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);
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/sort.c b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
index 9bee728..d913206 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/sort.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/sort.c
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
 int		sort__has_dso = 0;
 enum sort_mode	sort__mode = SORT_MODE__NORMAL;
 
-enum sort_type	sort__first_dimension;
-
-LIST_HEAD(hist_entry__sort_list);
 
 static int repsep_snprintf(char *bf, size_t size, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
@@ -1190,7 +1187,7 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int __sort_dimension__add(struct sort_dimension *sd, enum sort_type idx)
+static int __sort_dimension__add(struct sort_dimension *sd)
 {
 	if (sd->taken)
 		return 0;
@@ -1201,10 +1198,6 @@
 	if (sd->entry->se_collapse)
 		sort__need_collapse = 1;
 
-	if (list_empty(&hist_entry__sort_list))
-		sort__first_dimension = idx;
-
-	list_add_tail(&sd->entry->list, &hist_entry__sort_list);
 	sd->taken = 1;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1268,7 +1261,7 @@
 			sort__has_dso = 1;
 		}
 
-		return __sort_dimension__add(sd, i);
+		return __sort_dimension__add(sd);
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(hpp_sort_dimensions); i++) {
@@ -1292,7 +1285,7 @@
 		if (sd->entry == &sort_sym_from || sd->entry == &sort_sym_to)
 			sort__has_sym = 1;
 
-		__sort_dimension__add(sd, i + __SORT_BRANCH_STACK);
+		__sort_dimension__add(sd);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1308,7 +1301,7 @@
 		if (sd->entry == &sort_mem_daddr_sym)
 			sort__has_sym = 1;
 
-		__sort_dimension__add(sd, i + __SORT_MEMORY_MODE);
+		__sort_dimension__add(sd);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1395,7 +1388,8 @@
 
 void sort__setup_elide(FILE *output)
 {
-	struct sort_entry *se;
+	struct perf_hpp_fmt *fmt;
+	struct hpp_sort_entry *hse;
 
 	sort_entry__setup_elide(&sort_dso, symbol_conf.dso_list,
 				"dso", output);
@@ -1436,13 +1430,22 @@
 	 * It makes no sense to elide all of sort entries.
 	 * Just revert them to show up again.
 	 */
-	list_for_each_entry(se, &hist_entry__sort_list, list) {
-		if (!se->elide)
+	perf_hpp__for_each_format(fmt) {
+		if (!perf_hpp__is_sort_entry(fmt))
+			continue;
+
+		hse = container_of(fmt, struct hpp_sort_entry, hpp);
+		if (!hse->se->elide)
 			return;
 	}
 
-	list_for_each_entry(se, &hist_entry__sort_list, list)
-		se->elide = false;
+	perf_hpp__for_each_format(fmt) {
+		if (!perf_hpp__is_sort_entry(fmt))
+			continue;
+
+		hse = container_of(fmt, struct hpp_sort_entry, hpp);
+		hse->se->elide = false;
+	}
 }
 
 static int output_field_add(char *tok)