(int category, BIO *channel)
 #ifndef OPENSSL_NO_TRACE
     if (category >= 0 && category < OSSL_TRACE_CATEGORY_NUM)
         return set_trace_data(category, SIMPLE_CHANNEL, &channel, NULL, NULL,
-                              trace_attach_cb, trace_detach_cb))
+                              trace_attach_cb, trace_detach_cb);
 #endif
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/doc/man3/OSSL_trace_set_channel.pod b/doc/man3/OSSL_trace_set_channel.pod
index 773a6b1064..0fb7d06a6b 100644
--- a/doc/man3/OSSL_trace_set_channel.pod
+++ b/doc/man3/OSSL_trace_set_channel.pod
@@ -181,6 +181,12 @@ Traces BIGNUM context operations.
 There is also C<OSSL_TRACE_CATEGORY_ANY>, which works as a fallback
 and can be used to get I<all> trace output.
 
+Note, however, that in this case all trace output will effectively be
+associated with the 'ALL' category, which is undesirable if the
+application intends to include the category name in the trace output.
+In this case it is better to register separate channels for each
+trace category instead.
+
 =head1 RETURN VALUES
 
 OSSL_trace_set_channel(), OSSL_trace_set_prefix(),
diff --git a/include/openssl/trace.h b/include/openssl/trace.h
index 767b19fa7d..13cd2dd6f3 100644
--- a/include/openssl/trace.h
+++ b/include/openssl/trace.h
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ extern "C" {
  * BIO which sends all trace output it receives to the registered application
  * callback.
  *
- * The ANY category is used as a fallback category.
+ * The ANY category can be used as a fallback category to register a single
+ * channel which receives the output from all categories. However, if the
+ * application intends to print the trace channel name in the line prefix,
+ * it is better to register channels for all categories separately.
+ * (This is how the openssl application does it.)
  */
 # define OSSL_TRACE_CATEGORY_ANY                 0 /* The fallback */
 # define OSSL_TRACE_CATEGORY_TRACE               1