diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tracing/TraceState.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tracing/TraceState.java
index b7d67a4944..5fec633e98 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tracing/TraceState.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/tracing/TraceState.java
@@ -28,11 +28,9 @@ import org.slf4j.helpers.MessageFormatter;
 import org.apache.cassandra.concurrent.Stage;
 import org.apache.cassandra.concurrent.StageManager;
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.CFMetaData;
-import org.apache.cassandra.db.ArrayBackedSortedColumns;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.ColumnFamily;
-import org.apache.cassandra.db.ConsistencyLevel;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.RowMutation;
-import org.apache.cassandra.service.StorageProxy;
+import org.apache.cassandra.db.TreeMapBackedSortedColumns;
 import org.apache.cassandra.utils.ByteBufferUtil;
 import org.apache.cassandra.utils.FBUtilities;
 import org.apache.cassandra.utils.UUIDGen;
@@ -97,7 +95,7 @@ public class TraceState
             public void runMayThrow()
             {
                 CFMetaData cfMeta = CFMetaData.TraceEventsCf;
-                ColumnFamily cf = ArrayBackedSortedColumns.factory.create(cfMeta);
+                ColumnFamily cf = TreeMapBackedSortedColumns.factory.create(cfMeta);
                 Tracing.addColumn(cf, Tracing.buildName(cfMeta, eventId, ByteBufferUtil.bytes("activity")), message);
                 Tracing.addColumn(cf, Tracing.buildName(cfMeta, eventId, ByteBufferUtil.bytes("source")), FBUtilities.getBroadcastAddress());
                 if (elapsed >= 0)