diff --git a/lisa/trace.py b/lisa/trace.py
index 82ddcc239cac9cf6a24abbd04763ff17b192a238..fe8deec5090197d58e71da0596946eaba82a73cd 100644
--- a/lisa/trace.py
+++ b/lisa/trace.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ import polars as pl
 
 import devlib
 
-from lisa.utils import Loggable, HideExekallID, memoized, lru_memoized, deduplicate, take, deprecate, nullcontext, measure_time, checksum, newtype, groupby, PartialInit, kwargs_forwarded_to, kwargs_dispatcher, ComposedContextManager, get_nested_key, unzip_into, order_as, delegate_getattr
+from lisa.utils import Loggable, HideExekallID, memoized, lru_memoized, deduplicate, take, deprecate, nullcontext, measure_time, checksum, newtype, groupby, PartialInit, kwargs_forwarded_to, kwargs_dispatcher, ComposedContextManager, get_nested_key, unzip_into, order_as, delegate_getattr, DirCache
 from lisa.conf import SimpleMultiSrcConf, LevelKeyDesc, KeyDesc, TopLevelKeyDesc, Configurable
 from lisa.datautils import SignalDesc, df_add_delta, df_deduplicate, df_window, df_window_signals, series_convert, df_update_duplicates, _polars_duration_expr, _df_to, _polars_df_in_memory, Timestamp, _pandas_cleanup_df
 from lisa.version import VERSION_TOKEN
@@ -5032,6 +5032,31 @@ class _Trace(Loggable, _InternalTraceBase):
         stack.enter_context(pl.StringCache())
 
         trace_path = str(trace_path) if trace_path else None
+        self.trace_path = trace_path
+
+        if parser is None:
+            if not trace_path:
+                raise ValueError('A trace path must be provided')
+
+            url = urlparse(trace_path)
+            scheme = url.scheme
+            if scheme == 'lisatrace':
+                parser = ClientTraceParser.from_trace_url(trace_path)
+            elif scheme in ('file', ''):
+                _, extension = os.path.splitext(url.path)
+
+                if extension == '.html':
+                    parser = SysTraceParser.from_html
+                elif extension == '.txt':
+                    parser = HRTxtTraceParser.from_txt_file
+                else:
+                    parser = TraceDumpTraceParser.from_dat
+        self._parser = parser
+
+        # No-op cache so that the cacheable metadata machinery does not fall
+        # over when querying the trace-id.
+        self._cache = _TraceCache()
+        trace_id = self._get_trace_id()
 
         if enable_swap:
             if trace_path and os.path.exists(trace_path):
@@ -5044,7 +5069,10 @@ class _Trace(Loggable, _InternalTraceBase):
                     try:
                         os.makedirs(swap_dir, exist_ok=True)
                     except OSError:
-                        swap_dir = None
+                        dir_cache = DirCache(
+                            category='trace_swap',
+                        )
+                        swap_dir = str(dir_cache.get_entry(trace_id))
 
                 if max_swap_size is None:
                     trace_size = os.stat(trace_path).st_size
@@ -5056,7 +5084,6 @@ class _Trace(Loggable, _InternalTraceBase):
             swap_dir = None
             max_swap_size = None
 
-        self.trace_path = trace_path
         self._parseable_events = {}
 
         if parser is None:
@@ -5090,10 +5117,6 @@ class _Trace(Loggable, _InternalTraceBase):
             plots_dir = os.path.dirname(trace_path)
         self.plots_dir = plots_dir
 
-        # No-op cache so that the cacheable metadata machinery does not fall
-        # over when querying the trace-id.
-        self._cache = _TraceCache()
-        trace_id = self._get_trace_id()
         cache = _TraceCache.from_swap_dir(
             trace_path=trace_path,
             swap_dir=swap_dir,
diff --git a/lisa/utils.py b/lisa/utils.py
index f74b3fdf5f7819993d3a085708b79730e1372de4..c1f10c6e47931e63aac009d8a3513f23420562a5 100644
--- a/lisa/utils.py
+++ b/lisa/utils.py
@@ -3761,9 +3761,9 @@ class DirCache(Loggable):
     The cache is managed in a process-safe way, so that there can be no race
     between concurrent processes or threads.
     """
-    def __init__(self, category, populate):
+    def __init__(self, category, populate=None):
         self._base = Path(LISA_CACHE_HOME, category)
-        self._populate = populate
+        self._populate = populate or (lambda *args, **kwargs: None)
         self._category = category
 
     def get_key_token(self, key):
@@ -3860,13 +3860,24 @@ class DirCache(Loggable):
             logger.debug(f'Populating {self._category} cache at: {path}')
             base.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
+            @contextlib.contextmanager
+            def temp_dir(base):
+                with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=base, delete=False) as path:
+                    delete = True
+                    def enable_cleanup(enable):
+                        nonlocal delete
+                        delete = enable
+
+                    try:
+                        yield (path, enable_cleanup)
+                    finally:
+                        if delete:
+                            shutil.rmtree(path)
+
             # Create the cache entry under a temp name, so we can
             # atomically rename it and fix races with other
             # processes
-            with contextlib.ExitStack() as stack:
-                temp_path = stack.enter_context(
-                    tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=base)
-                )
+            with temp_dir(base) as (temp_path, enable_cleanup):
                 temp_path = Path(temp_path)
 
                 populated_path = self._populate(key, temp_path) or temp_path
@@ -3885,9 +3896,10 @@ class DirCache(Loggable):
                 except OSError:
                     log_found()
                 else:
-                    # Do not cleanup the temp_base, as it has been
-                    # renamed and cleanup would fail.
-                    stack.pop_all()
+                    if temp_path == populated_path:
+                        # Do not cleanup the temp_base, as it has been
+                        # renamed and cleanup would fail.
+                        enable_cleanup(False)
         else:
             log_found()