diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/hist.c b/tools/perf/ui/hist.c
index b114c66..61cf31e 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/hist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/hist.c
@@ -459,47 +459,29 @@
 	}
 }
 
-int hist_entry__sort_snprintf(struct hist_entry *he, char *s, size_t size,
-			      struct hists *hists)
-{
-	const char *sep = symbol_conf.field_sep;
-	struct sort_entry *se;
-	int ret = 0;
-
-	list_for_each_entry(se, &hist_entry__sort_list, list) {
-		if (se->elide)
-			continue;
-
-		ret += scnprintf(s + ret, size - ret, "%s", sep ?: "  ");
-		ret += se->se_snprintf(he, s + ret, size - ret,
-				       hists__col_len(hists, se->se_width_idx));
-	}
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 /*
  * See hists__fprintf to match the column widths
  */
 unsigned int hists__sort_list_width(struct hists *hists)
 {
 	struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt;
-	struct sort_entry *se;
-	int i = 0, ret = 0;
+	int ret = 0;
+	bool first = true;
 	struct perf_hpp dummy_hpp;
 
 	perf_hpp__for_each_format(fmt) {
-		if (i)
+		if (perf_hpp__should_skip(fmt))
+			continue;
+
+		if (first)
+			first = false;
+		else
 			ret += 2;
 
 		ret += fmt->width(fmt, &dummy_hpp, hists_to_evsel(hists));
 	}
 
-	list_for_each_entry(se, &hist_entry__sort_list, list)
-		if (!se->elide)
-			ret += 2 + hists__col_len(hists, se->se_width_idx);
-
-	if (verbose) /* Addr + origin */
+	if (verbose && sort__has_sym) /* Addr + origin */
 		ret += 3 + BITS_PER_LONG / 4;
 
 	return ret;
diff --git a/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c b/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c
index cfcd3f6..9f57991 100644
--- a/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c
+++ b/tools/perf/ui/stdio/hist.c
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@
 			 * the symbol. No need to print it otherwise it appears as
 			 * displayed twice.
 			 */
-			if (!i++ && sort__first_dimension == SORT_SYM)
+			if (!i++ && field_order == NULL &&
+			    sort_order && !prefixcmp(sort_order, "sym"))
 				continue;
 			if (!printed) {
 				ret += callchain__fprintf_left_margin(fp, left_margin);
@@ -296,13 +297,20 @@
 	int left_margin = 0;
 	u64 total_period = hists->stats.total_period;
 
-	if (sort__first_dimension == SORT_COMM) {
-		struct sort_entry *se = list_first_entry(&hist_entry__sort_list,
-							 typeof(*se), list);
-		left_margin = hists__col_len(hists, se->se_width_idx);
-		left_margin -= thread__comm_len(he->thread);
-	}
+	if (field_order == NULL && (sort_order == NULL ||
+				    !prefixcmp(sort_order, "comm"))) {
+		struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt;
 
+		perf_hpp__for_each_format(fmt) {
+			if (!perf_hpp__is_sort_entry(fmt))
+				continue;
+
+			/* must be 'comm' sort entry */
+			left_margin = fmt->width(fmt, NULL, hists_to_evsel(hists));
+			left_margin -= thread__comm_len(he->thread);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
 	return hist_entry_callchain__fprintf(he, total_period, left_margin, fp);
 }