diff --git a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
index 0b58e24..dc7a694 100644
--- a/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
+++ b/tools/perf/builtin-trace.c
@@ -1215,6 +1215,7 @@
 	bool			summary_only;
 	bool			show_comm;
 	bool			show_tool_stats;
+	bool			trace_syscalls;
 	int			trace_pgfaults;
 };
 
@@ -1927,17 +1928,19 @@
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(record_args); i++)
 		rec_argv[j++] = record_args[i];
 
-	for (i = 0; i < sc_args_nr; i++)
-		rec_argv[j++] = sc_args[i];
+	if (trace->trace_syscalls) {
+		for (i = 0; i < sc_args_nr; i++)
+			rec_argv[j++] = sc_args[i];
 
-	/* event string may be different for older kernels - e.g., RHEL6 */
-	if (is_valid_tracepoint("raw_syscalls:sys_enter"))
-		rec_argv[j++] = "raw_syscalls:sys_enter,raw_syscalls:sys_exit";
-	else if (is_valid_tracepoint("syscalls:sys_enter"))
-		rec_argv[j++] = "syscalls:sys_enter,syscalls:sys_exit";
-	else {
-		pr_err("Neither raw_syscalls nor syscalls events exist.\n");
-		return -1;
+		/* event string may be different for older kernels - e.g., RHEL6 */
+		if (is_valid_tracepoint("raw_syscalls:sys_enter"))
+			rec_argv[j++] = "raw_syscalls:sys_enter,raw_syscalls:sys_exit";
+		else if (is_valid_tracepoint("syscalls:sys_enter"))
+			rec_argv[j++] = "syscalls:sys_enter,syscalls:sys_exit";
+		else {
+			pr_err("Neither raw_syscalls nor syscalls events exist.\n");
+			return -1;
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (trace->trace_pgfaults & TRACE_PFMAJ)
@@ -2010,10 +2013,13 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (perf_evlist__add_syscall_newtp(evlist, trace__sys_enter, trace__sys_exit))
+	if (trace->trace_syscalls &&
+	    perf_evlist__add_syscall_newtp(evlist, trace__sys_enter,
+					   trace__sys_exit))
 		goto out_error_tp;
 
-	perf_evlist__add_vfs_getname(evlist);
+	if (trace->trace_syscalls)
+		perf_evlist__add_vfs_getname(evlist);
 
 	if ((trace->trace_pgfaults & TRACE_PFMAJ) &&
 	    perf_evlist__add_pgfault(evlist, PERF_COUNT_SW_PAGE_FAULTS_MAJ))
@@ -2215,13 +2221,10 @@
 	if (evsel == NULL)
 		evsel = perf_evlist__find_tracepoint_by_name(session->evlist,
 							     "syscalls:sys_enter");
-	if (evsel == NULL) {
-		pr_err("Data file does not have raw_syscalls:sys_enter event\n");
-		goto out;
-	}
 
-	if (perf_evsel__init_syscall_tp(evsel, trace__sys_enter) < 0 ||
-	    perf_evsel__init_sc_tp_ptr_field(evsel, args)) {
+	if (evsel &&
+	    (perf_evsel__init_syscall_tp(evsel, trace__sys_enter) < 0 ||
+	    perf_evsel__init_sc_tp_ptr_field(evsel, args))) {
 		pr_err("Error during initialize raw_syscalls:sys_enter event\n");
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -2231,13 +2234,9 @@
 	if (evsel == NULL)
 		evsel = perf_evlist__find_tracepoint_by_name(session->evlist,
 							     "syscalls:sys_exit");
-	if (evsel == NULL) {
-		pr_err("Data file does not have raw_syscalls:sys_exit event\n");
-		goto out;
-	}
-
-	if (perf_evsel__init_syscall_tp(evsel, trace__sys_exit) < 0 ||
-	    perf_evsel__init_sc_tp_uint_field(evsel, ret)) {
+	if (evsel &&
+	    (perf_evsel__init_syscall_tp(evsel, trace__sys_exit) < 0 ||
+	    perf_evsel__init_sc_tp_uint_field(evsel, ret))) {
 		pr_err("Error during initialize raw_syscalls:sys_exit event\n");
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -2440,6 +2439,7 @@
 		},
 		.output = stdout,
 		.show_comm = true,
+		.trace_syscalls = true,
 	};
 	const char *output_name = NULL;
 	const char *ev_qualifier_str = NULL;
@@ -2479,6 +2479,7 @@
 		    "Show all syscalls and summary with statistics"),
 	OPT_CALLBACK_DEFAULT('F', "pf", &trace.trace_pgfaults, "all|maj|min",
 		     "Trace pagefaults", parse_pagefaults, "maj"),
+	OPT_BOOLEAN(0, "syscalls", &trace.trace_syscalls, "Trace syscalls"),
 	OPT_END()
 	};
 	int err;
@@ -2499,6 +2500,11 @@
 	if (trace.summary_only)
 		trace.summary = trace.summary_only;
 
+	if (!trace.trace_syscalls && !trace.trace_pgfaults) {
+		pr_err("Please specify something to trace.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (output_name != NULL) {
 		err = trace__open_output(&trace, output_name);
 		if (err < 0) {