Function exits are instrumented in tail-call optimized code in which calls to target functions and return instructions are replaced by jump instructions. A probe engine identifies a tail-call jump and instruments the jumps to raise an exception. In response to an exception raised at the tail-call jump, an exception handler loads various registers and transferring control to a trampoline, which calls the jump target. After the target function returns, an exit probe is fired when the trampoline itself returns.