diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index 0981bc7a2917..b5b1b9211960 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const char	default_sort_order[] = "comm,dso,symbol";
 const char	*sort_order = default_sort_order;
 int		sort__need_collapse = 0;
 int		sort__has_parent = 0;
+int		sort__has_sym = 0;
 int		sort__branch_mode = -1; /* -1 = means not set */
 
 enum sort_type	sort__first_dimension;
@@ -511,6 +512,10 @@ int sort_dimension__add(const char *tok)
 				return -EINVAL;
 			}
 			sort__has_parent = 1;
+		} else if (sd->entry == &sort_sym ||
+			   sd->entry == &sort_sym_from ||
+			   sd->entry == &sort_sym_to) {
+			sort__has_sym = 1;
 		}
 
 		if (sd->taken)
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.h b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
index e459c981b039..12d634792de5 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ extern const char *parent_pattern;
 extern const char default_sort_order[];
 extern int sort__need_collapse;
 extern int sort__has_parent;
+extern int sort__has_sym;
 extern int sort__branch_mode;
 extern struct sort_entry sort_comm;
 extern struct sort_entry sort_dso;