diff --git a/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Diagnostics/Tracing/RuntimeEventSource.cs b/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Diagnostics/Tracing/RuntimeEventSource.cs
index 558507211b17f..da0a5e6e437b5 100644
--- a/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Diagnostics/Tracing/RuntimeEventSource.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Diagnostics/Tracing/RuntimeEventSource.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ public static class Keywords
             public const EventKeywords ProcessorCount = (EventKeywords)0x2;
         }
 
-        internal static RuntimeEventSource? Log => new RuntimeEventSource();
+        // this roots the singleton instance of the event source
+        internal static RuntimeEventSource Log { get; } = new RuntimeEventSource();
         private PollingCounter? _gcHeapSizeCounter;
         private IncrementingPollingCounter? _gen0GCCounter;
         private IncrementingPollingCounter? _gen1GCCounter;