diff --git a/mathics/eval/tracing.py b/mathics/eval/tracing.py
index d10eb4186..7f7210d0d 100644
--- a/mathics/eval/tracing.py
+++ b/mathics/eval/tracing.py
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ def trace_evaluate(func: Callable) -> Callable:
     def wrapper(expr, evaluation) -> Any:
         from mathics.core.symbols import SymbolConstant
 
-        skip_call = False
+        # trace_evaluate_action allows for trace_evaluate_on_call()
+        # and trace_evaluate_return() to set the value of the
+        # expression instead of calling the function or replacing
+        # of return value of a Mathics3 function call.
+        trace_evaluate_action: Optional[Any] = None
         result = None
         was_boxing = evaluation.is_boxing
         if (
@@ -125,19 +129,33 @@ def wrapper(expr, evaluation) -> Any:
             # We may use boxing in print_evaluate_fn(). So turn off
             # boxing temporarily.
             evaluation.is_boxing = True
-            skip_call = trace_evaluate_on_call(expr, evaluation, "Evaluating", func)
+            trace_evaluate_action = trace_evaluate_on_call(
+                expr, evaluation, "Evaluating", func
+            )
             evaluation.is_boxing = was_boxing
-        if not skip_call:
+        if trace_evaluate_action is None:
             result = func(expr, evaluation)
             if trace_evaluate_on_return is not None and not was_boxing:
-                trace_evaluate_on_return(
+                trace_evaluate_action = trace_evaluate_on_return(
                     expr=result,
                     evaluation=evaluation,
                     status="Returning",
                     fn=expr,
                     orig_expr=expr,
                 )
+            if trace_evaluate_action is not None:
+                result = (
+                    (trace_evaluate_action, False)
+                    if func.__name__ == "rewrite_apply_eval_step"
+                    else trace_evaluate_action
+                )
             evaluation.is_boxing = was_boxing
+        else:
+            result = (
+                (trace_evaluate_action, False)
+                if func.__name__ == "rewrite_apply_eval_step"
+                else trace_evaluate_action
+            )
         return result
 
     return wrapper
diff --git a/test/builtin/test_trace.py b/test/builtin/test_trace.py
index cc310c641..8a74e0b61 100644
--- a/test/builtin/test_trace.py
+++ b/test/builtin/test_trace.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 """
 from inspect import isfunction, ismethod
 from test.helper import evaluate, session
-from typing import Any, Callable
+from typing import Any, Callable, Optional
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def test_TraceEvaluation():
 
     def counting_print_evaluate(
         expr, evaluation: Evaluation, status: str, fn: Callable, orig_expr=None
-    ) -> bool:
+    ) -> Optional[Any]:
         """
         A replacement for mathics.eval.tracing.print_evaluate() that counts the
         number of evaluation calls.
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def counting_print_evaluate(
         assert status in ("Evaluating", "Returning")
         if "cython" not in version_info:
             assert isfunction(fn), "Expecting 4th argument to be a function"
-        return False
+        return None
 
     try:
         # Set a small recursion limit,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def empty_queue():
         global event_queue
         event_queue = []
 
-    def call_event_func(event: TraceEvent, fn: Callable, *args) -> bool:
+    def call_event_func(event: TraceEvent, fn: Callable, *args) -> Optional[Any]:
         """
         Capture filtered calls in event_queue.
         """
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def call_event_func(event: TraceEvent, fn: Callable, *args) -> bool:
         else:
             name = str(fn)
         event_queue.append(f"{event.name} call  : {name}{args[:3]}")
-        return False
+        return None
 
     def return_event_func(event: TraceEvent, result: Any) -> Any:
         """